The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 42

People started picking food off the big plates and put it on their own smaller ones. There were several sorts of meat and all kinds of vegetables. There was also bread and some potatoes. Everything was neatly served, and different spices were on every dish.

Hailey didn't know what to pick because she didn't recognize most of it. Ash saw and put some food on her plate for her. Hailey wanted to thank him without saying it out loud, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, so she just took a bite.

Most people were talking with each other, but Hailey didn't know what to say. She mostly looked at her plate and sometimes peeked at the others. Then her eyes crossed with Mrs. Ravensdale's and Hailey immediately knew she had to come up with something to say.

"I... um... should thank you for letting me stay here," Hailey stuttered. Her throat felt sore, and the words came out weird, so she coughed.

"It is not a problem, sweetie, we have enough room." The woman's voice sounded a little warmer than before. Maybe she just needed to get used to Hailey. Possibly, after some time, Hailey herself would get comfortable with the whole situation.

"Yes, I noticed," Hailey said, then quickly added, "It's a beautiful house." Mrs. Ravensdale seemed satisfied enough with that statement.

The conversations resumed and Hailey occasionally answered some questions. Other than that, she quietly ate her dinner. She found it to be absolutely delicious. Especially because she had never gone anywhere fancy to eat. The most luxurious thing Hailey had ever eaten was a deluxe pizza.

When most of the plates were empty, it was time for dessert. An old man with grey hair wearing a neat suit and white gloves took away the used plates and exchanged them for new smaller plates. A woman, who was about the man's age but chubbier, brought the dessert. It was a large cake which everyone got a piece of. Hailey waited until the rest began to eat too and picked up her fork. That was when she noticed Luna Calderwood looking at her. Hailey smiled at the little girl, and she smiled back.

"Do not smile back at her," someone hissed. Hailey automatically looked at where it came from. It was Aribelle. She glanced at Hailey for a second and there was a sort of horror in her eyes. Hailey turned her head down and put her fork back on her plate, not feeling hungry anymore.

"Shut up, Belle," Ash hissed. Hailey didn't look up from her plate, but she could feel the atmosphere in the room changing. She remembered another tense dinner, which felt like ages ago, and she had a suspicion about where this conversation was going.

"Ashton, language!" Mrs. Ravensdale shrieked. He ignored it and looked at his little sister fiercely.

"You can't say that stuff," Ash went on. Everyone was carefully watching the tension build between them, Luna looked especially confused. When Hailey glanced around, she also saw that Aribelle began to turn red, but her eyes stayed stern.

"Whatever her misbehavior, you do not tell your sister to shut up." Mrs. Ravensdale said angrily. Ash turned to her and the angry look in his eyes didn't fade.

"I'm not letting her say those things. Especially to a four-year-old girl." This provoked his mother even more. They started arguing and Aribelle soon joined in. Leo tried to say some things too, but he was completely ignored.

She tried to keep her eyes from showing any pain. But this was too much like the last disastrous dinner she had at the Coleman's. And that made her think of Nolan and how much she missed him. With an extreme feeling of déjà vu, Hailey stood up awkwardly, waiting until someone paid enough attention to hear her excuse to leave.

When Mrs. Ravensdale and Ash looked at her, she said, "I need to go to the bathroom." After that Hailey pushed her chair back and walked away.

"That's your fault, Belle," she could hear Ash say just before Hailey reached the doors of the room.

"She is just a mortal!" Aribelle yelled back in frustration.

"She is not, and you know that too." Ash's voice sounded final, but Hailey didn't know if the argument went on or not, she was out of earshot now.

She quickly realized she didn't know of another bathroom than the one in her room, which was three stairs up. Hailey considered taking the short cut because she wanted to get away from the dining room as quickly as possible. She decided the risk of being stuck in the dark hall wasn't worth it.

Hailey sighed and went up the stairs hastily. The first stairs went okay, but she needed to catch her breath on the second. When she finally reached the top of the third stairs Hailey ran through the left hallway and slammed the door behind her.

She walked back and forth in her room, not knowing what to do with herself. Then she went to wash her hands, just to distract herself. She walked back into the bedroom and spotted her suitcase. Another distraction. She threw the suitcase on the bed and opened it. She haphazardly shoved its contents into the closet, without looking at the clothes that were already in there. Dejectedly she stared at the empty suitcase, not sure what to do now.

"You're allowed to go to other rooms if you want," said a voice from behind her. Hailey jumped up. She recognized the voice, so she knew who it was before turning around and seeing him but all the same she was surprised to see Alex's face. Hailey realized the door was still wide open, giving Alex the opportunity to come in without a sound.

"I'm not so sure about that," Hailey answered quietly after regaining herself. She knew Alex had heard her, she still hoped he wouldn't comment on it.

"I am sorry about what happened downstairs. Please understand that you are not a prisoner here," Alex said. Hailey watched him closely, just to be sure he meant what he said. He did.

"Aren't you supposed to say that? That's why they send you here isn't it, to go calm the mortal." Hailey said the word with disgust. Alex chuckled.

"Maybe I am but I have the feeling that nobody but yourself has the ability to calm you." Alex was smiling sweetly, and he gave her an understanding look. Even though he couldn't possibly understand how she was feeling, she allowed him to have that illusion. "Belle was out of line when she insulted you."

"You don't have to worry about me getting hurt." Hailey didn't look at Alex, for fear of letting him see the truth in her eyes. He went to sit on the bed quietly. She looked at him then, his eyes were soft, still holding that understanding look. She didn't move at first but eventually went to sit next to him.

"Hailey, I would like to be your friend," Alex said. It wasn't anything she would've expected him to say but he seemed absolutely genuine. Nonetheless, Hailey gave him a skeptical look. "I believe you can be kind, when you want to, and I believe you are a very special person. Even if my brother does not like to admit you are."

It surprised Hailey even more that Alex had picked up on the tension between Ash and her. She doubted anyone else had. Alex was very perceptive.

Then she thought about what it would mean to have Alex as her friend. She would have someone to talk to; she wouldn't be alone. Hailey didn't like to put her trust in someone too quickly, though. It was very possible that he was hiding things about who he truly was. If his older brother was capable of doing that for months, it was likely Alex shared the same ability...

"I could use a friend," she finally admitted. Hailey wasn't quite sure whether a friendship with Alex was genuine or whether it would be a keep your enemies closer thing but accepting Alex's kindness seemed like the best option.

Unexpectedly, Alex hugged her. Hailey's instinct was to push him off, but she couldn't bring herself to move away from him. At first it was a little one-sided but then Hailey allowed herself to find comfort in his arms. She could share her pain now. She didn't have to bear it alone. When they let go of each other after a long time Hailey realized just how much she had needed that hug.

Alex told Hailey goodnight and stood up. He looked at her one last time and smiled before closing the door. Hailey smiled back just in time for him to still see. She sighed loudly.

Hailey didn't know much but she knew she was surrounded by people that liked to hide half of themselves in the shadows and lie about the other half. She also knew that, even though she was unable to trust him completely, Alex was not part of this world of shadows. At the very least, his kindness was genuine. Alex was a good person. But Hailey didn't know if that was enough.