In Memoriam - An AJR Fic (Everything Clicks - Book 2)

100 Bad Days (MISSING DATA. . .)

Rain fell from the sky and tapped on the roof of the bus as it pulled into the parking lot of the motel. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by rumbles of thunder. The neon welcome sign of the motel shined a tacky red-pink color against the dark, adding a certain eeriness.

'COMFORT STAY MOTEL - Best Value in the Country!'

"I guess this is it."

We both grabbed our bags and stepped off the bus into the dark, thundering rain. Our feet splashed in puddles with each step. The humidity of the stormy air made my glasses fog. I watched as tiny condensation drops streaked across the glass.

"I used to like the rain, now it's just...depressing."

I nodded in reply as I opened the door of the motel. The small lobby was decorated with dated cottage-style wallpaper, the floors with lightly-stained nylon carpeting. Some furniture sat off to one side; a couple of old La-Z-Boy recliners and a glass-topped coffee table accompanied an ancient box television, which was turned off. We stood waiting for the receptionist for a couple of fruitless minutes. I decided after the third minute to ring the bell on the counter.

A few seconds passed before a middle-aged blonde woman with bright red reading glasses and glittery golden acrylic nails appeared from the staff room behind the desk. She held a novel in one of her hands and glanced up at us tensely as she approached the computer.

"Checking in?"

"...Uh, yeah. Checking in."

"Name?"

I paused for a second, trying to remember. "I'm uh...not sure whose it's under. It should be a pretty recent reservation, though. Maybe if you just run through all the ones--"

"Name?"

I sighed.

"...Metzger. Ryan and Adam Metzger."

The woman typed some information into her computer very aggressively. I looked at the carpet with discomfort.

"You're in 11," She dropped two room keys on the desk. "Don't make too much noise or mess or I'll dropkick you both through the roof."

We each took a card, looking at each other confusedly.

"Alright," I muttered under my breath. "Jesus..."

We picked up our bags and started down the hall toward Room 11.

"Nice lady," Adam mused sarcastically, once the lobby was out of earshot.

"Oh, definitely," I replied with a scoff. "Seems like someone you could have a cup of coffee with and talk about your problems."

I held the keycard up to the panel on the door and the light turned green. The door opened with a loud click.

The room was nothing special. It had the same nylon carpet as out in the lobby and halls. The wallpaper was a simple white color, accented with wall sconces for some dim lighting. The beds had busy, floral bedspreads that looked like they had been with this room since the motel opened. A gold-colored, shaded lamp sat between them on a simple wooden nightstand. On the opposite side, a cheap flatscreen TV and a coffeemaker stood on a dresser that matched the nightstand. A faint musty smell filled the air.

"It's not much," Adam announced, dropping his bag on the bed, "but it'll do for now."

"Well, if we're gonna be living out of hotels for a while, we're gonna have to get used to things like this," I replied.

Adam cocked his head.

"It's better than that place in Beacon Falls."

He chuckled. "God! Don't remind me."