ROOM 7
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Nightmare
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Three days had passed since Alex came home.
Lyra still wasn't sleeping. She'd doze off in fragments—twenty minutes here, forty minutes there—then jerk awake, gasping, reaching for Alex's bed. He was always there. She checked anyway.
The room moved around her. Yuri kept his voice down. Mica made her tea. Care stopped arguing when she was nearby. Freya stopped taking photos of her. David kept snacks by her bed. Everyone was waiting. Waiting for her to close her eyes and not wake up screaming.
She wanted to. She wanted to sleep. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw the plane.
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Part One: The Scream
It came at 2 AM.
The room was dark. Sixteen people breathing. Sixteen people dreaming. Lyra was one of them. Finally. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing was slow. Her hand was stretched toward Alex's bed. She was sleeping.
Then she wasn't.
The scream tore through the room. Raw. Loud. Broken. Her body shot up. Her hands grabbed the blanket. Her eyes were open but she wasn't seeing the room. She was seeing the plane. The dark. The empty rows. The floor opening. The hands slipping.
"LYRA."
Alex was there. His hands were on her face. Her shoulders. Her arms. Checking. Touching. Making sure she was real.
"I'm here. I'm here. I'm here."
She grabbed him. Her hands fisted in his shirt. Her face buried in his chest. Her whole body was shaking.
"I saw you. I saw you fall. I couldn't hold on. I couldn't—"
He held her. His arms were tight. His voice was steady. "I'm not falling. I'm here. I'm right here."
She was crying. Loud. Broken. The same way she'd cried when the door opened. The same way she'd cried when she thought he was gone.
The room was awake. Yuri was sitting up. Mica was holding Calix. Care was holding Cole. Freya was holding her camera but she wasn't taking pictures. Erdix was holding her. Ash was on her bed, watching. David was still. Ci N was sitting up, fox in his lap, eyes wide.
Jay was on her feet. Keifer beside her. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke.
Lyra cried into Alex's chest. He held her. Let her shake. Let her fall apart. Let her hold on.
The crying went on for an hour. Then it stopped. She was still holding him. Her hands were still in his shirt. Her face was still against his chest. But she wasn't crying anymore.
"Don't leave," she whispered.
"I'm not leaving."
"Promise."
He looked at her. Her face was swollen. Her eyes were red. Her nose was running. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
"I promise."
She closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed. Her hands relaxed. She was asleep.
He didn't move. His arms were around her. His hand was in her hair. His eyes were open. He wasn't going to sleep. Not while she was dreaming.
The room settled. People lay back down. Yuri turned to the wall. Mica closed her eyes. Calix held her. Care and Cole lay down together. Freya put her camera away. Erdix held her hand. Ash closed her eyes.
David was still awake. He looked at Alex. Alex looked at him.
"You need to sleep," David said.
"I will."
"When?"
Alex looked at Lyra. At her face against his chest. At her hand in his shirt. At her breathing, finally steady.
"When she does."
David nodded. Closed his eyes.
Ci N was still sitting up. His fox was in his lap. His notebook was open. He was watching Lyra sleep.
"She's going to be okay," Rakki whispered.
He looked at his notebook. At the numbers he'd written. The hours she'd slept. The minutes she'd been awake. The times she'd screamed.
"I know," he said.
He closed the notebook. Lay down. Picked up his fox. Held it.
"She's going to be okay," he said again. Quieter. To himself.
He closed his eyes.
---
Part Two: The Morning
The morning came gray and tired.
Lyra was still asleep. Her head was on Alex's chest. Her hand was in his. His arm was around her. His eyes were open. He hadn't slept.
The room woke slowly. Yuri sat up. Rubbed his eyes. Looked at the couch. Looked at Alex. Looked at Lyra.
"She sleep?" he whispered.
Alex nodded.
Yuri let out a breath. "Good."
He got up. Walked to the kitchen. Made coffee. Quiet. Careful. He brought two cups to the couch. Handed one to Alex.
Alex took it. "Thanks."
Yuri nodded. Walked back to his bed.
Mica was in the kitchen now. Calix beside her. They cooked in silence. Eggs. Rice. The food Lyra liked. The food she hadn't been eating.
Care and Cole sat at the table. Not arguing. Just sitting. Cole's hand was on Care's. Care's hand was on Cole's.
Freya was at the window. Looking at the street. Erdix was beside her.
Ash was on her bed. Watching Lyra sleep.
David was eating chips. Quiet. Careful. The bag didn't crinkle.
Ci N was sitting on his bed. Notebook open. Pen in hand. He was writing something. His forehead was wrinkled. His lips were moving.
Rakki sat beside him. "What are you writing?"
He showed her. Numbers. Times. Distances. The hours she'd slept. The hours she hadn't. The minutes between screams. The seconds it took for Alex to reach her.
