When you're up, you're up.
"Nicole!" Peggie pounded on the door as soon as Gaetano was out of the hotel room. "Get out here and state your problem right now. That guy was great, and you probably blew it!"
"He was not." Nicole's voice was muffled but distinct. "I know great, and he was not it. He was the guy from my dream."
"What?" Rita said, sitting on the floor, going through the contents of the mini-bar. "That's not possible."
Nicole opened the door a crack, and put her head out. "Yeah, but it's true. I didn't go to the hospital, but Theo's uncle does own this hotel, and his uncle's son was in my dream. It was the exact same guy. I remember. And I don't like it."
"He called us bello donne! I don't know what that is, but it sounds nice," Peggie said, the voice of reason.
"Yeah," Theo added. "Besides which, he's my cousin, and I know he's a nice guy. His dad is letting us stay here half price, by the way, so I wouldn't make him mad if I were you. A little flirting with the guy wouldn't hurt. You are a world class flirt, even if you don't know it. You're so cute and innocent every guy wants to protect you."
Nicole blushed, and shrugged. Rita could tell from her posture that Nicole had no intention of listening to Theo's advice.
The rest of the day was spent in relaxation. Rita went swimming, while Peggie stayed in the room to scoff at MTV music videos. Nicole took a shower, then sat by the swimming pool reading. Theo walked around the hotel, scouting out snack machines, restaraunts and stores. And probably hot Italian girls, Rita added to herself bitterly, after seeing him flirt outragiously with a hotel employee. Not that I care. I'm not his girlfriend, or anything. He doesn't even think of me that way. And I don't think of him as anything more than a brother, right? She felt heat rise to her face as Theo said somthing funny and both he and the girl laughed. Wrong.
"Hey, I thought we were going to be vagabonds, strolling across the countryside with only the clothes on our backs! What happened to that?" Theo said loudly. "You didn't tell me you were planning on copping out right away! A tour bus? Come on, how lame can you get?" He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and pivoted away from Rita. She tried not to look as hurt as she felt.
"Well, I thought you would be glad, since everyone was mad at me this morning for hiring such a small car, then getting lost," she said levelly. She knew this logic was sound, her mother had told her before they left that if they didn't have a tour guide they would be sorry. Rita was already sorry. "I thought it had been proven that I am and will never be a capable tour guide. Besides, this is only our first stop. We can ease into being vagabonds. First we'll be tourists, then-"
"So this is all about you being hurt because Peggie gave you a hard time about the dumb car?" He whirled to face Peggie. "Thanks a lot. See what being annoying gets you? Now we have to stay in some bus-"
"Just until we get to know the area," Rita put in quietly. It was too late to calm him down. And now he'd made Peggie angry.
"Oh, so it's my fault that she," an angry finger was jabbed in Rita's direction, "doesn't know how to read a map? That's rich, real rich coming from Mr. Flirt with girls all the time and not help plan this vacation. If you had done nearly as much as the rest of us did, maybe we wouldn't be having this problem. I think it's a good idea to get settled in here first. Maybe Rita has more brains than you give he credit for." She stood up. "Now if you'll leave the room, Nicole has set a 10:00 curfew, and if you want to come back and visit us tomorrow, I suggest you leave now." She opened the door and held her arms to display the corridor it opened into like a gameshow host. Theo scowled.
"Nicole did not do any such thing," he said in a low voice.
"Actually," Nicole said from her chair, face buried in a book, "I did. And it's time for you to leave. If that boy comes back, tell him not to bother us. We're getting our beauty sleep."
Theo glared at her. He shifted his weight, took a hesitant but ill-mannered step toward the door, stopped, glanced at Rita, who was looking at the floor, and stomped out. Rita heard the door slam with a clunk, and looked up through her hair. Peggie and Nicole were both looking at her.
"What?" she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. They didn't say anything. "What?" she repeated.
"You like him, don't you?" Nicole asked. "Don't lie. I have women's intuition. I can tell when people lie about stuff like this." She tapped the side of her nose.
"No." Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Yes. I don't know." Rita flung herself backwards, and narrowly missed hitting her head on the bedside table. "Stop bothering me!" she moaned. "I don't want to think about Theo right now."
Peggie angled her head towards the wall that bordered Theo's room. "The walls have ears you know," she said knowingly. Rita shoved the feather pillow in her mouth and shrieked. Nicole's face was open and concerned.
"She does that," Peggie said to her without alarm. "It's her way of letting off stress, I think." Peggie shrugged. "You get used to irrational behavior after a while." Nicole didn't look comforted. Rita came up for air, pink in the face.
"I hope he didn't hear that," she said quietly.
"He probably didn't," Nicole tried to comfort her. "These walls are pretty thick."
Peggie snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm surprised everyone in the hotel didn't hear you. They probably did." She yawned. "I'm tired."
