Better Sorry than Safe

11.

It's probably not necessary, but I'll place a warning here anyway: there's some very mild violence, and bullying up ahead. If you don't want to read this, shoot me a PM and I'll give a short and clean summary of what happened this chapter. 

"Crap, my phone's dead. I promised to call my parents when we arrived at the hostel. Sem, can I borrow yours?" 

"Yeah, sure," Sem thoughtlessly handed Emma, who was frowning at her own black screen, his phone. "But I don't know if your overprotective parents want to know about this hostel."

Charming little place it was, with what looked like druggies in the corner, ugly green paint peeling off the walls, and a graveyard as the view. Their English teacher, Mr. Brown, was standing at a counter that had old gum sticking to all the sides, arranging the keys to their rooms. Budget cuts must've really taken a toll on the school. Not that Sem cared that much about what it looked like. At least they'd be sleeping inside, and not in a tent. 

"I'll make sure to leave out the details," Emma said with a tiny smile, "How do I unlock your phone, though?" 

"You don't know my pattern? I thought everyone and their dog knew by now." 

Sem glanced at the lock screen, reaching out to draw the simple "L" shape required to open it. As he did, suddenly the conversations between him and Connor flashed through his mind. If Emma decided to snoop, or accidentally saw those gay bar messages...  He was such an idiot. Why hadn't he thought about that before handing her his phone? 

Sem had abruptly halted his movement, leaving his hand awkwardly hanging mid-air. Emma shot him a questioning look, and Sem quickly decided he was being suspicious Sem over nothing.

He didn't have a data plan in foreign countries, so there wouldn't be new messages popping up on screen. Emma would have to scroll way, way, up to see the gay talk. And why would she go through his phone in the first place? She just wanted to call her mom. God, it sucked, having secrets and getting worked up about all these little things. 

Sem drew the L shape, but noted to himself to change that pattern. "There." 

"Thanks." 

Emma typed the number of her parents and put his phone to her ear, while Mr. Brown clapped to get the whole class' attention.

"Alright listen up boys and girls: you have half an hour to get settled in your rooms, then I want to see all of you downstairs again. For the boys there are two eight person rooms, three six, and one five. For the girls--"

"We'll take the five person one," Ethan interrupted, stepping forward and snatching the key from Mr. Brown. Then, he turned to Sem, Matthew, and Nick. "Let's go." 

After Emma had handed him back his phone, Sem trudged up the stairs with the rest of the guys.

The key to room number 532, as it read on the label, got stuck in the keyhole twice before Ethan finally managed to turn it. 

"Open Sesame," Ethan proclaimed, swinging the squeaky door open. 

Nick peered into the room, and pulled a face. "Nope. Go right back closed, Sesame." 

"Dude, I've been sleeping in a tent last weekend. Trust me, this is heaven," Sem replied, slipping inside the small room in front of Nick.  

The room held two bunk beds, one separate bed, a sink, and five shabby looking lockers to put their stuff in. Sem immediately claimed a top bunk, throwing his bag on it and then hopping on it himself. Nick, who hated heights enough to not even want to sleep in a top bed, took the bottom bed below Sem. Matthew took the other top bunk, while Ethan opted for the separate bed.