Going Rogue

Twelve

JESS

With a groan, I stirred and a flurry of giggles and whispers came from the foot of the bed. The events of last night trickled back into my memory and I considered pinching my arm to convince myself it wasn't a dream. I peeled my eyes opened to look at Drew, still sleeping. Still sick. Still not out of the woods. My whole body ached, punishing me for running around the mountains in my human form. I sniffed, willing my body to move and stretch. Even muscle must have cracked.

Another burst of giggles came out of nowhere and I picked my head up. Staring up at me were two pairs of big brown eyes. Little hands clung to the bed sheets. They were little girls, one older but there was no way she was older than ten. They both had soft round faces and big chipmunk cheeks, still in little princess pajamas.

"Hello?" I cocked my head.

The little girls screamed, not in horror. It was like I told the greatest joke in the world and they scurried out of the room, hand in hand. The smaller one wobbled, almost falling over without the other's help. I could hear them gushing as they hurried down the stairs.

"Girls!" Liam's voice boomed from the bottom floor. "You better not be upstairs!"

There was a hum of noise downstairs, rumblings and chatter. The smell of breakfast wafted into our corner of the world and I could have burst into tears, it all smelled so good. I glanced around, settling into my surroundings. I reminded myself. "You're in some town called Dearest. You're staying at an Inn... they all know you're a Rogue. We've had worse," I said to Drew, even if he couldn't hear me.

I turned, placing my bare feet on the floor when I noticed a note on the bedside table:

Morning,

Wash up before you come downstairs and find us in the kitchen. Avoid the dining room, if you wanna stay hidden. I've left some of Liam's old clothes by the the door. I hope you like breakfast food. It's all we make.

Grace

Just what the doctor ordered, I showered and used the provided shampoo and conditioner. The body wash smelled like apples and cinnamon, which made me feel like a waxy walking candle. Liam's clothes were a little baggy, but with a belt, his jeans stayed upright and I rolled up his plaid thermal, leaving it open to show off Liam's old gray high school shirt. It said, "Who's the Dearest of them all?" I cracked a smile and hurried out the bathroom with my arms out to show off to Drew, but he hadn't stirred awake. Not even a little bit. The disappointment added weight to my heart. There was a nervousness I just couldn't shake. Not until he was awake.

I searched the bathroom until I found a hair tie that could get all this hair out of my face, when I walked back out, a little figure stuck her head inside the room. She grinned over being caught. "Hi," she said, coyly with the deepest set of dimples. She was the older little girl with her hair arranged in short black twists. A huge bow was clipped to the side of her head, which matched her red corduroy overalls. She also wore a chunky cream sweater and polka-dot socks.

"Hi," I waved a little.

"Is he awake?" I heard Grace's voice.

The door opened completely and Grace held the other girl. She must have been a toddler, sitting snug on Grace's hip. She had a fluffy mess of curls. She was drooling on her little gray sweater, making incoherent noises. Grace smiled, taking in my fresh appearance. "We're getting somewhere. We'll cut your hair after we eat. Girls, this is Zach. Can you say hi Zach?" She asked the girls.

"Hi Zach," the older one said while the baby just made more noises.

"Zach, these are my daughters. This one is Mia," Grace nudged the older one with her foot and with a baby voice, she introduced the one in her arms, using the little thing's arm to wave at me. "And this is Emily. Who wants to show Zach downstairs? Hm?" Mia ran at my leg, tackling me slightly. She grabbed my hand and yanked me towards the door.