"I'm calculating," he said. "The probability of her sleeping through the night. The probability of her waking up. The probability of—"
He stopped.
Rakki waited.
"The probability of her being okay," he finished.
She looked at his notebook. At the numbers. At the equations. At the careful handwriting.
"What's the answer?" she asked.
He closed the notebook. "One hundred percent."
She smiled. He didn't.
"She's going to be okay," she said.
He picked up his fox. Held it. "I know."
---
Part Three: The Kitchen
Jay was in the kitchen, making coffee. Keifer was leaning against the counter, watching her. They hadn't talked about the kiss. They hadn't talked about anything since the crash. Everything had been too heavy. Too loud. Too close.
She poured two cups. Black. No sugar. Handed one to Keifer.
"Thanks," he said.
She nodded. Drank her coffee. Stared at the counter.
"Lyra slept," he said.
"For two hours."
"That's more than yesterday."
She nodded again. Didn't look at him.
"Jay."
She looked up. His face was tired. His eyes were dark. He'd been awake all night too. Watching. Waiting. Same as everyone.
"You need to sleep," he said.
"So do you."
"I will."
"When?"
He looked at the couch. At Lyra asleep on Alex's chest. At Alex's eyes open, watching the room.
"When she does."
She looked at her coffee. "It's going to be a long time."
"I know."
She drank. He watched. The kitchen was quiet.
Ci N appeared in the doorway.
He didn't say anything. He just stood there. Fox under his arm. Notebook in his pocket. Face blank.
Jay looked at him. "Ci N?"
He didn't answer.
"Ci N, what's wrong?"
He opened his mouth. Closed it. His lip trembled.
Jay's eyes narrowed. "Don't."
His chin quivered.
"Ci N."
His shoulders started shaking.
"I swear to God—"
He burst into tears.
Not real tears. Jay knew the difference now. Real tears were silent. Real tears were Lyra crying into Alex's chest. Real tears were the sound that came from somewhere deep. These were not real tears. These were performance tears. Loud. Dramatic. Theatrical.
"MY PARENTS," he wailed. "MY PARENTS ARE FIGHTING."
Keifer choked on his coffee. Jay's hand tightened on her cup.
"We're not fighting," she said.
"YOU'RE STANDING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE COUNTER."
"We always stand on opposite sides."
"YOU'RE NOT TALKING."
"We're drinking coffee."
"DRINKING COFFEE IS AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR."
"It's caffeine consumption."
"IT'S DENIAL."
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 Ci N problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. Smiled. Walked away.
Keifer watched him go. "He's doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Starting things. Making us—" He stopped.
She looked at him. "Making us what?"
He looked at her. At her face. At her coffee. At the napkins she was still holding.
"Fight," he said.
---
Part Four: The Chase
She found Ci N on his bed.
He was writing in his notebook. Fox in his lap. Smile on his face. He looked up when she appeared.
"Mother."
"I'm going to kill you."
He tilted his head. "That seems inefficient. You haven't finished your coffee. Low caffeine affects judgment. You should—"
She grabbed his pillow. Hit him with it.
He laughed. Rolled off the bed. Ran toward the door.
She followed.
"COME BACK HERE."
"I CAN'T. I'M BEING PURSUED."
"I'M GOING TO END YOU."
"THAT'S EXCESSIVE."
"ACCURATE."
He ran between the beds. She followed. Yuri pulled his feet up. Mica ducked. Calix moved. Care and Cole stopped arguing. Freya raised her camera. Erdix raised his phone. Ash watched from her bed. David ate chips.
"CI N, STOP."
"I CAN'T. MY LEGS HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA."
"THAT'S NOT HOW LEGS WORK."
"THAT'S HOW MY LEGS WORK."
He ran toward the window. She cut him off. He slid under the table. She grabbed the other side. He popped up behind her.
"Your reflexes are deteriorating, Mother."
"I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER."
"Your denial is consistent."
She lunged. He dodged. She grabbed his shirt. He slipped out of it. She was left holding a shirt. He was wearing another one underneath.
"You wore two shirts," she said.
He smiled. "My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I anticipate outcomes."
She threw the shirt at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," he said.
She grabbed his arm. He twisted. She followed. He ran toward the couch. She ran after him. Her foot caught on David's bag. The floor tilted. The ceiling spun. Her arms windmilled. Her coffee cup flew.
She was falling.
---
Part Five: The Catch
Keifer caught her.
His hand was on her waist. His arm was around her back. Her hands grabbed his shoulders. Her face was inches from his.
"You caught me," she said.
"You were falling."
"I was chasing."
"You were falling while chasing."
"That's multitasking."
"That's disaster."
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At the way his mouth was slightly open. At the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing.
"You're close," she said.
"You're closer."
"You caught me."
"I always catch you."
She looked at his lips. He looked at hers.
