Just Let Me Go

I continue smiling at the boys. For this being Tony's first day here, they sure act like they've known him since elementary school. If only I--No. Stop it Anastasia, don't think like that. Try to actually be happy. Is that so hard?
Yes. Yes it is, actually.
"Hey, Anastasiaaaa?" Jaime sings.
"Yes?"
He bats his eyelashes at me. "Where's the restroom and kitchen?"
I roll my eyes. "Kitchen is down the hall to the right, bathroom is up the stairs and the first door on the left."
He gets up quickly. "Thank you!"
I pull my hoodie sleeves down farther. That's right, stretch those puppies. Don't let them see--
"Why do you always do that?"
Tony's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Huh?"
"You always pull your sleeves down. Why?"
With a shrug of the shoulders, I lie, "It's a habit."
"Why?"
"I dunno. I've always done it, and my mom says I should stop but I don't." I laugh slightly, "Rebel child I am."
"Dear GOD don't talk like that again!" Mike snickers. "Tony may just have to marry you, you sounded like that weird little dude from Star Tr--"
"Wars, Mike, Wars!" Tony shouts.
"Star Wars."
"You mean Yoda?" Both of them gawk at me. "What?"
Tony grabs my hands and faces me. He's like a little kid that got the toy he always wanted, and that's fine by me...he can play with me all he wants. HAHA just kidding...a little serious, but mostly kidding. "Do you know how amazing that is? YOU. KNOW. STAR WARS!"
"That's a good thing?"
"YES!"
"Okay..."
"We have to have a movie night, or marathon. Yeah, a Star Wars marathon. Lots of popcorn and whatever else you'd like."
Mike yanks one of my hands away from Tony. "Only if she watches Harry Potter with me!"
Vic shakes his head. "You guys are nerds, ya know that?"
They both nod their heads.
"Good."
"So. Harry Potter and Star Wars marathons, huh? Not such a bad idea. I accept the invites, if that's what you want to call them." They both smile. "BUT! We have to play The Legend of Zelda games. I love Zelda and have been in the mood to play those games. Deal?"
Vic sighs and leans his head back against the chair. "I'm surrounded by nerds. What have I done to deserve this?"
"Clearly you did a damn good thing." I stick my tongue out at him.
Jaime comes back into the living room with a bag of chips. "I'm back!"
Everyone begins talking again, except me. I feel alone, which I practically am. These guys have no clue about what I'm like, and if they did, they'd know that most of the time my silence isn't a good thing. But I don't expect them to know that. How could they? We just met!
Quit being a baby, you're alone, anyways. What's it matter? When they leave you're just gonna sulk, so why not try to enjoy this time?
"Anastasia? Hellooo!" Mike snaps his fingers in my face. "Are you there?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah."
"So does that sound like a good idea?"
"Uh," Shit, what were they talking about? "Sure?"
Tony laughs. "You're gonna have to explain that again to her, she was out of it."
Mike glares at him. "Shut up. So, Anastasia, what if we all have this big sleepover here tonight? That way we can get to know each other and just chill since you're alllll alone. Whadaya say?"
In all honesty I like being alone at night, I feel safer. But oh well. "Sounds good."
They all blink. "Seriously? Really? You sure? YES!" They say at the same time.
I nod. "Yeah, I don't see the harm in it..."
Vic stands and points at me accusingly, "If this were a story, your sentence would have dots at the end! You aren't sure!"
"I don't really care. I just go with the flow of things, normally."
He rubs his chin. "I see. Well, time to go get our things! Wanna come along for the ride?"
"Sure. You guys might want to bring some movies....and food because I'm pretty sure Jaime just finished off the rest of my 'good' food."

~~~Timeeee Skippppp~~~

I've been struggling to keep my eyes open for the past ten minutes. No lie. I lay on my side in the little fort they made watching Mike and Vic arguing about something, and Jaime and Tony making comments like they're announcers. I wish I had some friends like that. A yawn escapes my lips. Do these people have an off switch?
"Uh oh, our hostess is tired."
"I just need a cat nap, Jaime. That's," I yawn again, "all. Wake me up in fifteen minutes, I'll..be..." I don't even get to finish my sentence before I fall asleep.

~~Vic's P.O.V~~

She's asleep. Perfect. I wait a few more minutes just to make sure. Then I clear my throat. Everyone looks at me. "I have come to the decision that we have to become friends with this girl."
Mike gives me a questioning look. "Aren't we already?"
I smack the back of his head. "Let me finish speaking, for I am the older brother. This girl has no friends, I think that's pretty apparent, and I also know that you guys heard the rumors--well, I dunno about you, Tony, yet--but you decided to follow me. I am forever grateful for that, by the way. I was really going out on a limb there. Did you see the way people were staring at us?" I clear my throat again. "Anyways, back on topic. She's lonely, and clearly she's having a rough time. I want to help her through this, and I bet you guys do, too. Already she's like a sister to me, and I wish she actually was--sorry, Mike. Do any of you object to all of our growing friendships with this girl?" They shake their head no. "Good. So, by the power invested in me by the natural born right as the eldest, I pronounce us all friends! You may now hug each other and live merrily."
"You know," Mike says after a short period of silence, "that was a pretty good speech...until you added the hug part. That killed it."
I glare. "Shut up. I was feeling loving."
Suddenly Anastasia sits up screaming. We all stare at her. What the hell happened? "Goddammit it!" She gets up and goes upstairs.
Was I the only one that could see tears?
"Was she...?"
"I think she..."
"Vic, do you think she was...?"
"Crying? Yeah, I do."
"What do we--"
"I'll go see if she's okay." Tony gets up and walks away towards the stairs. How noble of him.

~~Tony's P.O.V.~~

When my foot hits the landing, all I hear is her crying. And I'm not talking about just crying, crying. Like full blown, heart-wrenching sobs. I knock on the bathroom door. She doesn't answer.
"Anastasia, you okay?" I ask through the door. "Open up."
"Uh...uh, just a minute!"
I hear the sink turn on, then it turns off quickly. I can picture her practicing a smile before she opens this, and if she does I'm not buying it. No way.
I'm shocked when she cracks the door open, and seeing it's me, opens it wider. She tugs her sleeves again, as if making sure they're in place.
"What's up?" she asks.
"I dunno...you tell me."
"Nothing...nothing at all."
"Anastasia, what's--"
Vic comes bouncing up the stairs. "Hey there, doll face, you okay?"
She furrows her eyebrows together. "Why does everyone thing I'm not?"
"Well, you did just wake up screaming and ran up here."
Damn. Straight to the point. I've heard Vic get straight to the point before, but not that bluntly. Holy shit.
"Oh, that? That was nothing."
By the look on his face, he doesn't believe her. "I'm good at knowing if people are telling the truth or not, Anastasia. I'm not stupid."
"It's seriously nothing to worry about. Just a bad dream, that's all." She smiles. "No biggie."

But that's just it. It is a 'biggie'. Anastasia doesn't deserve to be sad.
"It's not a big deal, Tone."
Fuck, did I really say that out loud?
She giggles. "Yes, yes you did."
I smack my forehead. I need to be more aware about what I'm doing.