In the dim attic, I sat on the old mattress, hugging my knees. Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to piece together how I ended up here. Why hadn't I woken up in the attic?
I played back the events of last night in my mind. We had stayed up late, watching a show in Daniel's room. Gradually, the realization dawned on me: I must have fallen asleep accidentally.
I cursed myself under my breath, imagining how bad it would have been if Carmine had discovered me in Daniel's room—wearing HIS clothes—in HIS bed, with HIM in it. A shiver ran down my spine as I envisioned the scene. Carmine would have thrown a fit, and we'd have no way to explain it without sounding completely insane. I could see the shock and disappointment on her face, the way she'd demand answers we couldn't give.
I sighed deeply, pressing my palms against my forehead as if trying to physically push the stress away. I had to be more careful. Living in this house secretly was already complicated enough without adding the risk of getting caught in such a compromising situation. I needed to stick to the attic, my designated hiding spot, and make sure not to fall asleep anywhere else.
I glanced at the small clock I had brought up to the attic. The hands were steadily ticking towards 7:00, and I remembered I needed to be out by then. I hurried over to the old box where I had stored the clothes I found yesterday. Knowing that I had gym today, I had prepared ahead and dug through my mom's old things to find something practical—an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I had set them aside specifically for today.
I quickly put on the t-shirt and shorts, feeling grateful that I had thought ahead. I grabbed the shoes I had brought from the entrance yesterday and slipped them on.
Dang, it has only been two days? So much has happened, I thought, shaking my head in disbelief.
I stuffed an extra pair of socks into my bag, feeling a bit more prepared. I stared at the small clock again. It was already 6:58. There was no time to waste. I climbed out of the attic and down the ladder. Jumping the last few rungs, I landed softly, feeling more comfortable in these clothes.
As I straightened up and dusted off my shorts, I walked to the front of the house. Daniel was already there, waiting for me. He leaned casually against the fence, his backpack slung over one shoulder, wearing a pair of black shorts and a plain white t-shirt.
"You ready?" he asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye, noticing my new look but not making a big deal out of it.
"Yeah," I replied, adjusting my bag. "I found some of my mom's old clothes. Needed something practical for today."
"Nice," he said with a nod. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's head out," I replied.
We walked together towards the bus stop. The sky, just dark minutes ago, was already lightening up with the first hints of dawn. The cool morning air was refreshing, and the streets were quiet, save for the occasional chirping of birds. We stayed silent the whole way, lost in our thoughts.
When we arrived at the bus stop, we greeted the bus driver and sat down. I watched as Daniel closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to catch a few more minutes of rest. I did the same, letting my head rest against the window.
The gentle rumbling of the engine vibrated through the floor, a low, monotonous sound that blended with the muted conversations of students. This slowly lulled me to sleep. But just as quickly as I fell asleep, I woke up to find we had already arrived at school.
As we walked through the school gates, I felt a lump form in my throat. I needed to say something, to clear the air. Gathering my courage, I turned to Daniel. "Hey, about last night..." My voice was soft, almost drowned out by the morning bustle of students around us.
Daniel looked at me, puzzled. "What about last night?"
I swallowed hard, feeling my cheeks flush. "I'm sorry for... you know, falling asleep in your room. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." My gaze dropped to the ground, but then I forced myself to look him in the eyes, expecting to see annoyance or anger.
For a moment, Daniel looked at me blankly, then realization dawned on his face. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Oh, um... that. Yeah, uh, no big deal. Don't worry about it. We didn't get caught, so it's fine." He flashed a reassuring smile, trying to put me at ease.
I opened my mouth to continue, to explain how reckless it had been, how careful we needed to be, but Daniel gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "Really, it's fine," he insisted, his tone firm but kind. "We just need to be more careful next time."