The room was silent. Sixteen people holding their breath. Ci N was standing by the table, shirtless under his second shirt, watching with wide eyes. His notebook was open. His pen was moving.
"You should let go," she said.
"I know."
"You're not letting go."
"I know."
She stared at his mouth. He stared at hers.
"Keifer."
"Jay."
"I'm going to—"
He kissed her.
---
Part Six: The Explosion
The room detonated.
Yuri fell off his bed. "HE KISSED HER! HE KISSED HER!"
Lyra's eyes snapped open. "WHAT?"
"HE KISSED HER! KEIFER KISSED JAY!"
She tried to sit up. Alex held her down. "You need to rest."
"I NEED TO SEE."
"You can see from here."
She craned her neck. Saw Keifer's hand on Jay's waist. Saw Jay's hands on Keifer's shoulders. Saw their faces inches apart.
"I missed it," she said.
"You were sleeping."
"I've been sleeping for three days. I miss one kiss and it's the biggest kiss in the history of—"
Alex put his hand over her mouth. "Rest."
She glared at him. He didn't move.
She bit his hand.
He pulled back. "You bit me again."
"You put your hand on my mouth again."
"You were screaming again."
"I was expressing joy again."
"You were screaming."
"Same thing."
He pulled her down. Wrapped his arms around her. Held her against his chest.
"Sleep," he said.
"I'm not tired."
"Your eyes are red. Your voice is hoarse. You bit me."
"That was enthusiasm."
"That was violence."
"Same thing."
She struggled for a moment. Then stopped. Her head dropped against his shoulder. Her eyes closed.
"Traitor," she mumbled.
He smiled. "I know."
---
Part Seven: The Teasing
Ci N appeared beside Keifer and Jay.
They were still standing in the same spot. Keifer's hand was still on her waist. Her hands were still on his shoulders. Their faces were still close.
Ci N looked up at them. "That was efficient."
Keifer blinked. "What?"
"The kiss. You've been circling each other for weeks. Months. Years. You could have kissed at the park. On the rooftop. During the blanket incident. During the sugar incident. During the—"
"Ci N."
He stopped. Looked at Jay. "Yes?"
"Go away."
He smiled. Wrote something in his notebook.
Yuri appeared on the other side. "You kissed her."
Keifer didn't answer.
"IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. WHILE SHE WAS CHASING CI N. WHILE SHE WAS FALLING. YOU KISSED HER WHILE SHE WAS FALLING."
"She was falling," Keifer said.
"YOU CAUGHT HER WITH YOUR LIPS."
"I caught her with my hands. The lips were—"
"SECONDARY?"
Keifer's ears went red. "I didn't say secondary."
"You were thinking secondary."
"I was thinking—" He stopped.
Jay's hands were still on his shoulders. Her face was still close. She was watching him. Waiting.
"You were thinking what?" Yuri asked.
Keifer looked at Jay. "I was thinking I should have done it sooner."
Yuri screamed. Felix whistled. Ci N wrote faster.
Alex's voice from the couch: "Finally."
Keifer turned. "You're supposed to be asleep."
"Lyra's asleep. I'm awake."
"Go to sleep."
"I'm not tired."
"You've been awake for three days."
"I've been keeping watch for three days."
"Go to sleep."
Alex smiled. "Make me."
Keifer stared at him. "I'm not going to make you sleep."
"Then stop telling me to sleep."
"You're impossible."
"You like it."
Keifer opened his mouth. Closed it. Turned back to Jay.
She was laughing. Quiet. Soft. Her hands were still on his shoulders. Her eyes were still on his face.
"You kissed me," she said.
"I kissed you."
"In front of everyone."
"In front of everyone."
She looked at the room. At Yuri on the floor. At Ci N writing. At Felix watching. At Alex smiling. At Lyra asleep on his chest.
"You're going to have to do it again," she said.
He went still. "What?"
"To make sure it wasn't an accident."
He stared at her. "It wasn't an accident."
"How do you know?"
He stepped closer. His hand moved from her waist to her face. His fingers traced her cheekbone.
"Because I've been wanting to do it since I was fourteen."
She went very still.
"Because I've been waiting for the right moment," he said. "Because I wanted it to be when you weren't running. When you weren't scared. When you were just—" He stopped.
"Just what?"
He looked at her. "Just Jay."
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At his mouth. At the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
"Ci N ruined it," she said.
He laughed. "Ci N ruined it."
"I was chasing him."
"You were falling."
"You caught me."
"I always catch you."
She looked at his lips. He looked at hers.
"Kiss me again," she said.
He kissed her.
---
Part Eight: The Second Explosion
Yuri was on the floor again. "AGAIN! HE KISSED HER AGAIN!"
Ci N was writing. "Moment captured. Page 248."
Felix was smiling. "That's better."
Alex was watching. Lyra was asleep. He didn't wake her.