"Thank you for your help," Rita said wrinkling her nose. "I'm glad to have such a wonderful friend who tries to make me feel better, even if it means sacrificing the truth."
"I was telling the truth!" Nicole said in a high, offended tone. "Peggie is just a pessimist."
"I am not," Peggie said, turning on the TV. "I'm simply realistic."
"Yeah, realistic when things are bad," Rita said, half serious and half joking.
"If you see things like that, you won't be surprised by bad things." She rolled her eyes at Britney Spears, and changed the channel. The light danced on her face, making her pale skin look blue.
"If you are always expecting the bad things, you'll miss the good things, and still have to go through the bad things," Nicole said, and turned a page. Peggie actually looked at her. Rita was aghast. Who would have thought that Nicole pays attention to life's lessons? She waited for another jewel of wisdom, but Nicole's pink lips remained closed. Rita shifted her weight, and went into the bathroom to change. After the dim lamp and tv lights, the bright bathroom light that bounced off all of the white surfaces binded her for a moment. She flailed for her toothbrush, but knocked someone's razor off the counter instead. She squinted, and put her hand over her eyes. Her forehead felt greasy, and she looked for a washcloth. Greasy foreheads are not fun she thought, and, after locating the washcloth, washed her face.
Her eyes had to re-adjust again when she entered the main room after changing into her pyjamas.
"Everything come out all right?" Peggie said without looking up from the TV.
"Hardy har har," Rita said, drying off her face before tossing the drying rag into the dirty clothes hamper. "That's just sick, Pegs. I wasn't even going to the bathroom. I was changing my clothes. There's a big difference."
"Whatever."
Rita looked around the room. Nicole had fallen asleep in the chair, paperback falling over most of her face. Rita smiled, and moved her into the cot. Nicole was small and light, and Rita was stronger than she looked, so she had no problem picking up the sleeping body and laying her gently onto the bed. She pulled the covers over top of her, and shook her head. What was it about sleeping that made people seem harmless? Probably the drool, she decided.
After curling up into her own bed, Rita closed her eyes and tried to let sleep worm its way into her body. She felt hyper, tense, excited, and a little scared. She traced the seam of the comforter with her finger, and listened to the not-so-dulcet tones tones of The Killers. She tried to pay attention to her own breathing, and not think about anything. She could hear Peggie's half-singing to herself, and Nicole's deep breathing, and it must have worked as a lullaby, because before she knew it, Rita was fast asleep.
"He was not." Nicole's voice was muffled but distinct. "I know great, and he was not it. He was the guy from my dream."
"What?" Rita said, sitting on the floor, going through the contents of the mini-bar. "That's not possible."
Nicole opened the door a crack, and put her head out. "Yeah, but it's true. I didn't go to the hospital, but Theo's uncle does own this hotel, and his uncle's son was in my dream. It was the exact same guy. I remember. And I don't like it."
"He called us bello donne! I don't know what that is, but it sounds nice," Peggie said, the voice of reason.
"Yeah," Theo added. "Besides which, he's my cousin, and I know he's a nice guy. His dad is letting us stay here half price, by the way, so I wouldn't make him mad if I were you. A little flirting with the guy wouldn't hurt. You are a world class flirt, even if you don't know it. You're so cute and innocent every guy wants to protect you."
Nicole blushed, and shrugged. Rita could tell from her posture that Nicole had no intention of listening to Theo's advice.
The rest of the day was spent in relaxation. Rita went swimming, while Peggie stayed in the room to scoff at MTV music videos. Nicole took a shower, then sat by the swimming pool reading. Theo walked around the hotel, scouting out snack machines, restaraunts and stores. And probably hot Italian girls, Rita added to herself bitterly, after seeing him flirt outragiously with a hotel employee. Not that I care. I'm not his girlfriend, or anything. He doesn't even think of me that way. And I don't think of him as anything more than a brother, right? She felt heat rise to her face as Theo said somthing funny and both he and the girl laughed. Wrong.
"Hey, I thought we were going to be vagabonds, strolling across the countryside with only the clothes on our backs! What happened to that?" Theo said loudly. "You didn't tell me you were planning on copping out right away! A tour bus? Come on, how lame can you get?" He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and pivoted away from Rita. She tried not to look as hurt as she felt.
"Well, I thought you would be glad, since everyone was mad at me this morning for hiring such a small car, then getting lost," she said levelly. She knew this logic was sound, her mother had told her before they left that if they didn't have a tour guide they would be sorry. Rita was already sorry. "I thought it had been proven that I am and will never be a capable tour guide. Besides, this is only our first stop. We can ease into being vagabonds. First we'll be tourists, then-"
"So this is all about you being hurt because Peggie gave you a hard time about the dumb car?" He whirled to face Peggie. "Thanks a lot. See what being annoying gets you? Now we have to stay in some bus-"
"Just until we get to know the area," Rita put in quietly. It was too late to calm him down. And now he'd made Peggie angry.
