ROOM 7
Chapter Forty-Four: The Brothers Arrive
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The third day of the festival arrived with sunlight and noise. The courtyard was being prepared for the final celebration. More lights. More flowers. More people. Room 7 was chaos. Yuri was running between beds. Mica was cooking. Calix was helping. Care and Cole were arguing. Freya was testing her camera. Erdix was testing his phone. Ash was trying on jewelry. David was organizing snacks. Felix was sketching. Ci N was calculating.
Lyra was sitting on her bed, staring at her phone. Her brother was coming. Both of them. Ben was twenty-four. He worked in Cebu. He was serious. He was protective. He was the one who taught her how to ride a bike. He was the one who threatened her first boyfriend. He was the one who cried when she left for college.
Joong was twelve. He was loud. He was annoying. He was the one who stole her clothes. He was the one who left his toys in her room. He was the one who called her every night after the crash. He was the one who asked when she was coming home.
She hadn't seen them in months. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was pounding. Her stomach was tight.
Alex sat beside her. "They're coming."
"They're coming."
"You're nervous."
She looked at him. "I'm not nervous."
He smiled. "You're nervous."
She grabbed a pillow. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have an Alex problem."
He tucked the pillow under his arm. "The worst kind."
She laughed. He laughed. Her hands stopped shaking.
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Part One: The Arrival
The door opened at noon.
Ben walked in first. Tall. Broad. Serious face. His eyes scanned the room. Sixteen beds. Sixteen desks. Sixteen people. He looked at Lyra. His face didn't change.
Joong ran in behind him. "LYRA!"
He launched himself across the room. She caught him. He was taller than she remembered. His voice was deeper. His arms were longer. He was twelve. He was still her little brother.
She held him. "You're tall."
"I'm tall."
"You're supposed to be small."
He pulled back. "I'm not small anymore."
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At his smile. "You're still small to me."
He made a face. "I'm not small."
She pulled him back. "You're small."
He struggled. She held on. He laughed. She laughed. Ben watched. His face didn't change. His eyes were soft.
Lyra let go. Walked to Ben. Stopped in front of him. "You came."
He looked at her. "You're my sister."
She stared at him. Her eyes were wet. Her lips were trembling. "I missed you."
He pulled her into his arms. Held her tight. "I missed you too."
She cried. He held her. Joong wrapped his arms around both of them.
Alex watched. His hands were in his pockets. His face was calm. His eyes were soft.
Joong pulled back. Looked at Alex. "Who are you?"
Alex stepped forward. "I'm Alex."
Joong looked at Lyra. "Is he your boyfriend?"
Lyra's face went red. "He's my best friend."
Joong looked at Alex. At Lyra. At the way she was standing close to him. At the way he was standing close to her. "Best friends who hold hands?"
Lyra's face went redder. "We don't hold hands."
"You're holding hands right now."
She looked down. She was holding Alex's hand. She didn't remember grabbing it. She didn't remember not letting go. She dropped it.
Joong smiled. "Best friends."
She grabbed his ear. "Joong."
"Ow."
"Stop."
"I'm not doing anything."
She pulled his ear. He yelped. Ben watched. His face didn't change. His eyes were laughing.
"You haven't changed," Ben said.
She let go of Joong's ear. "I've changed."
"You still pull his ear."
"He deserves it."
Ben looked at Alex. "You're the one who stayed with her. After the crash."
Alex nodded. "I stayed."
Ben looked at him for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Good."
---
Part Two: The Reunion
The room gathered around. Yuri introduced himself. Mica brought food. Calix helped. Care and Cole stopped arguing. Freya took photos. Erdix filmed. Ash smiled. David offered snacks. Felix sketched. Ci N calculated. Keiran was on Jay's lap. Bruce was under his arm. The shark was beside him. Keifer was beside her. His hand was on her back. His fingers were tracing her spine.
Joong looked around. "This is your room?"
Lyra nodded. "This is my room."
He looked at the beds. The desks. The people. "It's big."
"It's sixteen beds."
He looked at Alex. At the way he was standing beside Lyra. At the way she was leaning toward him. "Best friends."
She grabbed his ear again. "Joong."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking."
He grinned. She let go. He walked to Jay's bed. Looked at Keiran. At Bruce. At the shark.
