A Guide on How to Love Jules Everett

Chapter Thirteen

The Lost Girl

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A GENTLE RAIN had begun to descend from the blackened skies. They pitter-pattered against the windows, generating a constant, steady hum that was soothing for one's nerves.

Usually.

It had gone past lights out but Jules was still not back in our room despite the downpour outside. On a normal day, she steered clear of water like the Wicked Witch of the West. However, she was stuck somewhere out in the forest tonight. Hours had gone past and yet there were no signs of Jules returning.

Desperate and wracked with worry, I crept into the boys' corridor, careful not to alert any of our teachers. I located Harr and Xavier's room with ease despite the ominous darkness that enveloped the corridors.

"Harr! Xavier!" I whispered through the cracks of the door, praying that at least one of them would be there, awake and available to hear my plea. "Open up, please!"

I was about to risk a knock when the door suddenly creaked open. A pair of drowsy eyes greeted mine, dark as the night sky outside. They were ridden with exhaustion, showing obvious signs of having been rudely awoken from their rest.

"Aiko?" Xavier asked, half yawning. He raised a hand and rubbed one eye lazily. "What the hell are you doing here at this hour?"

He took one glance at my attire, frowning. It consisted of a pair of breezy cotton shorts and a loose t-shirt, one of Harr's that was way too big for me.

"And what are you wearing?" He added.

"Xavier, who's at the door?"Harr's voice came from inside. It was lower and hoarser than usual, most likely because he had also just woken up.

"It's Aiko," Xavier called back, answering his roommate's question. Then, he turned back to face me. "What's up? Care to explain why you dropped by for a midnight visit?"

He cracked a smile, one that I did not return given the situation.

"It's Jules. She's not back yet. In fact, she's not anywhere near the dorms. I checked the common living areas before coming here."

For a second, silence drenched us. All I could hear was the thump of our heartbeats that grew erratic with worry and the rain against the windows. When that second ended, Xavier disappeared in a blur, a jacket in his hands and his feet out the door. In his haste, he had knocked against my shoulder, causing me to lose my balance for a second.

I teetered unsteadily on my feet, rocking back and forth as gravity played tricks on my body. Before I could crash to the ground, a pair of arms steadied me, planting me back on my feet as I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," I murmured breathily, looking up to face Harr's frown. His eyebrows were scrunched up uneasily, tightly knit together to display his displeasure.

"Are you alright?" He asked. His warm hands could be felt through the thin cotton of my shirt, providing me with a strange wave of comfort. "Damn that Xavier. Always in a rush and never looking out for the things and people around him."

Harr clicked his tongue before finally raising his hazel eyes from the rest of my body to my face, only when he was satisfied with seeing I wasn't injured.

"It's okay, Harr. I'm fine." I raised a hand, resting the palm of it against Harr's cheek for a second. "As usual."

That only deepened his frown. "You say that all the time," he said while gently peeling my hand off. However, his fingers maintained their grip around it.