Playing Detective & Restless Night

It was close to midnight, tonight was a full moon. The otherwise dark room was warmly bathed in the moonlight near the open window. As the breeze blew in, making the curtains flutter lightly, it carried the faint fragrance of jasmine.

While most of the people had gone to sleep, Amaris was still up. Tonight for some reason sleep eluded her. She could not keep her finger on exactly what was bothering her. She was resting on her stomach, looking at the open window, mesmerized by the silver beams of moonlight.

As the scent of jasmine tickled her nostrils the corner of her mouth upturned. It was an unconscious movement. She was not even aware of the subtle smile that graced her lips. It was relaxing but at the same time, the underlying tension was making her a bit anxious.

Was this feeling of something and nothing is what people describe as intuition? Amaris mused.

As she lay in her bed drowning herself in random worries to figure out the main reason behind her restlessness she heard the door of her room open.

Startled, she lifted her upper body up, turned, and stretched her neck towards the source of the sound. The faint light from the hallway filled the small opening for a second, as the person stepped out, shut the door, and left, once again leaving the room was shrouded in the darkness.

'Who left?' Amaris muttered to herself.

The room was shared by four persons in total, Sara, Raine, Misty, and her. The girls were best of friends and lived in harmony.

Thinking for a while Amaris slowly got down the bunk bed. She made sure to keep her moments light and avoided making any kind of noise. She slipped on her slippers and quietly like a mouse made her way to the door.

But unexpectedly, as she was about to open the door the lights were turned on.

Stunned by the bright light, Amaris turn with her right arm covering her eyes. When she hears someone clearing their throat she lowers her arm and looks at the duo feeling embarrassed. But then she realizes that she was behaving like a thief who got caught red-handed, which was wrong!

She was not the one who did something behind their back, so as she reasoned with herself, Amaris straightened her back and then bravely faced them.

It turned out that the missing person was Sara.

'Spill!' Raine said with hands folded under her chest and looking at her with a suspicious-filled gaze.

'There is nothing, really.' Amaris said but then she continued when she saw that Raine was not buying it.

'Ahh...' Aamris groaned but continued. 'I was not feeling sleepy and then I heard the door of our room open and got curious. I did not want to disturb you guys so I was careful with my moments. That's it.' Amaris raised her left hand to swear by her statement.

'By the way, where is Sara?' Misty asked when she finally noticed that the missing person was Sara. Earlier she was sleeping soundly and what she heard was still muddled by sleep. But now she was wide awake.

'We will find out in a while. Follow me.' Raine said and then the trio left the room.

'Do you know something?' Amaris asked Raine. Raine was the Sherlock of their little group. While the duty of Watson shuffled between Amaris and Misty, Sara could not play Watson, definitely, not her cup of tea.

'I have noticed that for the past few weeks, Sara would go exploring at the night every Tuesday and Friday. Last time I almost found her but at the last minute she escaped.' Raine frowned. She did not like losing, especially, not while playing detective.

'Ohh, so you know where we are heading to?' Amaris asked. Tonight she was being the loyal assistant. Poor Misty, she was yawning from time to time, she really could not do without sleep. She was the sloth of their group. She could literally fall asleep anywhere, anytime, given enough motivation.

One time, Misty fell asleep while sitting on the window sill. Thankfully, Raine noticed it, and she was caught before she fell down. When questioned, Misty had answered with an innocent face. She was reading the book, the breeze was nice and she did not know when she fell asleep.

Amaris and the rest of the folk have scolded her to death. It was too dangerous and that incident has scared their little group to the core. For the next few days, everyone has kept an eye on her and she was only able to sleep at night only. Her afternoon naps were gone, that was her punishment.

'You will know when we are there.' Raine voiced out sternly. She was completely immersed in her role.

After a few minutes, they were on the top of their main building and slowly making their way to their once glorious terrace hideout. Amaris was confused, as they have been busted a few years back and since then they have not come here not even once.

As they approached the location Amaris was amazed to see the ruins were not there. Instead, it was changed into a small cozy corner.

The slanted transparent roof was still there but below it was one huge round worn-out couch with lots of pillows. In front of it was a small cushioned table. To its right, there was another table that held a bowl and a few cans. To its left, in the corner on a stick, there were white fairy lights draped all over it making the atmosphere warm.

But what made Amaris and Misty stop in their tracks was not the changed décor, uh-huh, it was the couple sitting on the couch and making out!

'Busted.' Raine shouted and the culprits sprang apart. With equally shocked faces, if not more than theirs Sara and Fin gaped at the trespassers.

In a different place, on the rooftop of the beat house, Kai was leaning against the wall smoking a cig. Rudy and Drake had long gone to sleep yet he was wide awake. As the moonlight fell on his body making his silhouette shine he looked more handsome with a bit of masked danger.

This was not the first time that sleep was out of his reach. As a matter of fact, he suffers from mild insomnia. But one can argue that the reason for today's midnight pondering was a girl and that would be a first!

Kai fussing about a girl! It was a sight to behold.

A chuckle left his lips before he could realize it. His mind echoed with the mutterings of his friends. And all of that has to do with that pint-sized girl.

'Amaris.' Kai uttered the word lazily as if testing how it sounds coming out from his mouth.

Kai frowned as he realized that he was thinking too much about a girl. But then again, she was something.

He could recall the faces of his friends as they continued to laugh all the while telling him how that girl has mistaken Kai as someone who is deaf and mute.

Kai admits that he has not spoken a word to her but that's how he is. Moreover, that girl was really unaware of their influence in school. She does not even know their name much less recognize them!

Everything about her seems to make Kai think of her more and more.

Suddenly he was reminded of her actions, when she was apologizing to him, she has touched one hand to her ear as she said sorry. Kai has found that gesture of hers cute.

And when she handed him the ointment to rub on his small wound... Kai looked down at his hand. There was now no visible sign of any teeth marks but he could still feel them.

For him, this gesture of giving him the tube was something akin to a foreign concept. For as long as he could remember, after his mom's death, it was only Rudy and Drake who cared for his wounds and no one else.

'Was all of it an act? Was she capable of it?' Kai voiced out loud.

It won't be the first time if that was the case though. As many of the girls have approached him using this tactic. So was this her true self or all of this was a façade so that she can get near to him?

Kai lifted his head as he looked at the moon. Putting the cig to his lips he took a puff and then released the smoke in the air.

'Let's see what games you are playing kitten?' He muttered under his breath. Then he threw the cig down, crushed it with his shoe, and went in. Hopefully, after a few toss and turn, he will fall asleep.