𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓  !!
𝟢𝟤𝟤, 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄 𝗎𝗌 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋
narrative     &&    imessages

narrative !!

THE REST OF THE INVESTIGATION seemed to blur for Charlotte. She seemed to block it all out, especially after having been scatched. She really just itched to leave the building, and after a few hours of investigations, they finally had.

The rest of the night had continued like planned: the group making their way upstairs to the second floor and the Red Room with a few surprises. Somehow, someway, Colby and Sam managed to convince Charlotte to go alone into the Red Room.

She'd nearly pissed her pants afterward. She remembered nearly pissing her pants in fear, not that anything absolutely terrifying happened. Sure, she'd heard noises and felt a presence, but that was a given when you visit a haunted location. The most terrifying part was the urgency from the spirits for her to leave.

She'd attempted to explain to them she came with respect, but it was no use. By the end, she was near tears and her heart had been beating at the speed of light. Olivia and Jordan aided her, rubbing her back and holding her hand while she recollected her thoughts.

And Colby... sweet, sweet Colby was more terrified than her. If she didn't know any better, it would have appeared that he had just spent seven minutes in the Red Room. Only, he hadn't. His heart had been beating out of fear for her.

Charlotte was more than ready to say goodbye to the Old Washoe Club for the night and possibly forever, which thankfully, she had almost directly after her seven minutes in Hell.

The group spoke with the employees and owners once more before finally bidding them all a goodnight.

Everyone was beyond exhausted. Charlotte could barely keep her eyes open while they were packing up their things and as they were walking out. If she didn't have anyone by her side, she would have fallen over from exhaustion. Thankfully, she did, because Colby hadn't left her side.

The group piled into the small car they had. A five-seater, which obviously hadn't been ideal for the group of six. However, no one really cared all that much for comfortability. They just wanted to get out of the building and into a hotel room as soon as possible.

Sam decided to drive, Kat joining him up front while Colby, Charlotte, Olivia and Jordan were left to fend for themselves in the back.

It was a tight, shoulder-to-shoulder squeeze. Olivia was shoved up against the left door while Jordan and Charlotte were crammed beside her. Although, Charlotte wasn't exactly on the seat. She was more so on Colby's lap.

Her legs were neatly folded across his legs, torso leaning beside him while her head rested on his shoulder. His right hand was pressed on her shins, keeping her legs on his lap whilst Sam drove through the dumpy roads. His other arm was secured loosely around her waist.

Charlotte went in and out on consciousness in attempt to fight off the exhaustion that overtook her. In the end, she didn't win because one moment she was resting her head on Colby's shoulder, listening to the small conversations mixing in with the radio's tune. Then, the next, she was being shook awake by Colby, telling her they'd arrived.

Charlotte let out a groggy groan as he'd helped her out of the car, securing his arm around her waist as her exhausted body leaned on him for support. She'd taken a glance at her phone. It was nearly five in the morning.

Charlotte was half asleep, barely able to make out any words or phrases whilst she stood beside the three other girls as they watched Sam and Colby approach the man at the registration desk, requesting a couple rooms for the night.

It never occurred to anyone to book rooms in the old hotel. In fact, they hadn't even planned on staying here. Although the nearest city was an hour or so away, the original plan was to travel back after the investigation. That was before it took them an extra hour to complete it.

Sam and Colby returned a few moments later with three motel keys. They'd managed to secure the last few rooms they had left on the third floor. The hard part would be sorting out sleeping arrangements when they arrived.

Nearly everyone was drowsy and fatigued, falling asleep to the soft elevator music that played on their short ride up. Charlotte was resting her head on Colby's broad shoulder whilst Kat did the same with Sam on the other side. Olivia and Jordan stood off to the side, scrolling through their phones.

When the elevator pinged at the third floor, everyone piled out and found their rooms. Sam had the three keys in his hand while he looked for the rooms. Each room a few doors down from the last.

"We have three rooms with queen beds," he told everyone, holding up the keys with one arm whilst the other curled around his girlfriend's waist. "I figured Colby and I could share, but..." he cranked his head to Kat to see her nearly passed out as she leaned on him.

Olivia and Jordan looked at each other before glancing at Charlotte and Colby, who seemed to be in the same position as Sam and Kat. "Liv and I could bunk up together," Jordan shrugged.

Olivia nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Then, Char and Colby could take the last room."

Charlotte lifted her head absentmindedly at the mention of her name. She looked at her sister and best friend to see shit-eating grins on both their faces. She scolded them silently and looked to Colby beside her.

He seemed almost nervous at the suggestion. Supposed Charlotte had been too, but at that point all she cared about was getting to bed. She was desperate enough that she would have shared with just about anyone.

"I don't really mind," she shrugged before yawning. "I just want to go to sleep."

Colby blinked. "Uh. Okay. Yeah, sure, that's fine. We'll take the other room."

With a nod of his head, Sam passed the two remaining keys off to Colby and Jordan, bidding his friend and the three girls a goodnight before he disappeared into the room with Katrina.

Jordan and Olivia took the room at the end of the hall, leaving Charlotte and Colby alone after wishing them both a goodnight.

