CHAPTER 6
1998

HADLEY didn't come back to Room 66 all night. She debated on it for hours: if it was wise to sleep in the same bed as him, if she should sleep on the couch, if she should stay outside the room and watch the door. For a while, she ended up doing the latter, until she eventually got too sleepy and retreated to the unoccupied room across from 66. She feared her presence would make him uncomfortable, and Hadley wanted anything but that. She wanted him to stay.

How wrong she was. Percy slept, but he tossed and turned all night. He waited for her to come back. He wondered if she would sleep in the same bed as him, if she'd let him throw his arm around her waist like he absentmindedly did to his pillow every night, or if she'd sleep on the couch, just far enough that he could still feel the chill of her body. Percy didn't get any of that. Instead, he had restless dreams and enticing thoughts, all consumed by her face.

It seemed to him that, perhaps, monsters weren't supposed to be ugly. That was just an artistic lie created by Hollywood movies. No, monsters could be the prettiest of all.

She wasn't there by morning. Seven, eight, nine o'clock ticked on by, and still, she let him sleep to his heart's content. Hadley didn't want to wake him, even though she was up bright and early by six AM. She had four hours of sleep. A side effect of her virus was that she never got tired, and it came in handy most of the time.

Hadley scoured the kitchen with Liz in order to find something edible for Percy's breakfast. She wanted to make a good impression. Pancakes were always a staple for a good breakfast, but they had no batter. Maybe an omelet, but they had no eggs. It had been an hour of searching and she had gotten so pissed that she began throwing bowls on the ground. "Are you serious?" She exclaimed. "There's hardly anything in this fucking fridge besides alcohol and meat!"

"Hey!" Liz scoffed. "Those are my favorites."

Hadley rolled her eyes. "Well, those aren't going to impress him to stay."

Liz arched a brow. "Why are you interested in impressing this boy anyways?" She grinned big, eyes crinkling at the edges. "Do we have a crush? I haven't seen you with a boy since you tried stealing one of the Countess' ex-lovers right under her nose. Oh, she's going to be even more pissed than she was then when she finds out what you're doing –"

"And that's why she won't find out, right?" Hadley edged on, causing Liz to snort and turn away. "Now, keep looking."

Liz exhaled heavily, pushing through the fridge's contents. She began searching through multiple drawers and eventually found where Iris kept the best fruit. Liz pursed her lips. "There's nothing here besides apples and pomegranates. You might want to think of some other way to impress him."

Hadley was about to argue with her point, but then Donovan's voice echoed in her head: "Pomegranates are the gateway to conversation. Some hate them, some love them –"

"And sometimes," Elizabeth had added, "they make people stay."

Hadley clamped her hand down on Liz's shoulder, making the older woman tilt her head up. "Did you say pomegranates?"

•••

Percy had been staring at his meal for more than an hour. A woman had brought it in for him, with exquisite jewelry and wild fabrics adorning her features. She placed the cart at the end of his bed – more like, Hadley's bed – and smiled while removing the cover from the tray. Sitting idly on the plate, leaking a ruby-red juice onto the porcelain, was a pomegranate cut in half. A few seeds had fallen onto the plate, soaking in the juice, and the woman – who told him to call her, Liz Taylor – placed one of them in her mouth. "Fresh from the kitchen," she hummed. "Hadley had it brought up just for you."

Percy had perked up at that, sliding an inch closer on the mattress. "Do you know where she is?"

Liz licked her lips. "No, but ... she's probably busy."

Percy hadn't questioned her, but he knew he should have as Liz sauntered out of the suite. He almost didn't want to think about what her business entailed. Judging from Liz's hesitation, he guessed it might be something gruesome.

So that's what led him to this position now: leaning back against the pillows, staring at the pomegranate before his bed. He wasn't hungry, actually, and he didn't even like pomegranates. But there was nothing to do besides watch the fruit juice spill over the sides and pool below the skin. Percy sighed, wondering if he should go back to sleep.

