Johnny and Rhea

I have to admit, it was a little strange seeing everyone in their sleepwear. Everybody's eyes were droopy with sleep, a fact that surprised me. After all it was only... 9.00 pm. Hey, that's early for me. I can't usually get to sleep until 1.00 am. Thankfully, it was quiet on the bus.

Mrs. Fields was going around the bus, handing something out. I was nosy and tried to see what it was.

"Rubbernecker," teased Ichey. I shot him a Look and ignored him.

"I am returning the money you paid for the motel," announced Mrs. Fields as she handed me back my hundred dollar bill. "For the remainder of the trip we will be staying with Mistress Brody." We were all too tired to argue. I noticed that Lene had taken the seat behind us and had fallen asleep

I was tired, too. I looked over at Ichabod. He seemed wide awake. I tried to stifle an enormous yawn. Ichey looked down at me and smiled.

"Come on," he said, patting his lap. I smiled at the invitation to the pillow. I laid my head comfortably on his lap, my arms wrapped around my torso.

Ichey kept playing with my hair; twirling it in his fingers, occasionally tickling me in the face with it, and so on. Just before I fell asleep, Ichey had leaned down and kissed me softly on the cheek. I gave a sigh of contentment and drifted off to sleep.

***

"...go ahead and wake her up, Ichabod..."

"...no, Mrs. Fields, I can carry her..."

I felt myself being lifted of Ichey's lap. I started to grumble and whine, but Ichey kissed me on the forehead and said, "It's okay, Rhea. I got you."

I smiled at the the sound of his voice and thanked God for Ichey.

He put one arm under my knees and the other behind my back. I put my arms around his neck. A sudden blast of cold air hit me and I hugged myself closer to Ichabod, my eyes sealed tight.

"Are we outside?" I asked sleepily.

"Yes," whispered Ichey. "We're almost inside." I felt him walking up the front steps. "Lene has already brought your bag upstairs with her. Your room is right next to hers and across the hall from mine." He was silent as we climbed three more flights of stairs and stopped at what I hoped was my room.

"I'm so tired," I whispered.

"I know," replied Ichabod. "Now open your eyes and stand up." I looked up at him and frowned. "Now stand up," he repeated. But I couldn't. I just kept staring at him.

His red hair was knotted like a bird's nest,no surprise there, and the freckles on his nose stood out prominently. His blue eyes were shining brightly. I had never noticed that he actually had muscles, and pretty good sized ones at that.

I blushed; and for once it wasn't because I was upset.

He stood me up on my feet and turned on the gas lamp.

"Well, goodnight," he said. He had stepped out of the room and I was just inside it.

"Goodnight, Ichey." I stood on my toes and kissed him shyly on the cheeks. Then I closed the door and went to bed.