The Girl in The Green Scarf

T h i r t y - t w o

"I have to say, you've become so weird cousin. Reading books, eating yogurt, waking up early - God knows I never thought I'd witness a day where I'd wake up to find you already out of your bed," he snort, running his tongue over his teeth to pick up stuck cereal. "Oh and you're going on dates too."

"It is not a date!" I throw my head back in exasperation. "I'm invited to dinner." I guess. Hamsa said it is breakfast, but it will be past sunset, so in my vocabulary that's dinner.

"By a girl. So yeah it's a date."

Alex cranks the music full blast. The metallic screech of Chevelle floods the room for a second before he hurriedly punches down the volume, plunging the room back into quiet. He drop the remote back on the couch and lunges to his feet.

"Ukh! Dear lord. Guess your taste in music is still intact." The scowl of disgust on his face diffuses my bad mood in a heartbeat and I grin in response.

"My Bash is still in there somewhere." He wraps me in a hug - payback for the music, I assume - and plants a wet kiss on my cheek. I let him of course, as I learned the hard way that fighting off Alex's payback kisses only makes things wetter. I pull a face, shoving him off me when he's done being gross.

I tuck the shawl into one of my - now empty - drawers and put on my shoes. The sun is starting to play hide and seek with the colours in the sky, which is my cue to leave.

"I'll sneak out back. Guy shouldn't be in the kitchen now, it's still early for dinner," I say, slipping on a coat. "I'll be back before father's plane is set to take off. Only a couple of hours. You're fine to cover for me again, right?" I rub the back of my neck.

"Actually, all is tickety-boo, except... there is a little wrinkle in our plan," Alex says with smug mockery, that makes me take pause.

When I stare at him with a blank expression, he is quick to elaborate. He crosses the room in wide strides, stands by the door and slowly swings it open, revealing the wrinkle. Seven feet tall wrinkle.

"Good evening, Mr. Walsh," Theo's voice hits me like a slap. "Are we heading somewhere?"

He stands in the corridor, face expressionless, back straight and eyes alert, like he has been standing there all afternoon and is planning to continue doing so.

"No, I'm just trying out my new coat, in my room," I say with a thin, pasty smile and then slam the door back close.

"You knew he was standing out there?" I whisper shout at Alex.

"He can still hear you, y'know. They teach them super hearing at Camp Freaky Guard," Alex points at the door. "He made it clear he isn't going anywhere today, so wherever that girl is taking you, let's hope it has tables for three."

Like that is ever going to happen. Nothing says I come in peace like being accompanied by a freakishly muscular, tall man in black, whose choice in accessories is sunglasses and a handgun. Cheers, but no thanks. I can think of better ways to sabotage this day.

Pacing the room, I scratch my head for a solution.

"There has to be another way out of here," I whisper, more to myself, but of course Alex being Alex butts in when my gaze falls on the wall-length windows.

"Don't be a wally, Bash," Alex says, eyes widening, "That's an eight meters drop to the ground. The only thing you'll have a date with, is a hospital bed."

I throw my hands up in the air. "Then what do you propose I do?"

"Tell him the truth, maybe he'll be nice and let you be." He shrugs, grinning.