He looked to the door then. An idea sparked in his brain, and it licked at the edges of his of his own temptation. He promised Hadley he wouldn't leave the room, and it was locked anyway. But ... he knew how to pick a lock. She didn't want her mother to find him, but he could also dodge anyone easily. Did she really expect him to waste his days away in this room?

Percy sat up. Fuck it.

He shuffled over to the bathroom, finding a dish full of bobby pins sitting on the edge of the sink. He picked one up and bent it in place before shoving it into the locked doorknob. Biting on the tip of his tongue, Percy jiggled the bobby pin in and out until it finally clicked open. He smiled proudly to himself and slid the door open, popping his head out to check the hallway. Empty, as he predicted.

With a wide smirk, Percy began to stride down the vacant corridor. He truly was a genius. Maybe he didn't need that college degree after all.

•••

He got bored quickly.

After wandering the multitude of floors throughout the Cortez, Percy hadn't found Hadley or another normal-looking person. He ended up passing by some weird guy with slicked-back hair and a mustache at one point, but he luckily shut the elevator doors before the guy could talk to him any further. Percy remembered him having some distinct American accent, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

He ended up at the lobby. Percy stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he strode into the large ballroom, covered wall-to-wall in a deep crimson color. It reminded him of the blood on Hadley's face a few nights ago. Jeez, he thought to himself. Had it really been that long?

Liz stood at the front desk with a cigarette between her lips, which she painted a bright fuschia today. She was reading a book, blue-rimmed glassing perched on the end of her long nose. Upon hearing the sounds of feet against the old carpet, she glanced up, then looked back down, before finally doing a double take. Her eyes went wide once she noticed Percy walking over to the desk, a soft smile on his face. Ripping her glasses off, Liz whispered, "What are you doing out of the room?!"

Percy shrugged, allowing his eyes to roam over the intricate paintings on the ceiling, as he approached the front desk. "I was going to go insane if I stayed in there any longer," he replied matter-of-factly, "so I got myself out."

Liz tsked, "Obviously." She set her book down, wagging a stern finger in front of Percy's face. "You need to go back now. If the Countess sees you, you're dead meat –"

"I've been walking around the building for two hours and I've yet to meet some 'Countess,'" he used his fingers to symbolize air quotes. "I think I'm fine."

"Men just never listen," she huffed under her breath, sliding her glasses back on and thumbing through the page she left off on. "Hadley's going to kill you, and me."

Percy perked up at her name, biting on his bottom lip and drumming his fingers on the wood. The sounds were making it hard for Liz to focus, and she sighed before throwing her book down again. With a tight frown, she asked, "What do you want? Food? Towels? Is that why you're down here?"

"Do you know where Hadley is?" He inquired, arching a brow.

"Hadley? No." Liz shook her head. "She's probably ... eating out with Elizabeth. She's usually back by the end of the day."

Percy nodded, glancing away for a moment as he wondered how to approach his next question. Liz watched him with a bored expression, knowing that he had so much more to ask. She was smart in that way; almost like she could read people's minds. Eventually, he whipped his head back around and said, "Hadley's not ... normal."

Liz snorted, "I thought she made that clear to you."

"Well – yeah, she has, but ..." His voice trailed off, and he looked to his hands. "She hasn't told me anything about ... well, her past. Do you know anything about that?"

Liz pursed her lips, setting her chin on top of her hand. Her lips pulled into a smile. She'd seen this boyish curiosity too many times with Hadley's suitors, but this was the first boy she kept in the Cortez that was still alive.

"Not much, no," she replied. "I'm sure she'll tell you, in due time."

Percy stared at her, a pleading look in his bright blue irises.

Liz sighed heavily. "Young men are so curious sometimes," she mumbled, stepping backward and shuffling through the cabinet behind the front desk. The paper she was looking for was right where it was last left, sitting on top of a pile of bills in the second shelf. Liz pulled it out and shut the cabinet with her hip, smiling at the flimsy paper in her hands.

