ANYTHING BUT ENEMIES

28. holding hands

"TURN HERE." Ruby reaches out to steady my hand before sticking the adhesive to paper around my wrist, tongue poking out the side of her mouth in concentration. "Got it."

"You wouldn't think it'd be so difficult to put on a wristband."

"Shut up. I'm skilled."

"Uh huh," I say.

I put her own wristband on with ease before turning around to see the rest of the group.

Marty's busy messing with Reese's, Anayah and Julia are pushing each other over something one of them said, Nick is staring at some piece of art on the wall, and Dane's in the process of putting his wristband on by himself.

We'd finally made it to the museum after a dinner that lasted a millennia (including Dane resuming his staring contest with Ruby almost as soon as he got back and Reece and I going back and forth with icebreakers until the food arrived).

The place is surrounded on all sides by glass walls, letting in the darkness of the night. Inside, the glow of lanterns and overhead lights bring warm color to the space. It feels cozy and safe and almost makes me glad I was forced here against my will.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I fish it out, stifling a laugh when I see a message from the group chat.

Marty - Ok, split up now. We can find each other later.

Oh, the lengths we go to avoid Nicholas Murphy.

I'm the first to wander off from the group, entering an adjoining room to marvel over a case full of vases, reading each of the little description tags.

Some of them have tiny, little animals tracing up the sides, the faces lopsided and mouths wide. It kind of looks like a kid made them. I quickly raise a hand to stifle a laugh before tugging out my phone to snap a quick picture.

The rest of my trip throughout the room proceeds similarly. I pace slowly, taking pictures of things I find particularly interesting and drawing closer to look at tiny details brushed on with barely perceptible brushstrokes.

I must spend a good half hour in the first room alone before deciding to move on to the next.

A thin hallway leads me to the beginning of the Ancient Egyptian exhibit, click of my shoes echoing in the close quarters until I emerge on the other end, and the echoes cease.

The exhibit hall has been shrouded in black fabric, windows almost completely covered with a couple people milling around. They speak in hushed tones, pointing at various gold-gilded tools and jewelry pieces.

I'm making myself comfortable over by a collection of rings when my ear catches the familiar squeak of a certain pair of white sneakers.

Instantly I turn, lips immediately pulling down into a frown.

"Look who it is," is Dane's greeting.

"Mm," I hum, spinning back to the rings. "You just can't stay away can you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him glance over at me, stuff his hands in his pockets. "Sure, I bet believing that makes you feel better about yourself."

"Believing the truth?"

"The truth, right," the words come out coated in sarcasm.

"You've probably been tailing me this whole time."

"I think I have better things to do than follow you around."

"Really?" At his overdramatized nod, I smile sweetly. "Then why did you want me to beg you to come to the museum so bad?"