? ???? ?? ????~???? ??????

Alyssa knocked on the door three times before taking a step back. She rocked on the balls of her feet, wondering if she needed to knock again. She lifted her hand, reaching for the door, before pulling back again.

"Never mind, I guess," she mumbled to herself, starting to turn around when she heard the door move.

"Alyssa! Elle's been waiting, come here," Tao's mother said as she stood in the doorway. She held a bright smile on her face, holding her arms open for the young girl to give her a hug. Which she did, a small one.

Before Tao's mother could say anything else, the two herd a voice from above.

"Alyssa! Thank god," Elle exclaimed, running down the stairs and grabbing her wrist, "Quick, Tao's not wanting to compromise in a movie. If you agree with me, then he'll have to give in."

Both Alyssa and Tao's mother laughed at the girl, the older woman laughing even more once Alyssa was dragged up the stairs. She almost fell multiple times.

"Ya know, Elle, this feels familiar," Alyssa stated, getting a laugh from the girl dragging her up the stairs.

"Oh yeah! When you first met the group," Elle mumbled, leading Alyssa into Tao's room.

"Alyssa! Wonderful! Elle won't budge, but if you agree with me then she'll have to give in!" Tao told the girl quickly. Alyssa and Elle looked at each other before cracking up.

"What? What's going on?" Tao gave the two a very confused look.

"Elle told me the same thing when I first got here, Tao." The boy had a look of mock betrayal on his face.

"Elle, how dare you," he provoked.

"You did the same thing!" Elle shot back. The two heard wheezing, looking over at the brunette in the corner.

Alyssa was laughing in the corner, leaning up against Tao's bedside table. Her face was red and she was doubled over. Then she fell.

"Alyssa!" The two ran over to the pale girl, watching as she rolled over with a smile on her face.

"Girl, are you okay?" Elle asked, a small chuckle breaking through at the end of her question. All the two got in response was a weak thumbs up.

Tao and Elle didn't really know what to do, but luckily Alyssa had finally stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry guys, I don't know why that was so funny to me," she explained, wiping away the few tears the had rolled down her face. While she was recovering, the three got a notification.

Isaac had texted the group to let them know that he wasn't going to be able to make it.

"Oh, well that's sad," Alyssa mumbled.

~~~

The three found themselves on the pallet formed on the floor for Elle and Alyssa to share later that night with a movie playing on Tao's laptop. Alyssa was reading a book she had to finish for one of her classes, her head resting in Elle's lap.

Alyssa was half paying attention to he movie, mostly focusing on finishing the book. Well that, and the fact the Elle was absentmindedly running her hand through Alyssa's hair.