I DON'T KNOW YOU

15.) first encounters

• F U N N E H •

      "Company? What company?" Kyran raised an eyebrow. "There was a hurricane warning back where we live in Canada so some family and friends evacuated. But it was a very quick transportation so they ended up here," I explained awkwardly, lying as as I went along.

     "Why couldn't they stay in Canada?" Kyran asked. "You ask too many questions," Gold crossed her arms. "I only asked two questions!" Kyran defended himself.

      "Because the airplane tickets they used were... bought by me as a gift so that they could visit us in America when they wanted to," I lied.

     "I guess they put those tickets to good use," Kyran said. "You could say that," Gold mumbled. "Now think! Where could we all stay? I don't want to leave them alone in this town when they have no idea where anything is," I urged.

        I tossed around thoughts in my head, thinking about where we could go. Every hotel here is practically busy considering it was summer.

      "Where can we go?" I asked out loud again. "I dunno. Anyone we can stay with?" Gold sighed. "Everyone's already left their dorms or went home," Kyran answered.

      I groaned. "We have to hurry," I whispered to Gold. She nodded. "I have an idea," Kyran spoke up, "but it's crazy."

      "I'm the definition of crazy. So tell us!" I urged. "What if we stay in a dorm?" He suggested. "One problem with that, we aren't allowed in the dorms," Gold frowned.

     "I meant we secretly stay in the dorms. Like hide out in one of them without the school knowing," Kyran explained. "We could try," Gold agreed.

     "I guess we have no other option," I mumble. "You're not even gonna argue against it?" Kyran chortled. "We've done illegal stuff before, Kyran. Every teenager has," I said.

     He shrugged in agreement as Gold ordered him to wait in his room. "Why?" He asked, "and where are you guys going? And how are you gonna get there?" "Because we said so! Now we'll be back," Gold explained.

       I grabbed a small bag and hid the teleporting pearl inside it as Gold and I hurried out the hotel rooms, down the elevator, and out the hotel.

      "Why do we have to go out here?" Gold asked as we started to hike away from the hotel. "So that we'll be gone for a little while. It'd be freaky if people just appeared in our hotel rooms," I explained.

     "True," Gold agreed. We walked down the pathways of the streets for fifteen minutes. Yes, it was dangerous considering it was dark by then and anyone could have kidnapped us if they wanted to but we went anyway.

We ducked behind in an alley, hidden away from the town and its lights. I pulled out the pearl and held it outwards towards Gold, who placed her hands on it as well.

We both closed our eyes and imagined our neighborhood, imagined Canada, imagined home. And before we knew it, we were thrown into the looping wormhole.

Its bright yellow and blue colored sides shined and shimmered as our clothes changed into our actual outfits, the ones we wore practically everyday here.

The end of the hole was visible by then so I reached for Gold's hand, lacing our fingers together as we prepared for the impact. Using the other free hand of mine, I pulled my hood over my head.

As we breached the end of the tunnel, I felt hard droplets of rain pound against my skin and clothes. We landed roughly on our feet, wobbling as our stances were as balanced as gelatin.