First Morning

I woke up to the sound of food sizzling down stairs, the waft of breakfast drifting into the room. Disoriented, I needed a few seconds to remember where I was.

I stared up at the ceiling, stretching and rubbing my eyes. Abandoned house. Guest room. The strangers who let me stay here. James and Alex.

And Betty, who was still out there, engine as dead as ever.

I sat up, yawning as I looked around the room. Everything was as I left it. I looked at my bag, discarded in the corner, grabbing some leggings and slipping them on.

I closed the door behind me, rubbing my neck and wincing. I was starving, and in so much pain. I wanted to curse at myself for walking so far, but it was the only way I found this place. I shook my head, trying ignore the soreness as I headed downstairs.

I wasn't so clumsy in the morning, only hearing half as many groans from the stairs this time, but my presence was still obvious as I entered the kitchen. James turned to face the door with a mug in his hands, seeing me and smiling. Wether he was amused or was just trying to be nice, I didn't know quite yet,

"Good morning Miss, I take it you slept well." I nodded at the comment, covering yet another yawn as I pulled a chair out for myself and sat down. On the table, there was a jug of orange juice, which I couldn't help but stare at longingly,

"Like a baby." I leaned back, closing my eyes and sighing, hearing him take a sip, "What are you making?"

"Eggs, sausage, toast. I've been up for a few hours," He turned and continued to cook, putting the mug down beside him, "Alex reminded me that you would be hungry before he left." He muttered quietly, as if he was embarrassed for forgetting I was here. I couldn't help but laugh, realizing Alex must've been the one to let him know I still existed.

A shocker, really.

"You forgot me, then?" I questioned, resting my chin on my hand, "Wow, my feelings. I thought I was a lovely guest."

"A lovely guest would tell me her name, don't you think?" He turned off the stove, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and holding it out to me. I stood up, strolling over to him and taking it,

"Yes, yes she would," I went back to the dining table and poured myself some juice, "My name is Colette, sorry I didn't mention it yesterday."

"You said two words to me last night," He laughed, finishing whatever he was drinking and began to set up two plates, "I'm just glad I've heard more than one sentence today." I winced at that, deciding to drink instead of replying.

He wasn't wrong, I'm shocked he didn't assume I was mute yesterday.

As I finished, I watched him come to the table with two plates, absolutely piled with food. He sat in the seat to my left, while I occupied the end of the table,

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine, you were dehydrated. Plus, I'd rather focus on your car." I brought my plate closer to me and grabbed a fork, watching him as he continued, "Do you know how far away it is?"

I shook my head, taking a bite and relaxing back into my seat. Maybe it was the hunger, but this was amazing. I wanted to ask him for the recipe, but the muter laughter on his face made me shut up and continue eating,

"We could head over there later, but I want to know how long we'll be gone. When did you start walking..?" He began eating, and I tried to aim for the time in my head,

"Well, morning. It must've been around seven." I turned to check my wrist, but my watch wasn't there. James caught the act, pointing to the wall with his knife, where a clock sat. It read half-past nine, making a small bit of guilt run through me,

"I can't believe I slept in so late, I'm sorry-God I've probably been such a burden." He shook his head, dismissing the thought as he stood, grabbing napkins and wiping his lips before passing one to me,

"Of course not. We're not used to visitors, but it doesn't mean we mind." I nodded carefully, eating in silence for a couple minutes. I looked down at my plate, realizing it was almost gone. My gut felt like it would explode at any moment. I must have vacuumed it all up, the thought made me use a napkin to wipe whatever gunk was on my face. After a few moments the room caught my attention just as it did yesterday, making me want to ask questions I didn't get to yesterday,

"So, only you and your brother live here?" I asked quietly, wanting to test what I heard last night. Whatever it was, I felt a lot more curious today, which was shocking considering I practically conducted a break-in yesterday.

"Yeah, it's just us. My dad realized my brother and I weren't going to college, so we stay here. It's definitely old, but this place was our childhood cabin during the summer," I nodded slowly, watching him as he explained, "He pays for the land, even though we've tried convincing him we can pay ourselves. He'd just rather keep it under his name."

Something changed in his eyes at the end, almost like it was guilt. I must've imagine it, because he took one last bite from his food and raised an eyebrow at me,

"How about you? Do you go around the country letting your car break down, or was I just fortunate to help you the first time?" I rolled my eyes, standing and grabbing my plate. I put it beside the sink, seeing him follow after as we both returned to the table.

"Surprisingly, this is the first time. I didn't know towns would be so far apart here, and I didn't have enough life left in Betty to keep going."

"Betty?" He questioned, trying to piece it together, "Your car?" I gave a small nod, leaning back and crossing my arms,

"The best Volkswagen you'll see in this century, yes... my car."

