"Ugh, what time is it..."
I grumbled to myself, grouchy and wide awake.
My arms fumbled around in the darkness, feeling desperately along the bedside table for that ugly analogue clock I'd seen before drifting to sleep.
I grabbed it with two fingers, lifting the unexpectedly heavy lump of plastic right up to my face.
4:27am
"Argh...stupid time...can't you just get to morning already?!"
Hana and Liam must have gone to bed far earlier than Orin and I ever had, because I'd woken up feeling fully rested at such a ridiculous time.
Trying to distract my mind, I forced myself to think about breakfast.
Which just made me want food.
Rubbing my eyes, I began to incoherently babble to myself about how stupid time was and how the sun was just being lazy.
At least that was all I could decipher in my agitated faze.
"...a glass of milk couldn't hurt...right?"
I asked myself, rhetorically, reaching over to grab the crutches Hana had left by the bed in case I needed to use the toilet at night.
"Yeah, a glass of milk is fine. Maybe a cookie too, just one. Or two, two should be okay. Or maybe three..."
Pins and needles, tingling through my arms, I hobbled out and paused at the stairs.
"...ah...right, I forgot about you..."
Glancing left and right to be sure no one could laugh at me, I struggled down onto my butt and began to slide down one step at a time.
The spiral design certainly didn't help, I could see why it annoyed Orin.
Once at the bottom, I heaved back up onto my feet and waddled my way into the kitchen, a greedy grin plastered across my face.
Shaking, I balanced with one arm while the other pulled on the fridge, a refreshing burst of cool air washing over me.
I grabbed the milk and switched the light on, putting it down on the desk with a huff while I took a moment to catch my balance.
Already worn out from such little effort, I lay my face down on the cool counter, letting myself enjoy the chill.
Opening my eyes to the dark hallway, I paused.
"...Hana?"
Mid reaching down to pull off her heel, Hana had frozen in place, staring at me like a deer in headlights.
"What are you doing up so early? Uh...fully clothed...in that kind of outfit..."
Her shoes were sparkly, her hair all done up with fancy curls and silver clips. Her dress was black, tight and short, extenuating all of her most feminine aspects.
"I...was...just going for a walk, haha," she laughed nervously, standing up and holding her hands together, "Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd just catch some fresh air."
"...in clothes like that?"
"What's wrong with a girl wanting to look nice, even for something as simple as a walk?"
Through a forced grin and flushed face, it was pretty easy to see through her lies.
"Hana, you're wearing heels and a mini skirt. Where were you really?"
Her grin strained further.
"Aha, well, um...uh..."
Hana's arms fell loose and her smile disappeared. With a heavy sigh, she pulled out her hair-tie and ran her fingers through the wavy strands.
"Caught red-handed..."
She murmured.