Freya was taking photos. Erdix was filming. Mica was crying. Calix was holding her. Care was holding Cole's hand. Ash was holding a pillow.
David was eating chips. "That's good," he said. "They're good together."
Ci N looked up from his notebook. "I orchestrated this."
Yuri turned. "What?"
"The kiss. I orchestrated it. My fake crying. The chase. The bag. David's bag. I moved it. Strategically. To make her fall. To make him catch her. To make the tension break."
Yuri stared at him. "You planned this?"
Ci N nodded. "My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I anticipate outcomes. I calculated the probability of kissing at 94.7 percent. The remaining 5.3 percent was margin for error."
Yuri's mouth was open. "You made them kiss."
"I facilitated the conditions for kissing. There's a difference."
"There's no difference."
Ci N smiled. "That's our difference."
Yuri grabbed his hair. "HE'S EIGHTEEN."
Felix nodded. "He's eighteen."
"HE PLANNED A KISS."
"He planned a kiss."
"WHILE JAY WAS CHASING HIM."
"While Jay was chasing him."
Yuri pointed at Ci N. "You're terrifying."
Ci N wrote in his notebook. "I know."
---
Part Nine: The Turn
Jay pulled back from the kiss. Her face was red. Her hands were still on Keifer's shoulders. His hands were still on her face.
"You kissed me," she said.
"I kissed you."
"Twice."
"Twice."
"In front of everyone."
"In front of everyone."
She looked at the room. At Yuri on the floor. At Ci N writing. At Felix watching. At Alex smiling. At Lyra asleep on his chest.
"They're staring," she said.
"They're staring."
"What are we going to do?"
He looked at her. "Do we have to do something?"
She thought about it. "No."
"Good."
He let go of her face. She let go of his shoulders. They stood there, not touching, close enough.
Ci N appeared beside them. "You're not going to kiss again?"
"Ci N."
"The probability of a third kiss within the next five minutes is 78.3 percent. The optimal moment would be—"
"Ci N."
He stopped. Looked at her.
She was holding a napkin. "I'm going to throw this."
"You won't. You need it for—"
She threw it. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Ci N problem."
"The worst kind."
He smiled. Walked back to his bed. Sat down. Picked up his fox. Opened his notebook.
Yuri was still on the floor. "He planned a kiss."
"He planned a kiss," Felix said.
"He planned a kiss and then made her chase him and then made her fall and then made him catch her and then—"
Felix looked at Yuri. "Are you okay?"
Yuri stared at the ceiling. "I'm processing."
"Take your time."
"I'm going to need a lot of time."
Felix smiled. "Take all the time you need."
---
Part Ten: The Sleep
Lyra stirred on the couch. Her eyes opened. Blinked.
"What did I miss?"
Alex looked down at her. "Go back to sleep."
"I heard screaming."
"Yuri screamed."
"Yuri always screams. That was different screaming."
He put his hand on her head. Gently pushed her face back against his chest.
"Sleep."
She struggled. "I want to know what happened."
"Nothing happened."
"Nothing happens at 2 AM in this room. Something happened."
He held her tighter. "Sleep."
"Alex."
"Lyra."
She glared at him. He didn't move.
"You're hiding something," she said.
"I'm hiding that I'm tired."
"You're always tired."
"You're always awake."
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Her head dropped against his chest.
"I'll find out," she mumbled.
"I know."
"When I wake up."
"When you wake up."
She closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed. Her hand found his. Held it.
He watched her sleep.
Ci N appeared beside the couch. "She's going to be angry when she wakes up."
Alex didn't look at him. "I know."
"She's going to want details."
"I know."
"Are you going to tell her?"
Alex looked at Ci N. "Are you going to stop asking questions?"
Ci N considered this. "No."
"Then I'm not going to tell her."
Ci N nodded. Walked back to his bed. Wrote in his notebook.
Rakki looked at him. "You're documenting everything."
"I'm documenting everything."
"You planned a kiss."
He nodded. "I planned a kiss."
"You made Jay fall."
"I made Jay fall so Keifer could catch her."
"You made them kiss."
He looked at his notebook. At the pages of calculations. At the numbers. At the probabilities.
"I made them kiss," he said. "It was efficient."
She kissed his cheek. "You're impossible."
He smiled. "You like it."
She didn't answer. She sat beside him. Watched the room settle. Watched Yuri get off the floor. Watched Felix go back to his desk. Watched Care and Cole start arguing. Watched Freya organize her photos. Watched Erdix help. Watched Ash fall asleep on her bed. Watched David eat chips.
Watched Jay and Keifer stand in the middle of the room, not touching, close enough.
"They're going to kiss again," Ci N said.
Rakki looked at him. "When?"
He opened his notebook. "Give me a minute. I need to calculate."
---
End of Chapter Twenty-Six