She slid the paper across the desk, and it landed right near Percy's fingers. It was a newspaper article. Just one sheet, a front-page article of the Los Angeles Times. The headline read: HAVE YOU SEEN HER? YOUNG WOMEN DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE. His eyes burned into the paper once he saw the image right under the headline. It was an old school headshot of Hadley, smiling so big that her dimples were on full display. Percy almost wanted to smile too, until he noticed the texture of the old paper. He looked at the date.

Friday, July 3rd, 1998.

Ninety-fucking-eight. She hadn't aged at all from her picture.

Percy lifted his head, eyes growing wide as Liz gave him a knowing look. He tried handing it back to her, anything to distract him from the small amount of information that he'd just been given, but she pushed it away. "Read it. That'll tell you everything you need to know," she assured, and Percy looked back down at the article. "She might kill me for giving that to you, but ..." The older woman shrugged, meeting his eyes again. "You seem genuine. I mean, you haven't left yet."

Percy's thumbs smoothed out the edges of the paper, brows creasing slightly. "Why do you still have this?"

"Hadley kept it," Liz said, allowing a grin to pull at the edges of her lips. "She says that it reminds her of when she was famous."

He looked at the school picture for a moment longer. It was in black and white, but her grey eyes still remained the same shade. Percy pursed his lips, trying to burn the image of her innocent smile in his brain, before lifting his head to Liz. "Thanks," he smiled, waving a few fingers in her direction.

Liz sighed. She hoped she wouldn't regret her decision.

•••

Percy found himself reading the article over and over again, attempting to find different clues that he missed the first time. It was always the same. The information never changed, but his brain was still reeling each time.

The article stated that Hadley Violet Monroe was reported missing on Tuesday, June 30th, 1998. Her parents were concerned after she never came home from her summer job, and finally reported her to the police after waiting twenty-four hours. She hadn't called. She hadn't contacted them at all. She was just ... gone.

She had been working as a receptionist intern for the Hotel Cortez. The day she went missing was her third day on the job. The hotel staff was questioned, but they, too – apparently – didn't know what happened to Hadley. Iris even said, on record, that she was the last person to see Hadley when she left the Cortez that night.

The police first assumed she had been kidnapped, but that became a dead end. They then thought she had been forced into sex trafficking. Another dead end. After weeks of investigating, they came to the conclusion that Hadley Monroe had been murdered, but by who – they would never know. The investigation, Percy assumed, was still ongoing, seeing as they had never reported on finding a killer, or a body. He knew they never would.

The police shouldn't have been looking for a human. The person that made Hadley into the immortal monster she was now was far from that, and she was lurking behind the walls of the Cortez, possibly wanting to kill him too.

Hadley disappeared in 1998, during a college summer vacation. She had been attending college in 1998. That would make her thirty-seven now. She should be thirty-fucking-seven years old, but she didn't look a day over twenty.

Percy set the newspaper on his lap, swallowing hard at the information he had just engulfed. Hadley was right. She wasn't normal. She definitely wasn't human. She had made it obvious from the start.

A word hung on the tip of his tongue, but he refused to let it out. No, he wouldn't say it. He couldn't. It was ridiculous to think about, to even fucking assume. Hadley was some kind of monster, but maybe she meant it ... metaphorically. Maybe she was simply a cannibal. (Simply, as if eating people was a simple action.) She couldn't be –

No, vampires aren't real.

He heard the lock click, and the door swung open before he could stuff the newspaper into a safe hiding spot. Percy blinked. The second he opened his eyes again, Hadley was standing on the side of the mattress, glaring down at him. His mouth went dry. He didn't know what to do. Percy suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine as she scowled menacingly at him, and he was left wondering how she could be wearing a t-shirt just fine in the cold temperature of the room.

Hadley snatched the newspaper from his hand and looked down at it. Her jaw clenched once she noticed her old school picture smacked on the front page. Her expression softened, but only for a moment – just a moment. She slid her narrowed eyes back to Percy, holding up the crumpled paper. "Where did you get this?"

Percy swallowed hard, "Liz."

"I'm going to fucking kill her," Hadley muttered under her breath. She began to march towards the door, until she stopped in place, realizing there was only one way he could've possibly gotten the paper. She spun on her heel. "I told you not to leave my room."

