After freshening up a bit, I joined the group of home invaders as they were bringing in food and setting things up. I sat down on my couch, the cold leather a comfort to my odd tastes as I watched everyone go about preparing.
Melanie slipped in to settle beside me, peering over silently at me as she ate a creamy-looking yogurt parfait from who-knows-where. She looked bothered, and when she finished eating she started to put the spoon down the table. I thought for a moment she was going to get yogurt all over my furniture, but from a small black dot in the table sprung open a compartment that unfolded and ejected a towel onto the flat of the surface before closing back up.
It all happened so fast I could have sworn the napkin was there all along. She placed the spoon on the paper and sat in silence for a few seconds, then kicked me in the leg. "Ow! What the hell, Melly?" God, she was glaring at me something awful.
She spoke back, and I gave her a chance to explain, not wanting to get kicked again. "Scare me like that again and you'll pay for it." Oh. Yeah, I guess I deserved the kick in this case. I don't know why, but her gaze held me firm as she looked like she might burst into tears again. Not wanting to make the girl cry, I kept it short. Feeling like I owed her an apology. "Sorry about that ... "
There was something different about her, but I wasn't sure asking would do any good. I must've been staring a while, though, because she turned a harsh shade of red and got up, heading off to help with setting up I assumed. I was about to throw my head back when Thomas thumped down on my other side, speaking under his tone, "Someone's got a crush."
I turned to Thomas as multiple questions cropped up in my had all at once. The first one shoving its way out of my mouth, "You're here too?" He nodded, snatching up Melanie's bowl with the leftover yogurt that she'd left to join her spoon when she got up. I wasn't about to judge, but that couldn't have been sanitary.
Thomas didn't answer me further, and my sight was drawn back to Melly as she and everyone else began to settle down onto the couch. They all looked exhausted as the Headmaster took out a remote from his pocket and pointed it at the TV centered against my wall.
The remote was a tiny thing, small and white with a finger pad and a few buttons, but the TV turned onto a program I'd never seen before and Mister Subaru began to speak. "What do you young folk watch these days?" I could tell he was jesting, even though the Headmaster could have easily passed off as a father.
Things were awkwardly silent. Apparently there wasn't much in the ways of movies in the future. I was about o speak up when Thomas said what was on my mind, leaning in to see around me. "If you want movie advice, I think the man of the dorm might know of something. His was the time of entertainment, after all. Or I could suggest something to watch?" He seemed to get a kick out of that as every head swiveled almost in unison. He must've had poor tastes.
I pointed to the TV, still sort of tired. "There was a movie series called Avengers written by a studio named Marvel back in my day? We could try that." God, that felt weird. What am I, an old man now?
After showing me to the collections app they used for the TV's, which was immense with old and new movies alike, The Headmaster got up and dimmed the lights for everyone as I clicked through it. Scrolling through the M's, I found it. I decided that if they were going to start anywhere, it might as well be the first movie. Marvel: Avengers. I clicked play and the movie began.
Avengers didn't have quite the impact I was expecting, but the group seemed to enjoy it. There were some laughs, especially from Thomas and Subaru. We were about a quarter of the way in when Melanie appeared next to me, slipping into sit between me and the arm of the sofa. She sighed, her attention seeking split between me and the movie. I looked over at her curiously before turning back to the TV. Okay, I thought. Make yourself at home, then.
We were more than halfway through the movie when I felt a pressure on my lap, and glanced down. Melly had ... I flushed hard. Melanie had fallen asleep, her head and arms cuddling my lap as she breathed gentle breaths against my leg. I looked around and spotted her father, the Headmaster, smiling at me and her most curiously. When he caught my look he turned back to the screen, pretending not to care.
It was another 40m before the movie ended, and by that time both of Melanie's firiends had joined her in her rest either through boredom or exhaustion. It was about 9:17 PM and everybody else had taken notice of my predicament at that point as they got up softly. Even Thomas, the most energetic person in the room, leaned up and off the sofa with more graceful quiet than I'd expected of him.
Everyone filed out, with Mister Subaru holding the door. The Headmasters eyes crinkling on me gently as he eyed the girls, "I trust you'll see to them, James. I'd rather not wake her up right now." I nodded, happy to have the CEO's trust. He left with a final look at me and a couple words of goodbye, "She likes you a lot, you know. Try not to do anything to betray that. We'll talk tomorrow in the office~"
As the door shut gently, Melanie stirred just a bit. I sighed myself, finally returning to the peace and quiet. It was tranquil-like with the collection of soft exhalation from the girls that mingled with the silence in the dorm room. My eyelids felt heavy, and I was about to give into the sleep myself when I heard a whisper in my head. Indistinct, but it tugged at me. Calling my attention away from my sleep to the direction of the bedroom.
I gently lifted Melanie's head up off me along with her arms and placed her on the couch as my body gave me little option but to follow the echoing whispers. My feet carried me into my room, and the door shut softly without my say-so. I was too tired, and my reflexes were slower than normal, but I turned towards the corner of the door to find a strangely dressed man who struck me as familiar. Too familiar.
The man spoke calmly, addressing me by name even though we'd never met before. His voice a strange comfort to me, "Hello, James."