"Can I hold Bruce?"
Keiran opened his eyes. Looked at Joong. "No."
Joong blinked. "No?"
Keiran hugged Bruce tighter. "Bruce is mine."
Joong looked at Lyra. Lyra shrugged. Joong looked at Keiran. "Can I hold the shark?"
Keiran looked at the shark. At Jay. At Keifer. "The shark is Ate Jay's."
Joong looked at Jay. "Can I hold your shark?"
Jay smiled. "No."
Joong stared at her. "No?"
She picked up the shark. Held it. "It's mine."
Joong looked at Lyra. "Your friends are mean."
Lyra smiled. "They're the best."
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Part Three: The Tease
Joong circled Alex. Looked at his face. His hands. His clothes. "You're the one who stayed with my sister."
Alex nodded. "I stayed."
"You're the one who made her coffee."
Alex nodded. "I made her coffee."
"You're the one who held her hand."
Alex looked at Lyra. Lyra looked at Alex. "We're best friends."
Joong tilted his head. "Best friends who hold hands."
Lyra grabbed his ear. "Joong."
"I'm just saying."
She pulled. He yelped. Ben watched. His face didn't change. His eyes were laughing.
"You cried," Ben said.
Lyra let go of Joong's ear. "What?"
"Yesterday. Alex told me. You were crying. On the terrace. You said you missed Joong."
Lyra's face went red. Her hands went to her pockets. Her jaw tightened.
Joong's eyes went wide. "You cried?"
"I didn't cry."
"You cried."
"I didn't."
Ben smiled. "You cried."
She pulled a knife from her pocket. Pointed it at Alex. "If you say one more word, I'll stab you."
The room went silent.
Alex looked at the knife. At her face. At her red cheeks. "You're not going to stab me."
She held the knife steady. "Try me."
Joong stepped back. "She's crazy."
Ben stepped forward. "She's always been crazy."
Lyra pointed the knife at Joong. "I'll stab you too."
Joong ran behind Ben. "She's going to stab me."
Ben looked at Lyra. "Put the knife away."
"No."
"Lyra."
"I'm going to stab him."
"You're not going to stab him."
She lowered the knife. "He started it."
Joong peeked from behind Ben. "I didn't start anything."
"You said I cried."
"You did cry."
She raised the knife. Joong ducked. Alex took the knife from her hand. Put it on the table.
"You're not stabbing anyone," he said.
She glared at him. "You told my brother I was crying."
He smiled. "You were crying."
"I was not."
"You were crying. On the terrace. You said you missed him."
Her face was red. Her hands were fists. Her voice was tight. "I did not."
He stepped closer. "You did. You said 'I miss my brother.' You said 'I want to go home.' You said—"
She grabbed a napkin. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have an Alex problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. "The worst kind."
Joong was watching. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide. "You cried."
Lyra looked at him. "I didn't cry."
"You cried. Alex said you cried."
She walked toward him. He stepped back. "I'm going to—"
Ben stepped between them. "No stabbing."
"He started it."
"You're not stabbing anyone."
She crossed her arms. Her face was red. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes were bright.
Joong peeked from behind Ben. "You cried."
She lunged. Ben held her back. Joong ran.
---
Part Four: The Question
Ben sat on the couch. Lyra sat beside him. Her arms were crossed. Her face was still red. Joong sat on the floor. Alex stood by the window.
Ben looked at Lyra. At Alex. At the way they were sitting. At the way they were standing. At the way they were looking at each other.
"So," Ben said. "Are you two a couple yet?"
Lyra's head snapped up. "What?"
"A couple. Are you together?"
Lyra opened her mouth. Closed it. Alex opened his mouth. Closed it.
"We're best friends," Lyra said.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Best friends."
"Best friends."
Ben looked at Alex. "Best friends who stayed with her for three days."
Alex nodded. "Best friends who stayed with her for three days."
"Best friends who make her coffee."
Alex nodded. "Best friends who make her coffee."
"Best friends who hold her hand."
Alex looked at Lyra. Lyra looked at Alex. "Best friends hold hands."
Felix appeared beside the couch. "Best friends who almost kissed on the rooftop."
Lyra's face went red. "We did not."
"Best friends who almost kissed on the terrace."
"We did not."
