Did You Get What You Deserve?

I stepped out of the taxi and helped Dani out. Holding her by the hand, I led her into the hotel. Dad was checking us in.

“Welcome to London, Dani.”

She reached out and touched the pillar next to her. Then she brought her face so close to it her nose was almost touching it.

“It’s stone or something. How old is this place?”

I shrugged, then remembered she couldn’t see it.

“Dunno. Probably about a hundred and fifty years, maybe more. The ceiling’s really high. It’s huge, and it’s old.”

Dad turned around and threw a key at me.

“You and Linda are sharing a room.”

He threw another key at James, who had just walked in.

“James, heads up. You and Danielle are sharing a room.”

James caught the key.

“What floor?”

“Check the key, dumbass.”

I grinned at James and turned the key over. The label said ‘Room 228, Floor 4.’

“What room you got, James?”

“230.”

“I got 228.”

“Brilliant. Race you up there.”

He took off towards the stairs. I caught the eye of the receptionist, who looked thoroughly pissed off.

“Oi, James!”

He turned around.

“What?”

“Don’t run inside, you silly boy. Come here.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You’re not my mother.”

I grinned.

“Do you want me to get someone who is? Hey, Alicia!”

James darted across the lobby as Alicia turned around.

“Yeah?”

I grinned at her.

“Never mind.”

James poked me in the shoulder.

“Bitch.”

I poked him back.

“Damn straight.”

I grabbed Linda as she walked past.

“We’re going up to our room now.”

James walked over to the stairs. I shook my head.

“Think, James, think.”

He stared at me for a moment before realising what I meant.

“Oh, right. Dani.”

I looked around the lobby and saw the elevator.

“Over here, guys.”

I pressed the button. After a moment the doors opened with a ding. I led Dani inside and waited for James and Linda before pressing the number four button and letting the doors close. There was a soft whirring sound as the elevator moved up. Then there was another small ding and the doors opened. I stepped out into a long hallway. I could see Mikey standing about halfway down the corridor.

“Hey, Mikey!”

He turned around.

“Hey guys.”

I ran up to him.

“What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you guys.”

I laughed and turned to look at the door next to me. The gold numbers on the door read 220. The door next to it read 222. I walked down the hallway until I reached 228.

“Hey, James,” I said as I opened the door, “our rooms are next to each other.”

“They are indeed. Hey, Linda, wanna swap with me so I can have late night make-out sessions with your sister?”

Linda giggled and shook her head. I poked James in the stomach.

“Remember that your little sister needs someone to help her.”

He sighed and nodded.

“Bloody high-maintenance- Oh, no, I’m sorry, Dani, I didn’t mean it!”

Dani’s eyes were brimming with tears. James bent down and tried to hug her, but she pushed him away and turned to run down the hallway. She instead ran headfirst into the wall and fell backwards. She then sat there in the middle of the hallway screaming. Mikey poked his head out of his room.

“What the hell?”

He ran up to us and knelt down beside Dani.

“Dani! What happened?”

Dani stopped screaming.

“Dad?”

Mikey put his arms around her.

“What happened, sweetie?”

She pressed her face into his shoulder and screamed again half-heartedly, the sound barely coming out. Mikey carefully picked her up and carried her through the door I had just opened, sitting down on the nearest bed with her on his lap.

“What happened, Danielle?”

She took a deep shuddering breath and whispered “James.”

Mikey looked up at James, annoyed.

“Can’t you be nice to your sister? Would it absolutely kill you?”

James stamped his foot, tears in his eyes. I could tell he was upset and embarrassed about what had just happened. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Dani.

“Why is it always my fault? I said I was joking!”

He ran away down the hallway. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath, turning to Mikey.

“God, Mikey, you just can’t stop to find out the real story, can you? He made a joke that was in rather bad taste, that’s all. Jesus!”

I ran after James. As I started down the stairs, I could hear him about a floor below me.

“James?”

No response. I jumped half the stairs, landing dangerously close to twisting my ankle. Then I turned to run down the next flight. What I didn’t notice was the little puddle on the first stair. I stepped right in it.

WHAM! I hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs. I lay there for a moment, breathing hard and trying to figure out if anything was broken. Then I realised I couldn’t hear footsteps on the stairs. Either James had stopped, or he was just too far away for me to hear. After a moment, I heard him again. Coming up the stairs.

“James?”

“Alec!”

He stood there, looking at me.

“What the fuck did you do?”

“I fell...”

He extended a hand and helped me up.

“Why did you fall?”

I pointed up the staircase.

“There’s a puddle at the top.”

He shook his head.

“That’s how you fell. I want to know why.”

“Um... because I was running after you?”

He nodded.

“Exactly. You got hurt because you were running after me. See, I just keep hurting the people around me. Do yourself a favour, keep your distan-”

I kissed him, hard and deep. Then I pulled away just long enough to say,

“In your dreams, buddy.”