Villains Rise

Chapter 10 -- Hey Rapunzel

Suddenly I hear Owen's voice booming over the sound of the faint background music the store is playing. He's making his way over to the clothing rack to look for me. Great, now I have to explain to him why I'm hiding.

He spots Sophia and greets her with a bright smile. Don't look her in the eyes, you'll turn to stone. Then Owen does the unexpected and hugs her. My jaw drops when he leans back to kiss her on the lips.

No. Way.

It's time for me to get out of here. There's been too many secrets revealed. I'm not comfortable. The Undergrounds want to destroy my family and friends? They'll have to go through me. I'm done with assisting a guy whom I barely know. I don't want to regret sticking around. It's time to run home.

Why did I allow myself to stick around for as long as I have? This has gotten out of hand. I don't know Owen, I shouldn't have trusted him. Sophia Brown is just frosting on top of the cake.

Slowly, I turn invisible, making sure no one can see me when I dash out. I creep out of the dressing room area and carefully place my feet along the beige carpet. As I walk by, I eavesdrop on Owen and Sophia.

"I'm glad you could meet me. I've got someone I'd like to introduce you to." Owen comments, and that's when I bolt for the doors. I hear the bell on the door ring behind me. I may not have heard it when I first came in, but it was this bell that went off when Sophia walked in that saved my life. I could be heavily questioned by now if I didn't hear the warning sound.

Racing down the sidewalks, I pass street signs that will lead me back home. A sign disappears behind me that reads Kingsville, five miles. My heart race remains constant as I quicken my pace. Cars go by at a blur. The sun has just come up over the tops of the buildings, but I don't slow down to take it in.

Just think. Owen won't even have to lie on your behalf that you 'ran away'. You actually had the nerve to break away without telling him.

The image of Owen and Sophia disgusted me as I dwelled on it. Did she know Mickey was his cousin? Wouldn't it be awkward to date cousins one right after the other?

My foot catches on an uneven part of the sidewalk and I land on the palms of my hands. A part of me wants to break down and start crying from the pain, but I end up laughing. Scraped knees, bleeding hands, baggy clothes, and dyed hair. How will my friends and family possibly react to seeing me?

As I breeze down the streets, I witness charred buildings. Flames still flicker against the rubble of homes. This was Owen's doing? How did I think for one second that I could work with this guy?

Nonetheless, my heart aches as I pass by the blackened street corners of a neighboring town. This tragedy has to be justified. Owen led me to believe he was a good guy. He's no better than his cousin, brother, and the rest of his family. It's in his genes to be a villain. Maybe he just can't change that.

I never liked to imagine that we grew up to be what our parents are. We follow our own paths and dream our own dreams. That's why I believed Owen when he said he was a renegade. Now that I look back at it, Mason was a villain, and he came right back to the family tradition of being a hero. Even when he didn't intend to be a hero, Mason was reined into helping me.

I sprinted faster, after I had slowed to almost a complete stop to view the remnants of the fires. Just get home, Della. Surely there will just be more problems waiting for me when I get there, but I knew people loved me back home.

Honestly, I didn't know what to make of the situation anymore. I hope that everyone at home still loves me. For all they know, I ran away and want nothing to do with them. Maybe I'll wait to bring up the part where I didn't come running back home the instant Owen released me.