I’m King

4) Late Nights

Gia lay in bed wide awake. 12 hours had come and gone. No one left but they did have more schools arriving. It made her brain hurt. She had so much to do. And she definitely couldn't sleep next to Seren, who kept kicking her. So, instead Gia got up and made the quick walk down the hill from Se’s house to the school. She walked up the front steps and paused on the soft red carpet. The board room was empty and across from it was just Mrs Lloyd's office. It felt strange to be standing there all alone. She hadn’t dared to even come into the building since the nightmares started. Her brain paused momentarily. This deafening silence. The only noise was the settling of what once was George Farrar’s house. Gia took a deep breath and smelled the dust and damp.

She went into Mrs Lloyd’s office and scratched through her desk to find an exam pad and a clutch pencil. She then walked across the hall to the board room and switched the lights on. Sitting at the massive wood desk she realised something, there were only 12 seats at the table. She added that to her list. The list of things that she would make sure was done.

~

Conrad couldn’t sleep. He could feel Kat’s unsettled body next to him in the dark which only made his in ability to sleep worse. That and his head ran at a million miles a minute. This was really happening. So, he decided to go for a run. Maybe that would help get rid of some of this energy and let him gather his thoughts. Kat stirred only briefly as he left the room. Thankfully Gia had managed to organise for everyone to get clothes other than their school uniform and Conrad had his tekkies with him.

The night air bit his cheeks. He hated that about spring. It was still cold during the night. He had no idea where he was going but still ran. The hills of Senderwood gave him a good workout. He ended up running pas St Andrews. The lights were on in the main boardroom so he ran towards it, up the steps.

The door was open and Gianna sat at the head of the table writing on an exam pad. He knocked softly which made her jump. She held her hand to her chest, “don’t sneak up on me like that. I've had enough surprises to last me the rest of my life.”

“Sorry,” he said with a small smile.

“Can’t sleep?” she leaned back in the chair.

“Nope.”

“You’re welcome to sit if you want.” she gestured to the table.

He walked in and sat opposite her at the head of the table closest to the door.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” it had been bothering him that he dismissed her the last time they were in this room.

She looked so confused, “you don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

“I do,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I didn’t mean to be rude earlier when I didn’t think you were you.”

“How would you have remembered me?” she smiled now. “we’ve only met twice. And the only reason I know exactly who you are is because Kat shows us pictures of you all the time.”

“That’s a little bit embarrassing.” he chuckled awkwardly.

“Not really. It's what girls do.” she laughed through the sentence.

“That makes me feel a little better.”

“I’m glad.”

A knock sounded on the door behind him.

“Guess we should start a club,” Gia said, “Oh Wait. We’ve already done that.”

Conrad turned to see Aly at the door. Kiki yawned as she walk in and took a seat. Jared wasn’t far behind them.

All 5 of them sat and spoke in the boardroom through the night until, one by one, they all drifted off to sleep.

Conrad would never know how he felt more connected to 4 strangers than he had to anyone else in his entire life.