replied.
The girl’s grey eyes flickered from the cottage back to Skyler. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“It’s been over a week, Ella,” Skyler said, his blue eyes bright with mischief. “He’s not coming back.” He turned to Aaron. “The place is all yours.”
“Wait, wait,” the girl – Ella – came forward, one hand on Skyler’s arm. “This isn’t funny.”
“I agree,” Skyler replied. “There’s nothing funny about it.” He pointed to the cottage. “The house is unoccupied; we have permanent residents looking for a place to stay.” He held up both hands. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem?” Ella asked, with a raised eyebrow. “I think the problem is six-foot tall, has black hair, green eyes and the ability to kick your ass across Salvador.”
“Kyran’s not coming back,” Skyler said. “And even if he does, he’s been gone too long. Don’t use it, you lose it.” He turned to Aaron. “Get a move on.” He nodded to the door.
Aaron paused. “We don’t want to get into the middle of anything–”
“There’s nothing to get into the middle of,” Skyler interrupted. “The place is all yours.” He smirked at Ella and added, “Feel free to throw out anything you don’t want.”
Ella shook her head in disgust and walked away. With a chuckle, Skyler left as well. Aaron turned to Sam, to see him staring at Ella, watching her. Only when Ella went around the corner and disappeared from sight, did Sam blink and turn around. Seeing the raised eyebrows of both Aaron and Rose, Sam only shrugged before heading towards their new cottage.
***
The blue-doored cottage was much, much nicer than the cottage they had been staying in. For a start, it was cleaner. It was sparsely furnished, but what was there was in good condition. The layout of the cottage was the same as the previous one: downstairs was one main living room, a bathroom, but no kitchen, and upstairs was made up of three bedrooms and another bathroom. The biggest room had a bed and a small wardrobe. The second room was the same but the third room had no bed, just a wide built-in wooden cupboard that none of them could open.
From Skyler and Ella’s conversation, Aaron realised the cottage had previously belonged to someone named Kyran. So when he opened the wardrobe and found clothes stacked inside, he wasn’t at all surprised.
“What should we do?” Sam asked, standing in the room with both hands on his hips.
“What can we do?” Aaron replied. “We’ll just push this stuff to the side, in case that Kyran bloke comes back for–”
“What are you on about?” Sam asked. “I’m talking about the beds.”
“What about them?” Aaron asked.
“There’s only two beds and three of us,” Sam pointed out.
“Oh.” Aaron glanced around at Rose. “Yeah, that’s a problem.”
Rose smiled. “Just a little one,” she teased.
Aaron brushed a hand through his hair, thinking. “There’s a sofa downstairs,” he offered. “It looks pretty decent.”
“Who’s going to draw that short straw?” Sam asked, pulling a face.
“I don’t mind sleeping on it,” Rose said, “but I’m not sleeping downstairs on my own.”
“Good point,” Sam said. “We’ll bring it upstairs.”
Half an hour later, the sofa had been hauled and dragged up the stairs, and into the biggest room. The three of them stood staring at the sight of the sofa, pressed up against the wall.
“So,” Sam started. “Who–”
“Not it!” Rose and Aaron called simultaneously.
“Damn it!” Sam turned to his sister. “You said you didn’t mind sleeping on the sofa!”
“I said I didn’t mind,” Rose said. “I didn’t say I would sleep on it.”
“That’s just trickery at its worst,” Sam complained.
“Oh, don’t be a baby,” Rose said, turning to go to her room next door.
“I’m not the baby,” Sam called after her. “You’re the one that still does ‘not it’ to settle things.”
Aaron smiled. This
The girl’s grey eyes flickered from the cottage back to Skyler. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“It’s been over a week, Ella,” Skyler said, his blue eyes bright with mischief. “He’s not coming back.” He turned to Aaron. “The place is all yours.”
“Wait, wait,” the girl – Ella – came forward, one hand on Skyler’s arm. “This isn’t funny.”
“I agree,” Skyler replied. “There’s nothing funny about it.” He pointed to the cottage. “The house is unoccupied; we have permanent residents looking for a place to stay.” He held up both hands. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem?” Ella asked, with a raised eyebrow. “I think the problem is six-foot tall, has black hair, green eyes and the ability to kick your ass across Salvador.”
“Kyran’s not coming back,” Skyler said. “And even if he does, he’s been gone too long. Don’t use it, you lose it.” He turned to Aaron. “Get a move on.” He nodded to the door.
Aaron paused. “We don’t want to get into the middle of anything–”
“There’s nothing to get into the middle of,” Skyler interrupted. “The place is all yours.” He smirked at Ella and added, “Feel free to throw out anything you don’t want.”
Ella shook her head in disgust and walked away. With a chuckle, Skyler left as well. Aaron turned to Sam, to see him staring at Ella, watching her. Only when Ella went around the corner and disappeared from sight, did Sam blink and turn around. Seeing the raised eyebrows of both Aaron and Rose, Sam only shrugged before heading towards their new cottage.
***
The blue-doored cottage was much, much nicer than the cottage they had been staying in. For a start, it was cleaner. It was sparsely furnished, but what was there was in good condition. The layout of the cottage was the same as the previous one: downstairs was one main living room, a bathroom, but no kitchen, and upstairs was made up of three bedrooms and another bathroom. The biggest room had a bed and a small wardrobe. The second room was the same but the third room had no bed, just a wide built-in wooden cupboard that none of them could open.
From Skyler and Ella’s conversation, Aaron realised the cottage had previously belonged to someone named Kyran. So when he opened the wardrobe and found clothes stacked inside, he wasn’t at all surprised.
“What should we do?” Sam asked, standing in the room with both hands on his hips.
“What can we do?” Aaron replied. “We’ll just push this stuff to the side, in case that Kyran bloke comes back for–”
“What are you on about?” Sam asked. “I’m talking about the beds.”
“What about them?” Aaron asked.
“There’s only two beds and three of us,” Sam pointed out.
“Oh.” Aaron glanced around at Rose. “Yeah, that’s a problem.”
Rose smiled. “Just a little one,” she teased.
Aaron brushed a hand through his hair, thinking. “There’s a sofa downstairs,” he offered. “It looks pretty decent.”
“Who’s going to draw that short straw?” Sam asked, pulling a face.
“I don’t mind sleeping on it,” Rose said, “but I’m not sleeping downstairs on my own.”
“Good point,” Sam said. “We’ll bring it upstairs.”
Half an hour later, the sofa had been hauled and dragged up the stairs, and into the biggest room. The three of them stood staring at the sight of the sofa, pressed up against the wall.
“So,” Sam started. “Who–”
“Not it!” Rose and Aaron called simultaneously.
“Damn it!” Sam turned to his sister. “You said you didn’t mind sleeping on the sofa!”
“I said I didn’t mind,” Rose said. “I didn’t say I would sleep on it.”
“That’s just trickery at its worst,” Sam complained.
“Oh, don’t be a baby,” Rose said, turning to go to her room next door.
“I’m not the baby,” Sam called after her. “You’re the one that still does ‘not it’ to settle things.”
Aaron smiled. This
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