Chapter 17 #2
It’s nearing ten at night by the time the tour wraps up, leaving the three of us to walk together down Main Street toward the Royal Lilac. The mood’s considerably lighter than it had been at dinner. We haven’t discovered any new answers, but that’s okay. There’s always tomorrow.
And the day after that.
And the day after that…
And okay, so maybe I don’t know that for sure. We could wake up tomorrow and discover this was all a bad dream or a one-off occurrence. Maybe there is no mystery to solve. But I can’t shake this certainty in my gut that whatever is happening isn’t over yet.
I keep mostly to myself on the walk back, staying quiet as Quinn and Percy talk about some of the current games they’re playing.
I’ve never been much of a gamer myself, other than the multiplayer games Percy used to convince me to play with him.
Memories of sleepless nights snuggled against Percy on my bed, controllers gripped in our hands as we tackle the latest quest in his new favorite RPG leave a dull ache in my chest.
There are still lights on downstairs at the Royal Lilac when we arrive.
The front door is unlocked, so we don’t need our keys to slip into the entryway.
Recalling my discussion with Ms. Lindman the other night, I glance toward the sitting room and find her perched in the same spot with her Kindle. But this time, she’s not alone.
Professor Oshkoff rises, striding toward us with a hard expression. “There you are! Where have you been all day?”
“It’s my fault, professor,” Quinn says smoothly. She slides in front of Percy and me, her face contrite. “They took me to the hospital like we discussed and—”
“Save it, Ms. Pearson,” Oshkoff barks, her eyes glinting like flecks of steel beneath her spectacles.
“Your performance this morning had me so concerned for your health that I contacted the university for an update on your condition. Imagine my surprise when I learned no such condition exists. Serious illnesses are no laughing matter!”
Quinn pales, for once seeming at a loss. “I-I’m sorry, professor,” she says with what I suspect is genuine remorse.
Oshkoff snorts. “I’m sure you are. Needless to say, I have informed the university of your misconduct.
They will be reviewing the situation with you once you return to campus.
” She turns to Percy and me. “That goes for the two of you as well. At a minimum, I would not plan on attending any future school-sponsored trips.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Oh no, such a loss. As if this trip had been a rousing success I’d want to repeat. And that’s assuming a new loop doesn’t begin tomorrow, wiping away any memory of our current transgressions.
Oshkoff fixes her stern gaze on Percy, who visibly shrinks.
“And you, Mr. Wentworth! Out of the three of you, I’d have thought you at least would have more sense than this.
Especially since it was your own father who scheduled this excursion.
I’m sure he’d be ashamed of how you’ve behaved after all the trouble he went through to fund and organize this on your behalf. ”
Percy bows his head, his bottom lip trembling, and suddenly, this doesn’t seem quite so easy to shrug off. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve stepped between him and Oshkoff, fixing the surprised professor with a glare. “Lay off him! You have no idea what kind of day he’s had.”
What kind of day we’ve all had, but I leave that part out. In this moment, Percy’s the only thing on my mind—making sure he’s okay and wiping that pained expression off his face.
Oshkoff recovers enough to shake her head.
“Nor do I want to know. Whatever you three got up to today, I hope it was worth a mark on your permanent records. Now, unless you want me to file another report with the university, I suggest you go up to your rooms and stay there until it’s time to depart tomorrow.
I expect to see you here, ready to head to the ferry at eleven AM sharp. ”
With that, she spins and storms up the stairs.
As her furious footfalls fade, I’m not sure whether I want to laugh or shout.
Why the hell does the university care so much about what we do on vacation anyway?
They’re probably only involved at all because Oshkoff made such a huge fuss.
I bet she gets some sort of sick power trip out of lording her authority over a bunch of helpless students.
One look at Percy’s pale, withdrawn face convinces me to keep my mouth shut.
He’s probably not in the mood to hear me rant about tyrannical professors.
We trudge silently up the stairs after Oshkoff.
Percy offers a half-hearted wave to Ms. Lindman when he spots her sitting below, and she fixes him with a commiserating smile.
As soon as we reach the upper landing, Quinn tugs us both in for a hug, one after the other. “Well, it’s been fun, guys.”
“Sorry for getting you into trouble,” Percy mutters, his eyes downcast.
“No regrets!” she says brightly, and I know she means it. “I had a blast!”
Percy squints at her. “Really?”
“Hell yeah! Time loop or no time loop, it was great. Feel free to rope me into your adventures any time.”
She pats Percy’s arm affectionately, kisses me on the cheek, and bounces down the hall toward her room, her dreadlocks tumbling about her shoulders. It doesn’t escape my notice that she opts not to wait for me.
Percy stares after her. “Is she ever in a bad mood?”
I snort, remembering her tirade from dinner. “Only when she’s pissed at me for doing something stupid. Or if she hits a snag while working on an art project. Either way, it never lasts long.”
“I’m not surprised.” He frowns. “I wish I could be that happy.”
The wistfulness in his voice sobers me quickly. Me too, I think but don’t say. Me too.
There’s an awkward pause. I don’t know what the hell I’m waiting for. I should head to my room—that’s what I’d intended to do when Quinn left. But something keeps my feet stuck to the floor. Maybe it’s the thought of Percy being unhappy.
Or maybe, a traitorous part of my mind whispers, you just want to be around him.
I shove the errant thought aside and shrug. “Guess that’s it for today.”
Percy opens his mouth, closes it, then blurts, “Do you think today was a fluke? That we’ll wake up tomorrow, and it’ll be Sunday, and this will all seem like a weird dream?”
I scratch the back of my neck as I consider how best to respond before opting for honesty. “Maybe. But I doubt it.”
Percy nods as if it’s the answer he expected. He turns to walk away, then pauses and looks back. “Thank you,” he says softly. “For standing up to Professor Oshkoff for me.”
I shrug, feeling too exposed. “I didn’t like sitting there while she chewed us out for something that doesn’t even matter.”
“Well, it mattered to me.”
There’s so much warmth in Percy’s eyes as he looks at me that I can barely stand it. I scream at my feet to leave, but they don’t listen, keeping me frozen in place.
Percy licks his lips, and my breath catches in my throat. “Look, Chris. I—”
The heat in his gaze sears me, threatening to burn me to ash, and it’s enough to snap me back to my senses. Time loop or not, I already know how this ends.
“Don’t,” I bite out.
Spinning away, I retreat to my room, shutting the door in my wake. Long after I’ve turned out the lights and crawled into bed, however, Percy’s crestfallen face continues to haunt my thoughts while I struggle to fall asleep.