Room Service

by Maren Stoffels

  How did he dare go see her when I was there with her?

  How did he dare destroy Kate again? He has no idea what kind of hell we’ve been through this past year.

  I raise my fist and look into his eyes.

  “Admit it,” I say with a voice that sounds like it doesn’t belong to me. “Admit that she didn’t want you anymore!”

  “Fender!” Linnea is hanging on my arm. “Fender, it’s not him.”

  “Admit it, you filthy, disgusting—”

  “Fender, listen. This isn’t Claus!”

  Slowly, Linnea’s words get through to me. It’s like I was looking through the wrong lenses, as the man suddenly comes into focus. He’s way too old to be Claus. He has to be in his thirties. Besides, he’s not wearing glasses, and his hair is brown, not black.

  Shocked, I let go of him.

  “Are you out of your mind?” The man scrambles to his feet and shoves me hard into the doorpost. “What’s the deal?”

  “Sorry.” Linnea quickly steps forward. “It was a misunderstanding.”

  “Say what?” The man furiously straightens his jacket. One of the buttons is missing. I can see it on the floor by my feet.

  “First I find broken glass all over my room. Then I see that someone’s been at my minibar. And now this!”

  “Broken glass?” echoes Linnea, looking past the man and into the room.

  “Yes, glass.” The man’s eyes are ablaze. “And what are you looking at?”

  “Is this…your room?”

  “Yes, of course this is my room! Are you two leaving now? I’m calling Security.”

  Linnea grabs me by the arm and pulls me down the hallway. We keep running until we get back to the stairs—and then she stops.

  “Why didn’t you listen?” she fires at me.

  Nervously, I crack my fingers. I just attacked someone for the third time today. And it was the wrong person. I’m a ticking time bomb, and I keep going off.

  “What am I supposed to do if you send me to the wrong room?” I say.

  “That was the right room! I was just in there with Claus.”

  I shake my head. “Then how come that man…”

  “Didn’t you hear what he said? About finding a broken glass? And about someone using his minibar?”

  “So?”

  “Claus offered me a drink and tried to insist that I drink it before I left. When I didn’t, he must have gotten so mad that he smashed it.”

  “Why would he get that mad at you for turning down a drink?”

  As I say the words, it dawns on me. A wave of nausea washes over me, and I desperately try to swallow it away.

  Would he really go so far as to put something in Linnea’s drink?

  What if Linnea had actually drunk it? None of us knew she was in his room.

  Where is he now? That wasn’t his room, so he could be anywhere. He can see us, but we can’t see him.

  I realize that Linnea is trying not to cry and I resist the urge to put my arm around her.

  “Hey.” Instead, I give her a nudge. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get him.”

  “You guys did what?” Lucas stares at us. “Have you completely lost it? ‘Don’t go looking for me.’ How clear do the rules need to be?”

  “Wouldn’t you have done exactly the same?” I ask. “We had to give it a try.”

  “He didn’t open the door?” Kate guesses.

  “It wasn’t his room.” I feel nauseous again. “He took me to someone else’s room.”

  I look around. It’s just like Fender said. Claus could be anywhere. Even here in the bar, I don’t feel safe.

  I know how good Claus is at stalking. All that time, I had no idea it was him. It was me who approached him at the candy machine. I told him about my stalker. I confided in him.

  He must have thought it was so amusing.

  I thought it couldn’t be Claus, because he seemed so friendly. How naive can you be? Even the most dangerous serial killers can turn on the charm.

  “So how is Claus getting into these rooms?” asks Kate.

  “I think he has a master key.” Fender sighs. “That must be how he got into your room to write that letter all over the walls.”

  Kate shivers. “The thought of him being able to walk in and out whenever he wants…”

  “Try not to think about it. Kate’s dad made a dinner reservation for us. Let’s go eat.”

  “Eat?” I stare at Lucas in astonishment. “You actually want to go have a nice meal out?”

  “So what are we supposed to do?” Lucas says. “We were told to act as normal as possible. That’s what it says in the rules. Anyway, we have to eat something, especially if this goes on all night.”

  I try not to think about the fact that Lucas could be right. Who knows when this is all going to end?

  “He’s right.” Fender looks at Kate and me. “It’s ridiculous, but we have to do it.”

  I know I won’t be able to eat a bite.

  I rub my arms. Is it really that cold in here, or is it the tension?

  “I’m going to fetch my hoodie.” I stand up. “See you in a minute.”

  “Kate will go with you.”

  I look at Fender in surprise. “Why?”

  “You’re not going alone.”

  Reluctantly, I go upstairs with Kate. As we walk up the three flights of stairs, she doesn’t say a word, but when we get to our room, she grabs my wrist.

  “I’m sorry, Spinner. I know you’re mad at me, but…”

  I look at her. “I’m not mad.”

  “Disappointed, then?”

  “I feel…betrayed.”

  Kate’s face clouds over. “That was never the idea.”

  “Why did you never say anything about Isolde?”

