Loveless Ages

Chapter Six

We stand outside the apartment building and look up. It is so tall it seems to scrape the sky. I sigh inwardly and cannot help but feel hopeful.

“Does he know we’re coming to see him?” I ask Xander.

“I don’t think so,” Xander responds.

“So what do we do? I mean, do we just walk in and say we need the Schlutonian injection reversal? Or…”

“We’ll see,” he responds. We walk to the entrance and a doorman holds the door open for us. A security guard sits at a front desk in the lobby.

“Can I help you?” The security guard asks. He is an average looking man who is about the same height as Josh.

“We’re just visiting someone,” Xander answers.

“Okay. Who?” The guard asks.

“Adriel… in the penthouse,” Xander responds.

“Sorry, no,” The guard says abruptly.

“No?” Xander asks angrily, as if he is surprised that someone has the audacity to tell him no.

“Adriel doesn’t like any unexpected guests,” The guard tells us.

“Oh? And who are you? His bitch?” Xander asks. I look at him sharply.

“Xander…” I say carefully.

“Okay, it’s time for you three to go,” the guard crosses his arms over his chests and attempts to look intimidated.

“We need to see Adriel,” Xander says.

“Well that’s just too bad,” the guard says. Xander approaches him slowly and I am afraid of where this situation may go. I have seen him when he loses his temper and I don’t want to see it again.

“Xander,” I say as I grab onto his arm, “Can we step outside for a minute?” He glares at me but he finally follows Josh and I outside.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I whisper shout.

“Nothing is wrong with me!” He exclaims.

“You can’t just lose it like that. That isn’t helping us!”

“Okay guys, relax,” Josh says.

“I feel like I’m the only one doing anything out of the three of us!” Xander accuses, “Everything rests on my shoulders.”

“So you decide to insult the security guard?” I ask, “Now how are we supposed to get up there?”

“Oh please. He wasn’t going to let us up anyway,” Xander says.

“Why don’t we just ask him nicely?” Josh suggests. Xander looks at him quizzically.

“I’m trying to decide whether or not you’re being serious right now,” Xander says, “Because if you are, then you’re stupider than I thought you were.” Josh doesn’t respond to Xander’s insult. All three of us are quiet as we think about our next step.

“In the past month we have walked into the NSN building as though we belonged. We got past trade workers and we snuck across the boarder. Xander… you survived a bullet wound,” I say.

“Okay? And your point is?” Xander asks.

“Her point is we’ve gotten past obstacles more difficult than this security guard,” Josh speaks.

“Yes,” I nod as I give Josh a grateful look. Xander purses his lips.

“You’re right,” he says. The angry expression on his face melts away and it replaced by a thoughtful one. Suddenly, an idea strikes me. I look down at what I am wearing. I no longer sport the beautiful black dress that Violet so kindly gave me. I changed out of it when I was in the airport before I boarded my flight. I now wear a white chiffon blouse and fitted black pants.