Upon entry to their room, Charlotte and Colby were appalled at how tiny the room truly had been. Granted, they weren't expect a palace by any means, but the room barely sufficed as a tiny studio apartment. It merely reached twenty square feet.

And the bed appeared to be more like a full than a queen.

"Oh, damn," Colby said, throwing his backpack off his shoulder and gazing around the room.

Charlotte let out a low laugh as she plopped to the bed on her back. "Someone's getting fired tomorrow morning." She spread her limbs out mere inches and managed to take up the full bed. "There's no way we're gonna be able to share this comfortably." She laughed.

Colby nodded in agreement before an idea sprung to his head. He moved to the small closest in the corner, searching for loose bedding before his eyes landed on a small pillow and thin blanket. "I can take the floor."

Charlotte looked at the bedding ins hand and immediately shook her head. "What? No way. Not with those. The floor is hard as a rock, you'll break your back or something."

Colby laughed. "I assure you, Char, I am not going to break my back."

Charlotte continued to shake her head and rise from the bed. "No. You take the bed, I can sleep on the floor."

Charlotte reached for the bedding in Colby's arms, immediately resulting in him pulling them further from her reach. "Absolutely not."

Charlotte looked at him. "Colby."

"Charlotte."

"Just take the bed," Charlotte says. "It's fine. Really. I don't mind. I've slept on worse."

Colby continued to shake his head. "You're not sleeping on the floor."

Charlotte groaned in defeat, suddenly too exhausted to argue with him. "Okay, well, then I guess we're both gonna share this tiny-ass thing." Charlotte turned over her shoulder, cocking her head at it. "We might be able to fit."

The two looked at each other, apparently challenging her theory before they approached the bed, each lying on either side. Their bodies threatened to fall off the bed as they laid directly beside each other, their shoulders pressing against each other gently.

Charlotte cranked her head to look at him, Colby's following and their noses nearly brushed. "What do you think?" Colby asked, his eyes glancing down at her lips for nearly a second.

She smiled gently. "I dunno. It could be doable."

"Think it could work for the night?"

She shrugged, sitting up. "It's gonna have to."

Colby laughed gently as she moved toward his bag as it rested by the door. He watched her examine it for a moment and he pushed himself to his elbows. Then, she groaned loudly. "What's wrong?"

"I left my bag in the car," Charlotte tells him as she runs her hand over her face. Colby laughs at her lowly. "Stop! I'm seriously so exhausted and the damn thing is three stories down."

Colby shakes his head, pushing himself off the bed as he grabs the hotel key from the counter. "Don't worry, I'll go grab it."

Charlotte immediately smiles brightly at him. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte's arm immediately go around him, hugging him tightly as she smiles. "Thank you!"

Colby chuckles, one arm going around her waist before releasing her and reaching for the doorknob. "I'll be right back."

Charlotte smiles and watches him disappear through the doorway. She turns toward the bed, smiling to herself as she kicks off her shoes and climbs on the bed. She lays on her stomach and pulls her phone from her jeans pocket and begins to message her friends.

imessages !!

THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY 🎩

CHARLIE 🎫 —    CHARLOTTE
LIVY WONKA 🍫   —  OLIVIA
LITTLE ORANGE MIDGET 👩🏼‍🍳  —  JORDAN

charlie 🎫
you sneaky little bitches

livy wonka 🍫
oh no
jordan we've been caught

little orange midget 👩🏼‍🍳
wasn't me ✋🏼

charlie 🎫
i hate you guys

livy wonka 🍫
no you don't

little orange midget 👩🏼‍🍳
have fun with colby :))

charlie 🎫
🖕🏼

livy wonka 🍫
whatever
you'll be thanking us later

narrative !!

Charlotte laughed to herself, but couldn't help the small smiled that spread across her face. She would never admit it, but a part of her was glad Jordan and Olivia pulled their stunt. It just meant she would get to spend more time with Colby.

The brunette yawned as she opened TikTok, scrolling for a few minutes before her eyes grew heavy. Yawning again, she clicked off her phone and rolled onto her side, deciding to rest her eyes before Colby returned.

Only when Colby returned, he hadn't woken her up like she expected him too.

When he walked through the door to see her resting soundly in the bed, he just smiled. He placed her bag by her side the bed and placed her phone on the bedside table so she wasn't to sleep on it.

He clicked off the lamp and grabbed the blanket he was retrieved from the closet, flowing it over her resting figure.

He retreated to his own bag, pulling out a change of clothes and a tooth brush from his bag before retreating to the bathroom. When he exited, Charlotte was still soundly asleep and he smiled to himself.

He grabbed a charger, plugging in his phone and climbed in beside her, slowly and gentle as to not wake her. He flicked the beside lamp off and managed to get comfortable beside her. Then, she shifted.

He froze for a moment, waiting to see if she would wake up, but she hadn't.

Rather, she rolled over and draped an arm across his chest, cuddling herself closer to him. Her head tucked into the crook of his neck.

His heart thudded in his chest and he was too scared to move. He didn't dare to move a single muscle in fear she would wake up. He didn't want to ruin this moment. He didn't want to give up being this close to her.

So, he didn't. He just places his hand gently on her arm and leaned his head on her, closing his eyes and driving off to sleep.

Suddenly, the bed became plenty big for the both of them.

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