"So you're just... on a road trip?" He ran a hand through his hair, and I watched it flop back in place, earning a funny look from him,

"Of sorts, I guess you could say that," I glanced down at my hands, "I don't really... have a destination." I mumbled absentmindedly, my voice drifting away at the end.

I wished that was all there was, that I genuinely did love jumping from town-to-town, but a part of me still knew. A hidden, buried part. It knew I'd give anything to stay somewhere for a little longer, not needing to run away from someone.

He must've caught the shift in the mood, and as my eyes drifted back to him, I couldn't help but feel like we were sharing a similar sense of despair. Our eyes lingered, if only for a second, ending as soon as he looked away.

He glanced at the window, his expression confused for a second, before his face lit up. It was the type you get when an idea pops into your head. I knew it all too well, I did the same thing. He faced me, his pleasant mood right back into place,

"Well, let's see if we can find you one before you get back out on the road." He stood, holding out his hand and doing a slight bow, "Follow me, Miss Colette."

I couldn't help but chuckle, looking at his hand and hesitating, before deciding I had nothing much to lose as I let him take my hand.

I stood up, following him as we headed upstairs, going to the other side of the hall, away from my room. He let go of my hand, pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking the door. I crossed my arms, watching him as he turned to me with a grin,

"I promise, you'll love this place. Or at least, enjoy it enough to distract you for a few minutes." I parted my lips for a rebuttal, but he just opened the door without warning.

The room revealed itself to be a study, of sorts. An office. Or a library, considering how it was lined with bookshelves, filled with them on the right of the room. It looked like a small maze, making me want to venture inside immediately.

I was more pleased than shocked, he was right, this place distracted me right away.

The smell of books drew me in immediately, making me step inside and look around. The room was huge, and I realized soon enough that it must've made up a most of the second floor. It had a large desk near the window, the leather chair behind it fitting it almost perfectly, like we were in a movie.

The room, in of itself, was absolutely breathtaking. It was in perfect condition, as polished and pristine than anything else in the house. I wanted to look over the books, but I found myself planted in the same spot.

My eyes travelled to James, who was just watching me, trying to recognize if my reaction was confusion or joy,

"It's gorgeous." I whispered, looking around one more time before glancing back at him, "Can I..."

I didn't really know how to phrase it. How does a stranger tell someone that they want to absorb all the knowledge of this place immediately... without sounding like a lunatic, of course.

James seemed to understand, nodding and suppressing a laugh as he walked further inside, leaving the door ajar,

"This was my dad's study. He left it to us, and I spend most of my days here." He began, an obvious nostalgia in his voice, "Something told me you'd like it. Considering the encyclopedia I found downstairs."

He looked away, entirely unsure of himself. I chuckled at the assumption, drifting over to one of the shelves,

"You guessed right." I  ran my hand over the spines of countless books, resting it on an old copy of The Odyssey. I stared at it carefully, my fingers wanting to grab it. I stopped myself, feeling eyes on me and turning back to James. Catching his gaze for a second made his eyes widen, averting his gaze onto something else.

He was caught staring, and that felt much more amusing than looking through an old book I studied in high school. Still, as my gut continued to pull me to it, I walked towards the desk, trying to forget it. My hand rested on the leather chair, James recovering and coming up beside me,

"I... don't know why I decided to show you this place," He said quietly, looking out the window. He faced me, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was trying to piece something together, "I know you'll leave soon but... it seemed important."

I studied his movement carefully, part of me wanting to know how he caught on so quickly. It left me wondering how lonely this boy really was. However deep it ran through him, it enveloped parts of me as well. Maybe that's why it was so easy to see it reflected in someone else,

"I remember as a kid, my Dad would spend hours here. My mother would be off with my brother, and I'd knock on the door, waiting and waiting until he finished." He looked around carefully, almost like he was imagining it before his eyes returned to me, "Now, I feel like I can grasp a part of why he liked it so much."

We were left just peering into each other, embracing the silence that settled over us. The possibilities of his words lingered in the air, a deep understanding flowing through us.

I wanted him to know I understood.

Reaching out to touch his arm, my fingertips barely brushed against his skin when a slam down stairs made us jerk apart. I stepped back, eyes wide and feeling like I had snapped out of trance.

The distance seemed suffocating, making me look away and focus on the footsteps I heard. Alex made his way up the stairs, cursing under his breath. He must've noticed the door, the sound faltering, before he made his way towards us.

He appeared in the doorway, his expression mixing into one of confusion.

It lingered, only for a few seconds, before he shook his head and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

It echoed throughout the house, only cold lingering in the air now.