Percy opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He didn't know how he could excuse this, not when she was standing before him with a fiery look in her eyes and low-cut V-neck. His mouth formed into a tight line and he gulped.

"Do you just ..." She shook her head. "How do you not understand the implications of leaving this room?! I told you that this is a means of life and death. I gave you a way out the first time. If you wanted to leave so bad, why didn't you –"

"Jesus!" Percy exclaimed, standing from the mattress. Anger was pumping in his veins now, and not even Hadley's monstrous ways could scare him. "You can't blame me for leaving and wanting to know more about you after ..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, shocked at the words that hung on the tip of his tongue. "After you kill my friends without any explanation."

Hadley squared her shoulders, huffing dramatically through her nose. Percy gradually got closer to her, and she could hear his heart beat more times than she could count. He wore a heavy flannel that hid his toned arms, but she could still feel his body heat. She watched a vein slightly pop out in his neck. Her throat ached, and she wondered if it was because she was suddenly thirsty, or if it was something more carnal.

"There's nothing to explain," she finally whispered.

Percy lifted a brow. His height gave him an edge then, and he stared down at her with skepticism. He jabbed his finger onto the newspaper in her left hand. "There is plenty to explain if this article says you died in 1998."

Hadley's stare shifted over his shoulder. She noticed the food cart still sitting by his bedside. It had been hours and the pomegranate hadn't been touched. Her lips curled in anger as she spat, "Just shut up and eat your damn food, Percy!" She shoved her finger in the direction of the pomegranate. "You decided to stay here. You should be more concerned with your own mortality than mine."

His eyes formed into slits. Before she could say another word, he took one step backward and grabbed one half of the fruit in his large hand. Hadley exhaled a sigh of relief, assuming he was going to then pluck the spoon from the plate and eat the seeds.

But he ended up doing the exact opposite.

Percy chucked the pomegranate in her direction, spilling seeds all over the floor. Hadley was fast – faster than a jackrabbit – and she dodged his attack before he could even blink. She whipped her head in the direction of the pomegranate as it bounced on the floor. The juice would surely stain the carpet. Steam was practically billowing out of her nostrils when she turned back to him, and despite his assertive expression, Percy felt his insides cave in.

"Fine," she hissed. "You want to leave this room?" Her feet casually moved to the door, and she swung it open as he began to shiver in his spot. She pointed outside the door, sending him a smug expression. "Then, leave! See if I care, Percy! I gave you the opportunity before. Let's try it again!" Her eyes narrowed, watching his face slowly soften. He bit his lip. "But be forewarned: it is night time, and this is when the monsters come out to play. Have fun trying to get out of here unscathed."

He was frozen in place, questioning his own morals. She had a point. Why didn't he leave right now? He was so keen on getting out of the room just hours ago; what made this moment any different? Maybe it was because the last time, he just wanted to leave the room, not the hotel itself. Maybe it was because he was scared of the inevitable, of the questions he'd receive once he came in contact with his parents and the police. Or maybe it was because she was standing in front of him right now, venom laced in her tone, but a pleading look in her eyes. It was a plea for him to stay.

Percy wanted to stay. That's why he wasn't marching out of the hotel right then. Would he become a missing person's case like Hadley? At that moment, as he looked into her violent stare, he didn't care.

He regretted his words and he was sure his unmoving stance assured that. Hadley's facial expression faltered. She clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip, and Percy now wondered if she regretted her response too. Percy wanted to walk over to her, to hold her hand and make her realize that he wanted to stay. But his frozen stature said enough. He wasn't leaving the Hotel Cortez – not yet.

If the world was truly filled with monsters that we all thought lurked under our beds, Percy was going to find out. He wasn't leaving until he discovered the mystery of Hadley Monroe.

She huffed angrily. Percy took a step forward, lifting a shaky hand. With one last glare, Hadley slammed the door in his face.

•••

A/N: Call out post for RICONASTYLUVR for thinking that she could lie like this

(((Also pls don't read the stepdad fic if you are under like 17 at least ANANSNSMSMSM)