  “Where was I supposed to begin?” Kate runs her hand through her hair. “By saying that I had a best friend but that she left town last year to get as far away from us as possible?”

  “That would have been a start.”

  I turn the key in the lock. As I enter the room, the feeling that I’m walking onto the set of a horror movie hits me again. The black letters grin at me from every wall.

  I quickly unzip my weekend bag and take out my gray hoodie. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. Every minute in this room is one minute too many. I’m never going to be able to sleep in here.

  “Do you need anything?” I ask.

  But then I see Kate. She’s staring with wide eyes at something behind me.

  I turn to look. “What’s wrong?”

  “There.” Kate points at the corner of the room. I was distracted by all the angry words, but then I see it.

  “The bear,” I stammer.

  Lucas’s gift, the huge teddy bear that was as big as Kate herself, has disappeared.

  In its place, there’s a note with a brief message.

  One of you is the sacrifice.

  You can decide for yourselves who comes to get the bear.

  Come to the first balcony by the lobby at eight o’clock.

  Come alone.

  I stare at the words. The sounds in the bar fade into the background.

  “So this is what he wants,” whispers Kate. I can see the panic in her eyes. “He wants us to sacrifice someone.”

  “Of course he doesn’t,” I say.

  “That’s what it says!”

  “But we’re not going to do that,” I say quickly. “We’ll think of something.”

  * * *

  The dinner looks delicious, but we barely eat anything. Normally I’d really enjoy the meal, but I can’t swallow a bite.

  “We could tell your dad, Kate,” I say. “He’s a lawyer. He could help us.”

  “Don’t call in any help,�
�� says Kate. “Have you forgotten the rules? Anyway, my dad will lose it if he hears about this.”

  I fiddle with my napkin. “So what should we do?”

  “We do what he says.” Linnea hasn’t said much so far, but now her words hit hard when she says: “I’ll sacrifice myself.”

  “No!” Lucas and I both shout.

  “It’d be suicide.” Lucas blushes a deep red. “Sorry, Fender, I mean…”

  I ignore him. “It’s way too dangerous.”

  “It’s the safest option,” says Linnea. “And he won’t do anything on the balcony, not with all those people there.”

  Lucas and I are about to object again, but Kate speaks first.

  “All those people. That’s it!”

  “Not so loud!” I look around. What if Claus is listening in? We’d be better off discussing this upstairs.

  “What exactly do you mean?”

  Kate leans over the table. “We have to make Claus think that Linnea’s coming alone.”

  “He’ll see through it,” says Lucas. “He outsmarts us every time.”

  “Not if we distract him with a crowd of people. His attention will slip—and we’ll be one step ahead of him.”

  “And how are you going to manage that?”

  “With a performance.” Kate looks at me over her half-empty plate. “By you.”

  “No.” Lucas shakes his head. “No, we are not going to do that.”

  “It’ll work.” Kate looks at me. “When Fender plays, lots of people are sure to come listen. Claus will be distracted and won’t realize that one of us has come with you.”

  I nod slowly. Kate’s right. Claus will think we’re doing exactly as he’s asking, but secretly someone will be with me.

  “Who wants to be my backup?” I ask.

  “We are not doing this.” Lucas shoves back his chair. “We’re not sacrificing anyone!”

  He throws his napkin onto the table and storms off toward the doors to the courtyard. All three of us watch as he disappears outside.

  “I’ll go after him.” I push back my chair too, squeeze between two tables, and follow him outside.

  In spite of everything, the beauty of the Riverside still hits me.

  The courtyard garden is huge and enclosed within the walls of the hotel. There are a few large trees out there, with strings of lights that give off a warm yellow glow.

  In the middle of the courtyard is a fire pit, and pairs of diners are dotted around it.

  I spot Lucas in a sheltered spot, close to the fire. When I go sit beside him, I can feel its heat. The wood is crackling and I hold out my hands to warm them.

  “What’s up?” I ask quietly.

  “I don’t want this to happen.” Lucas looks at the flames. “I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself. Whatever that means. I’m not leaving you alone with a dangerous lunatic.”

  “Someone has to do it.”

  Lucas sighs. “Not you.”

  “Why not?”

  Suddenly, I feel two warm lips on mine. I’m so startled that I make a weird noise.

  Lucas pulls me toward him, with one hand under my braid.

  The whole back of my head tingles.

  This is Lucas—that thought keeps shooting through my head. The boy I’ve known for nine months, who always flirts with me. And I thought it didn’t mean anything.

  Then he suddenly lets me go.

  “Now you have your answer.” Lucas gives me a cautious smile. “That’s why you can’t go.”

  If you ask me, a lot of guys would think you’re pretty.

  Claus’s words flash through my mind. Had he already realized that Lucas likes me? How long has he been watching me?

  I look around. The Riverside’s windows are everywhere. The four floors wrap all around the garden.

  Is Claus at one of those windows? Someone from the hotel comes to ask if we want a drink, and we both order cappuccinos.

  As we sit slurping the foam, someone throws another log onto the fire.