"Oh, so it's my fault that she," an angry finger was jabbed in Rita's direction, "doesn't know how to read a map? That's rich, real rich coming from Mr. Flirt with girls all the time and not help plan this vacation. If you had done nearly as much as the rest of us did, maybe we wouldn't be having this problem. I think it's a good idea to get settled in here first. Maybe Rita has more brains than you give he credit for." She stood up. "Now if you'll leave the room, Nicole has set a 10:00 curfew, and if you want to come back and visit us tomorrow, I suggest you leave now." She opened the door and held her arms to display the corridor it opened into like a gameshow host. Theo scowled.
"Nicole did not do any such thing," he said in a low voice.
"Actually," Nicole said from her chair, face buried in a book, "I did. And it's time for you to leave. If that boy comes back, tell him not to bother us. We're getting our beauty sleep."
Theo glared at her. He shifted his weight, took a hesitant but ill-mannered step toward the door, stopped, glanced at Rita, who was looking at the floor, and stomped out. Rita heard the door slam with a clunk, and looked up through her hair. Peggie and Nicole were both looking at her.
"What?" she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. They didn't say anything. "What?" she repeated.
"You like him, don't you?" Nicole asked. "Don't lie. I have women's intuition. I can tell when people lie about stuff like this." She tapped the side of her nose.
"No." Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Yes. I don't know." Rita flung herself backwards, and narrowly missed hitting her head on the bedside table. "Stop bothering me!" she moaned. "I don't want to think about Theo right now."
Peggie angled her head towards the wall that bordered Theo's room. "The walls have ears you know," she said knowingly. Rita shoved the feather pillow in her mouth and shrieked. Nicole's face was open and concerned.
"She does that," Peggie said to her without alarm. "It's her way of letting off stress, I think." Peggie shrugged. "You get used to irrational behavior after a while." Nicole didn't look comforted. Rita came up for air, pink in the face.
"I hope he didn't hear that," she said quietly.
"He probably didn't," Nicole tried to comfort her. "These walls are pretty thick."
Peggie snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm surprised everyone in the hotel didn't hear you. They probably did." She yawned. "I'm tired."
"Thank you for your help," Rita said wrinkling her nose. "I'm glad to have such a wonderful friend who tries to make me feel better, even if it means sacrificing the truth."
"I was telling the truth!" Nicole said in a high, offended tone. "Peggie is just a pessimist."
"I am not," Peggie said, turning on the TV. "I'm simply realistic."
"Yeah, realistic when things are bad," Rita said, half serious and half joking.
"If you see things like that, you won't be surprised by bad things." She rolled her eyes at Britney Spears, and changed the channel. The light danced on her face, making her pale skin look blue.
"If you are always expecting the bad things, you'll miss the good things, and still have to go through the bad things," Nicole said, and turned a page. Peggie actually looked at her. Rita was aghast. Who would have thought that Nicole pays attention to life's lessons? She waited for another jewel of wisdom, but Nicole's pink lips remained closed. Rita shifted her weight, and went into the bathroom to change. After the dim lamp and tv lights, the bright bathroom light that bounced off all of the white surfaces binded her for a moment. She flailed for her toothbrush, but knocked someone's razor off the counter instead. She squinted, and put her hand over her eyes. Her forehead felt greasy, and she looked for a washcloth. Greasy foreheads are not fun she thought, and, after locating the washcloth, washed her face.
Her eyes had to re-adjust again when she entered the main room after changing into her pyjamas.
"Everything come out all right?" Peggie said without looking up from the TV.
"Hardy har har," Rita said, drying off her face before tossing the drying rag into the dirty clothes hamper. "That's just sick, Pegs. I wasn't even going to the bathroom. I was changing my clothes. There's a big difference."
"Whatever."
Rita looked around the room. Nicole had fallen asleep in the chair, paperback falling over most of her face. Rita smiled, and moved her into the cot. Nicole was small and light, and Rita was stronger than she looked, so she had no problem picking up the sleeping body and laying her gently onto the bed. She pulled the covers over top of her, and shook her head. What was it about sleeping that made people seem harmless? Probably the drool, she decided.
After curling up into her own bed, Rita closed her eyes and tried to let sleep worm its way into her body. She felt hyper, tense, excited, and a little scared. She traced the seam of the comforter with her finger, and listened to the not-so-dulcet tones tones of The Killers. She tried to pay attention to her own breathing, and not think about anything. She could hear Peggie's half-singing to herself, and Nicole's deep breathing, and it must have worked as a lullaby, because before she knew it, Rita was fast asleep.
confabulated by Bard at 10:34 PM
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