The Hotelier

Pt.6 - A Song Can Fix A Lot

A/N: SPOILER! At the end of the chapter, the characters sing a song in the Bulgarian language, which I translated to English. You can listen to the Bulgarian version from the cover above ^^^

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"WE'RE GOOOOING- ON A HIIIIKE" we heard Michael shouting and got up from our beanbags. It was time for us to leave the puppies and go on the long walk. I didn't know how I was feeling about this, but... "WE'RE GOOOOING- ON A HIIIIKE" we heard again and the group was already going. So there was no going back

When we started walking, we kept a good pace, but as soon as we started going uphill, everybody slowed down. As athletic as he was, Michael was at the front alone, and the poor kids who walked the dogs got pulled very hard by them because the dogs wanted to be around Michael.

I felt like having good energy to walk further in the front, but didn't want to. I felt like my friends were going to make fun of me behind my back and at the same time, me and Michael would've felt awkward. 

But after a while of waking everyone started panting like old pigs, including my friends. And since I was an athlete I didn't feel any pressure at all, and that didn't go unnoticed by Hannah and Isaac.

"Girl, how are you not dying already? This hill is so hard to climb" Isaac said and looked devastated 

"You know I am competing for gold medals for running, right?" I said jokingly, mostly because the discipline I was competing in wasn't in such a need of oxygen and lung training. But I still went jogging from time-to-time

"Yeah, but I didn't know the 100 meters and the shot put make you so durable," Isaac exclaimed and I made a face

"Whatever"

"Why don't you go next to Michael?" Hannah asked and made me blush immediately 

"No" I stated

"No? Why?"

"I don't know... I don't feel like it" I just plopped out and we went silent and just walked. But then he stopped to wait for us to group up again and guess who got pushed out next to him. Yay

"ARE THERE PEOPLE FURTHER BACK?" he shouted and everybody said no and waved their fingers in a sign for no "Good. Now WE'RE GOOOING- ON A HIIIIKE!" he shouted again and his voice echoed in the forest. He really liked shouting, didn't he?

The kids were behind us shouting to make an echo, and me and Michael were just silent. At some point, I stopped hearing the children and everything felt quiet. I turned back and realized that everybody got tired again. Now it was just me and him.

I looked at him, but he wasn't as bright and smiley as he was usually. He was looking down at his feet with a frown on his face

I wanted to ask what's wrong. But it wasn't my business. I just really hoped for him to start a conversation

But

Nothing.

And I noticed that we didn't stop for a break until we got up to the monastery. There a giant green meadow was waiting for us. And two small tables with small seats around them.

Michael didn't even bother to look at them. He took his shirt off and just plopped himself on the grass, and the shirt went over his face

And I would be wrong if I say he wasn't hot. God, there was no doubt he was! 

But these weren't the first thoughts that went through my mind. Something was off. And I wanted to ask so much, that I was on the edge to lie right next to him and ask him. And eventually, I got the balls and did it.