Operation: M.I.A

XXIII // Alone in the Dark

I stare intently at Zander as he is adamantly describing our plan of escape. We are sitting on the floor facing each other and he is drawing out our route invisibly on the floor with his finger. I should be paying extra attention to this. But I'm not. It is very difficult to maintain focus when I am too enamored by his passion.

He really isn't going to be happy when he finds out that I haven't been paying attention to his plan he has thought out so carefully. But I can't help it. I gather that he is nearing the end of the instructions because I am hearing words like 'away' and 'car'.

His eyes flutter upwards and reach mine. "Okay?"

Crap.

"Uh, yeah. Totally," I respond as casually as I can muster. I bite the inside of my lip, waiting for him to go back to his explanation.

Zander slumps his shoulders and gets up from his seated position. He runs a hand through his hair and huffs. His arm falls to his side defeatedly once he is done messing up his locks. "When did you stop listening?"

Yep. Crap. I have been caught.

I shrug and display my most apologetic facial expression.

To my surprise, a smirk crosses his face. "The reason I ask is because you just agreed that you love everything about me and want to kiss my face off as if it was the simplest task."

Hah.

"Oh," is all I say. I stare at the ground sheepishly and fiddle with the grains of the wood floor. "Yeah, I was kinda not listening at all."

Zander nods his head and raises his eyebrows as if to tell me that was obvious.

"Really, all you have to do is stay behind me and do what I say," he tells me.

I grimace slightly. "That really doesn't sound appealing considering I could die if I don't know what I'm doing."

Zan nods slightly and tilts his eyebrows up in silence because he realizes I am right. He will have to tell me again. And this time I will listen.

"Even though not listening to an entire five minutes of instructions that would save your life is very rude and disrespectful to your own self, . . . I really would repeat it all. But, we don't have time." The boy gets up and walks towards the door.

I stare at him, trying to determine if he is serious or if he is going to sit his butt down and tell me what we are doing like he should.

But he motions for me to come.

I cross my arms. "We have time."

He shakes his head 'no'.

"Make time," I demand.

"Decklynn, come. Now." It sounds as if he is threatening. I really don't like being told what to do. It is not like he is in charge and I'm just bringing up the tail all the time. "Please. We can stand in one spot once we get out of all of this ridiculousness."

Yeah.

He goes to work on the lock.

"Tell me what the first step is and then we'll go. I'll follow. You can instruct me as we go."

He nods. "Run down this hallway." He is still working on the lock when he reaches behind him and pulls a gun from behind his back and tosses it to me. I catch the hunk of metal in my fingers and hold it with flat palms. I glance up at Zander and I can't tell if he looks extremely worried about me or that I'll shoot holes in the wall by accident. "And point that at anyone who gets in your way. I'll shoot. You just point," he finishes.