"What do you mean there is no other rooms?" We are at the front desk, trying to find one of us another room. We are down on our luck though. Apparently, every single room is booked for the next two weeks and one of the reasons is because of the wedding party we are with. Henry pushes me to the side, to talk to the lady at the desk since it looks like I am glaring at her. I'm not. I am glaring at the computer that won't show a single free room. Couldn't there be some sort of glitch that can allow us separate rooms?

"I'm sorry Ma'am. We could call Ms Ava to shuffle around some of the guests in your party to get a free bed?" she suggests.

"NO," Henry and I say at the same time. The lady did not flinch and kept that customer service smile in place. If Ava found out then our gig would be over. Not only would she know that we are not dating but the whole group would. We are committed now and absolutely nothing is going to prevent us from succeeding. Even one bed.

"Sorry, it's all fine. We will sort it out," I apologise for shouting and maybe the misplaced glare. Henry and I leave since a few people in the lobby keep glancing in our direction, hoping for some sort of drama. They will keep hoping for a long time. Henry presses the button for the lift as we reluctantly make our way back to the room.

Our bags are waiting for us this time around when we enter our room. I sit down on the random chair in the room while Henry opens up his suitcase. This is it. This is our fate. We have to share a room for the week.

"I'm going to shower and take a nap, are you going down for breakfast?" Henry asks. He's pulled out all he needs to jump into the shower.

"I'll shower after you and then go to breakfast," I reply. I wait for Henry to finish his shower by sitting on my phone, enjoying the free wifi. I reply to Ava's message, playing it dumb with a 'What is it??'. She is quick to reply with 'I got you and Henry a room away from everyone else so you don't have to worry about making noise', with a million more emojis. This time I can't play dumb so I simply do not reply. Henry comes out of the shower with a towel around his neck, in shorts and a t-shirt. He uses the towel to dry his hair while sitting on the edge of the bed. Only once he makes eye contact with me do I jump out of the chair to open my suitcase.

I take my stuff out of my suitcase and go shower too. By the time I come out of the shower, Henry is already fast asleep in bed. He has closed the curtains which block out all the sunlight, making the room dark. I try to move around quietly. I make sure I have my key card and phone as I leave the room and a sleeping Henry. This isn't the first time I've seen him asleep but it is the first time I have seen him asleep in a bed.

Breakfast is uneventful. I didn't bother socialising with the random people who I am sure were familiar with the line outside the coach. As far as I am concerned, I need food and sleep. Hopefully, Henry is awake when I return upstairs to our room so I can get some sleep too. The food I am happy to say was delicious. If all else fails on this trip, at least I know I had one good meal out of everything. When I return upstairs, I open the door slowly, only to find Henry still fast asleep. Honestly, it was hopeful thinking for me to wish he was awake by now.

Well, it looks like I won't be napping today. That iced coffee better work and keep me awake. We are set to meet Ava around tea time and the day is clear for all of us to rest and explore the hotel since everyone is arriving today throughout the day according to the itinerary. I decide that sitting on the bed is better than the chair. I sit on top of the covers with my phone and start going through Instagram so time can pass. Usually scrolling is the fastest way for time to pass. I sit on top of the covers next to a sleeping Henry who is far away in dreamland. I am jealous. I want to be in dreamland too. It's in our best interests if I ignore him so I face away from him and shuffle to get into a comfortable position. Instagram is entertaining enough as usual with many cat videos and new trends to keep be entertained. I don't really know at what point I stop being entertained and my eyes close from the tiredness.

I don't remember falling off to sleep.

I do remember waking up though.

Henry is no longer asleep beside me. he's busy eating in the chair when I sit up. I have many questions like where did he get the food and when did I fall off to sleep and why did the iced coffee not work like it was supposed to. I say nothing instead groaning and lying back down. I think I know the answer to all the questions, this bed is amazing and I don't think I ever want to leave it. I bury my face in the pillow for a moment. I can hear Henry laughing in the background, which I ignore easily.

It's only when I check the time, do I groan again. There's many, many. many messages from Ava that my brain cannot process. What my brain can process is the time. We are supposed to meet Ava and the rest of the group soon just so we get to sort of know each other. It's all informal. I think most of us are just doing it to see Ava or James. Everyone is probably jetlagged or fatigued from whatever way to travel to Cape Town.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty," Henry says. I am sure I look nothing like sleeping beauty and I need to get refreshed to meet people. My clothes are probably wrinkled from sleeping. I should've just changed into my pyjamas earlier. Too bad I was busy stressing about Henry sleeping to make any decent decisions.

"I have chips," he bribes and it works. I get out of bed. I haven't had anything to eat since brunch and the idea of chips sounds good. Hopefully, Ava has some food waiting for us when we go to meet her, however, let's not take the risk. I rather have something to snack on now.

I sit in the other chair and start eating the chips. Henry had ordered the room service with only a simple sandwich and chips. It was some sort of luxury sandwich I am assuming since he already finished it by the time I join him. I help myself to the chips, dipping them in the ketchup on the side of the plate. I prefer to have ketchup all over my chips instead of the side like Henry.

"You are a gift," I say to Henry, who has left me alone with the chips. He knows very well that he will not be getting any chips now.

"I know," Henry replies. After I finish my chips, we get ready to go meet Ava. She is meeting everyone in the lobby so it is no surprise that the lobby is crowded with familiar faces when we get downstairs. Keeping a polite smile on our faces, I hold onto Henry's arm so I don't lose him while trying to find Ava.

Unfortunately, I spot James first.

I pretend to not see him since he has his back on us and Ava is not next to him. Thankful for the small mercies life has to offer me. Ava is in the middle of a huge group when I find her. She is in an all-white pantsuit, which screams bride. It's no guess what colour code she will be wearing the whole week after just one look at her. She pulls away from the group when we make eye contact, squealing at the sight of me.

I never know how to react when she is like this. I just don't have it in me to jump around squealing in public at my age. When we were five years old this would've been fine. I accept her hug, letting go of Henry and she shakes me side to side in her arms. Her excitement is contagious, causing me to smile. I hold her just as tight. The thing about best friends is the older we get, the less often we see each other. It has been far too long.

Ava lets go of me, "It's been too long, Evelyn. We need to meet up more often."

"We really do," I agree, knowing that I will probably see less of her after she gets married since she will have new responsibilities and expectations in her life. That doesn't mean the end of our friendship.

"So are you to introduce us," Ava hints, looking at Henry.

"This is Henry," I keep it simple.

"Oh, I've heard so much about you." Ava hugs Henry. Henry and I make eye contact over her, knowing she had heard actually nothing about him the way she is insinuating. Ava takes a while to let go of Henry.

"It's lovely to meet you too," Henry replies politely, moving to my side. He puts his arm over my shoulder, keeping me glued to his side. My parents said they were going to be here so that's our next stop. When James calls Ava, we take that as our cue to escape. Henry is eager to find my parents.

I am all too ready to leave too. 

~*~

This chapter didn't go in the direction I wanted but oh well.

People need to stop hugging people for too long. 

Do you like hugs?

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