Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

115. Don't Get too Attached

We made our way back to the hotel later that night at around 10:00 P.M. However, the hotel lobby was still quite busy, and on our way, we passed by many students who were heading out for some fun as well as other students who were returning to finish the day.

I entered the elevator with Luna and rode with her up to the thirteenth floor. There, I walked her to her room. As we walked, I wondered the reason why she does not reside on the eleventh or the twelfth floor like the other students but lives in a larger room on the thirteenth floor by herself. Therefore, I decided to ask her.

"Why?" she looked over at me with a smile on her face. "I don't want anyone to know about my disease. It's kinda hard to take my medications in secret when I have so many that I need to take."

"That sounds... reasonable," I said. 

We then arrived before the locked door to her hotel room. My eyes followed her hand as she brought her phone up to the scanner and unlocked the door. I was hesitant and didn't know whether or not I should follow, so I stood there awkwardly as Luna entered the room and turned on the lights with her phone. She looked over her shoulders and observed me for a few seconds. Then, it would appear that she noticed my dilemma as an amused smile appeared on her face as she giggled.

"You can go back to your own room now," she said while chuckling. "I'm going to bed soon."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I promised Erith that I'll spend tomorrow with her."

"Erith..." I muttered, looking through my memory for someone with that name. "That's your friend, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Luna nodded. Then, on her face was a calm smile. "My best friend, but... I never told her about my disease."

"You've mentioned that before..." I looked down at the floor as the atmosphere became extremely heavy with the mention of her relationship with others and her concealment of her disease. When it comes time to say goodbye, that girl, Erith, would probably have a very difficult time letting go...

"Alevian."

Luna's gentle voice dragged me out of that state of melancholy as I looked up and met eyes with her. On her face was a joyful smile and her arms were reached out towards me slightly at a wide angle. She stood there, holding that position as she waited for my response. With a soft chuckle, I brought my arms around her as she did so to me, and the two of us just held our embrace. From her body, I once again sniffed in that lovely scent of her hair as well as the fragrance of her body. The mixed smell had a calming effect on me, one that reminded me that her smell will be another thing that I will miss dearly when she does die.

"Goodnight," she whispered softly into my ear.

"Goodnight," I responded.

Then, we each took a small step back. However, she kept her arms on my waist as she stared deeply into my eyes. I know for a fact that she was communicating with the me that I had kept locked away in the prison cell within me. I allowed her carefree gaze to reach that lonely boy within me, allowing him to have another taste of what freedom was. Then, with a soft chuckle, Luna took a step back into her room and slowly closed the door. As she did so, she waved at me... 

After parting ways with Luna, I felt that heavy feeling in my chest once again. It accompanied me everywhere that I went, even when I rode the elevator down to the eleventh floor and into my own hotel room. Like before, Loyd, Zaksus, and Noah were sitting about as they watched a movie on the television, and their gazes all were directed in my direction on my entry.

"Look who decided to come home to sleep," Noah nodded and said with a wide grin on his face.

"Where'd you go last night?" Loyd asked. "When we came home around 4 in the morning, you weren't here."