  For a moment, Claus fades into the background. It feels like we’re just having a weekend away.

  “What was she like?” I ask then. “Isolde?”

  “Why do you want to know?” asks Lucas.

  “Because I want to know who started all this.”

  “Why don’t you ask Kate?”

  “I’m asking you.” I think back to the moment in the bar. “Or are you going to keep claiming not to know her?”

  Lucas shakes his head. “She was…fierce. You didn’t want to start a fight with her, because a completely different girl would emerge. But if she liked you, then she was sweet and caring. And she was great at thinking up gifts.”

  What if Kate’s plan fails and Claus realizes I’m not coming alone?

  “Isolde was chaotic. She was always losing her homework. Her mom and dad had a hair salon, here in town. She sometimes used to help out on Saturdays and she couldn’t even remember if the customers wanted coffee or tea. And she couldn’t make decisions either. She kept changing her mind about absolutely everything.”

  “And how was the friendship between her and Kate?”

  “Isolde kept Kate’s feet on the ground. She was never impressed whenever Kate’s mom and dad gave her something new. She’d have thought this night at the Riverside was ridiculous—and she probably wouldn’t have made a secret of it. That might have caused some friction.”

  I look into the flames. “It sounds…intense.”

  “It was. But it worked between the four of us. Kate was really good for Isolde too, because Isolde was a real worrier. Kate often used to change her mood by dragging her out with us.”

  “Why didn’t anyone ever spill the beans? The whole school must have known her. Why didn’t a student or a teacher mention her name even once?”

  “It’s off-limits.” Lucas makes a face. “No one wants to talk about her because it’s too painful.”

  I slowly nod. The fire crackles.

  “I’ll go with you,” Lucas says then.

  When I look up, he smiles.

  “If we’re really going ahead with this plan, I’ll be the one who goes with you.”

  I feel a kind of warm glow inside. It already seems a bit less frightening now that Lucas will be there.

  “Good.”

  Lucas looks at me. “Try not to imagine everything that could go wrong.”

  I give him a weak smile. “Well, they do call me Spinner for a reason.”

  “Spinner?”

  “Yes, because I’m always imagining stuff. Something to do with spinning yarns. It’s Kate’s nickname for me. Lame, huh?”

  Lucas flushes. “Sorry to tell you this, but Spinner was Isolde’s nickname.”

  What is Lucas talking about? Why would Kate give me the same nickname as her old best friend?

  Maybe because, all along, I’ve just been a replacement.

  The idea echoes around inside my head and won’t let me go.

  What if Kate isn’t the only one who sees the similarity with Isolde?

  Perhaps that’s why Fender has such a problem with me.

  The fire suddenly feels hot and unpleasant.

  “Where are you going?” Lucas asks when I stand up.

  “We have to get back inside.” I try to make my voice sound as normal as possible. “It’s nearly eight.”

  “We’re back.” Linnea’s face is taut, as if someone has edited her in Photoshop. “Shall we go?”

  Kate nods. “Is everything okay?”

  “Fine,” says Linnea, but her voice sounds strained. Did something happen outside?

  “We’re going to do it,” says Lucas. “I’m going with Linnea.”

  “You?” I ask in surprise. Did they decide that outside?

  “You’
re playing, Kate’s watching, Linnea goes to the balcony, and I grab Claus.” Lucas makes it sound so simple that I almost believe it.

  “Are you sure?” asks Kate.

  “Yes.” Lucas looks at me. “And please play it like the musical genius you are.”

  * * *

  The grand piano in the lobby gleams at me. I intertwine my fingers, which are shaking nonstop. What if I can’t do it? Sure, I can get a tune out of a piano, but the guitar has always been my instrument.

  “Does everyone know what to do?” Kate looks at all three of us.

  It’s quiet in the lobby. I really hope more people will come along soon.

  What if Claus realizes what we’re up to? What if he notices that Linnea isn’t coming alone?

  I look up at the first balcony out of the corner of my eye. There’s no one there, and definitely not a boy with black hair and glasses.

  “Yes, we do,” says Lucas. “Don’t we?”

  Everyone nods. Linnea’s face is still tense.

  Is she scared? I want to tell her she doesn’t have to sacrifice herself, but this is her own choice. She doesn’t have to go along with Claus’s plan, whatever it is.

  “Then let’s do it. And please be careful,” Kate says to Linnea.

  “I will.” Linnea’s voice sounds flat. “Hey, Spinner’s got this.”

  Spinner?

  “Fender, go.” Kate gives me a gentle push. I can’t ask what Linnea meant, because now it’s time for me to give the performance of my life.

  Everything depends on how well I do this. I have to make sure I get the attention of everyone in the entire hotel.

  The grand piano seems twice as big as it did this afternoon. How am I supposed to play this thing?

  The last time I played piano was in the music room at school. She and I often used to go there when we wanted to be alone for a while.

  She would always sit and watch me play. Sometimes she’d come and stand behind me halfway through the song and put her arms around me.

  She’d playfully bite my earlobe until I had to stop because I couldn’t concentrate.