The atmosphere went silent again, with only the sound of their cutlery clinking against the plates. Helena, sitting next to Nolan, glanced at him occasionally. Finally, she put down her fork and knife.
"Um... sorry, Nolan. Do I know you? I feel like I know you, for some reason," Helena asked.
"I don't think so... We just met. I don't remember ever knowing you. (I've been stuck at home, only going to school or the hospital. I really don't feel like I've ever seen her before... it's just the memory from when I was five to seven years old that's gone, and I'm still confused about that dream that felt so damn real, but if I had a friend, I should remember, right? A friend would be a precious thing to me)," Nolan replied, continuing to eat.
"Maybe you know someone who looks like Nolan," Alvin chimed in.
"Hmm... maybe so," Helena muttered.
"Click." The dining room door opened. Nolan, Alvin, and Helena turned to see Selma walk in, still wearing a bikini under a bathrobe. She walked straight to the buffet and served herself a plate of food, then sat down next to Alvin without a care in the world.
"Hey, sorry, guys, I'm just getting a second round. Swimming made me tired," Selma said casually.
"How the hell can you be so relaxed in a situation like this? Someone was murdered right in this room yesterday," Nolan challenged her.
"What are we supposed to do now? We can't get out of here. We can't call for help, since our phones were confiscated. Might as well just enjoy what we have here, right?" Selma said, spreading butter on her bread.
"Well, that's true. We can't do shit right now, but let's not 'enjoy' it either," Alvin said, raising his coffee cup.
"Relax. The main thing is we'll face it together, right, Alvin?" Selma said, pressing her shoulder against Alvin's arm, clearly flirting with him.
"So where are Zack and Ingrid? Weren't they just with you?" Nolan asked.
"Huh... they're still out there. They're both drinking. We're all underage except for Alvin. Hard to change a thug, I guess," Selma replied, chewing on her bacon.
"Um... they're eighteen and you're nineteen, right?" Helena asked.
"Yeah, I mean, they're technically of age... and so am I... but I don't really like drinking, only once in a while," Selma answered, glancing at Alvin, clearly hoping he was listening.
"Same here. I rarely drink myself," Alvin added.
"Wow, so we're alike, then. It's a shame we can't talk about personal stuff, though. I'd love to get to know you better, Alvin," Selma cooed.
"Sorry, I gotta go," Alvin said, standing up and taking his plate.
Alvin walked over to the dish station, put his plate down, and then walked out of the dining room without saying another word. Selma looked annoyed.
"Ugh... what's his problem?" Selma grumbled.
"Um... maybe you were flirting with him a little too hard, Selma," Helena suggested.
"Ha! You're sitting practically touching Nolan, aren't you? We're all the same here," Selma shot back.
Helena and Nolan immediately shifted their chairs back a bit, both their faces flushing red. Selma lifted her head slightly, watched them, then went back to cutting her eggs.
"Remember, no falling in love," Selma drawled.
"I-I know," Helena replied.
"W-were you with Helena last night, Selma?" Nolan asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Yep. Honestly, I couldn't sleep at all. I went to Helena's room both to borrow a comb and because I knew she'd still be up. We hung out and talked about everything except ourselves," Selma answered casually.
Nolan turned to look at Helena, who looked embarrassed. What Selma said confirmed that Helena and Selma had indeed been talking late into the night in Helena's room. Nolan quickly glanced at Helena: he saw her messy blonde hair, her blue eyes, and her pretty face. Then, he looked back at his plate to finish his meal.
"The little girl in my dream last night... had blonde hair and blue eyes... Coincidence? Or was that little girl actually Helena? The name was a blank, and I still can't remember anything from when I was five years old, but if I had a friend, I should remember, right? A friend would be a precious thing to me," Nolan thought to himself.
They went back to eating. Selma stood up and got more food from the buffet, then sat down next to Helena. Nolan finally finished his food. He stood up with his mug and walked toward the tea station by the buffet table. Then, "Click," the dining room door opened again. Zack and Ingrid walked in, carrying a bottle and glasses, both their faces flushed. They sat across the table from Selma and Helena. Zack looked around the room.
"Where's Alvin?" Zack asked.
"Beats me... he left," Selma answered curtly, digging into the food on her plate.
"We have to make our own lunch today. (She turned to look at Helena) Can you cook?" Ingrid asked.
"Um... I can, yeah, but just simple stuff, nothing like what we had last night or this morning," Helena replied.
"Okay, simple is fine. Can you help me in the kitchen later?" Ingrid asked.
"Um... yeah, I can," Helena answered.
"Huh... who are you cooking for? Everyone?" Selma asked.
"Yeah, and definitely not you," Ingrid snapped back.
"Ha! Don't worry. I can cook for myself. I'm an independent woman," Selma retorted sharply.
"Haha, independent, huh? Or are you just looking for a rich boyfriend to drain of cash?" Ingrid sneered, totally hitting below the belt.
"Splash!" Selma stood up and threw water in Ingrid's face, then sat down calmly and went back to eating.
"You're drunk. Get a grip. If you can't handle your liquor, don't drink," Selma stated.
Zack immediately handed Ingrid a napkin, which she snatched to wipe her face. Then, Ingrid grabbed her wine glass and, "Splash!" she threw wine in Selma's face and onto her food. Helena, sitting next to Selma, looked terrified watching Selma and Ingrid. "Bang!" Selma jumped to her feet and glared at Ingrid.
"Okay, so you're looking for a fight, huh?" Selma yelled.
"Bring it on. You think I'm scared of you?" Ingrid screamed back, standing up.
"Hey... stop it... please don't fight," Helena said, standing up and trying to hold Selma back.
"Enough, Ingrid," Zack said, standing up and grabbing Ingrid, though he shot Selma a sharp, hateful look.
Meanwhile, Nolan, who was standing to the side and away from the table, saw the whole damn thing. He noted that Zack and Ingrid looked pretty "close," based on what he was seeing.
"Hmm... what's Zack and Ingrid's deal, anyway?" Nolan muttered to himself.
Nolan noticed Ingrid standing there, and he could vaguely see her bikini underneath her wet shirt, a sign that she'd probably been swimming too. As he stood there, stunned, "Slam!" the door suddenly burst open. Selma and Ingrid, mid-fight, instantly looked toward the door. Zack, who was holding Ingrid, and Helena, who was holding Selma, also turned to stare at the door.
Nolan was shocked to see Alvin standing in the doorway, breathing hard and his face ghost-white as if he'd just seen a ghost. Alvin's arrival stopped the brawl between Selma and Ingrid dead in its tracks.
"Guys... follow me... now," Alvin said, his voice trembling.