"Best friends who—"
She grabbed a napkin. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Felix problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. "The worst kind."
Ben watched. His face didn't change. His eyes were laughing. "Best friends."
Lyra glared at him. "Best friends."
He nodded. "Best friends."
She grabbed a pillow. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"I have a Ben problem."
She stared at him. "That doesn't make sense."
He smiled. "It makes sense to me."
She grabbed another pillow. Held it up. "I'm going to throw this."
"You won't. You need it for sitting."
She threw it. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Ben problem."
He put the pillow behind his head. "The worst kind."
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Part Five: The Whisper
Across the room, Keifer was leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed. His eyes were on Jay. She was sitting on her bed. Keiran was in her lap. Bruce was under his arm. The shark was beside her. She was laughing at something Yuri said.
Keifer walked to her. Leaned down. His mouth was near her ear. "I want to take you to the terrace."
She looked at him. "What?"
He leaned closer. "The terrace. Tonight. After everyone leaves. I want to take you to the terrace."
Her face went red. "Keifer."
He smiled. "I want to kiss you. On the terrace. Where everyone can see."
She grabbed a napkin. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Keifer problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. "The worst kind."
He leaned closer. His lips brushed her ear. "I want to do more than kiss you."
She shoved him. He stumbled back. Laughed.
Ci N appeared beside them. "Page 320. Father whispered to Mother. Mother shoved Father. Probability of more whispering: 100 percent."
Jay grabbed a napkin. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Ci N problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. "The worst kind."
He walked back to his bed. Sat down. Picked up his fox. Held it.
Rakki was watching. "What did he say to her?"
Ci N opened his notebook. "He said he wants to take her to the terrace. He said he wants to kiss her. He said he wants to do more."
Rakki's face went red. "Ci N."
He looked at her. "I document everything."
She closed his notebook. "You need to stop documenting everything."
He looked at her. "I can't. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I notice things. I remember things. I—"
She kissed his cheek. He stopped.
"You're impossible," she said.
He smiled. "You like it."
She didn't answer. She held his hand. He held hers.
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Part Six: The Night
The room was quiet. Ben was on the couch. Joong was on the floor. Keiran was on Jay's bed. Bruce was under his arm. The shark was beside him. He was sleeping.
Lyra was on the couch. Alex beside her. Her head was on Ben's shoulder. Her hand was in Joong's. Her eyes were closed. She was sleeping.
Ci N was on his bed. Notebook open. Pen in hand.
"Page 321. Ben arrived. Joong arrived. Lyra sleeping. Probability of her being okay: 100 percent."
Rakki closed his notebook. "You need to sleep."
He looked at her. "I'm not tired."
She looked at Lyra. At the way her hand was in Joong's. At the way Ben's arm was around her. "She's happy."
Ci N looked at Lyra. At her face. At her hands. At the way she was holding her brother's hand.
"She's happy," he said.
He picked up his fox. Held it. "Good."
She kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes.
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Across the room, Jay lay on her bed. The shark was beside her. Keiran was beside her. Bruce was under his arm. Keifer was on her other side. His arm was around her. Her head was on his chest.
"Your brother is sleeping in my bed again," she said.
He looked at Keiran. "He's sleeping in your bed."
"In my lap."
He kissed her forehead. "I want to be in your lap."
She smiled. "You're jealous."
He didn't deny it.
She looked up at him. "You're impossible."
He kissed her. "You like it."
She closed her eyes. His heartbeat was under her ear. His hand was in her hair. Keiran was beside her. The shark was beside her. The room was quiet.
"Keifer."
"Yeah."
"I love you."
He pulled her closer. "I love you."
From across the room, Ci N's voice: "Page 322. I love you recorded. Probability of more I love yous: 100 percent."
"Ci N," Jay said.
"I'm sleeping."
"You're talking."
"I'm sleeping and talking. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I can do both."
"Ci N."
"Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Father."
She smiled into Keifer's chest. "Goodnight, Ci N."
The room was quiet. Sixteen people. Sixteen people who were something to each other. Something that didn't need a name.
Jay closed her eyes. Keifer was beside her. The shark was beside her. Keiran was beside her. Lyra was sleeping. Her brothers were beside her. She was happy. They were all going to be okay.
She slept.
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End of Chapter Forty-Four