While in Verona

Hour Two

Once a few blocks away from the alley they were at, he noticed that she wasn't struggling anymore. That she hadn't for a while. He ducked into the T and walked down to the platform before gently setting her down on a bench. Seeing her face, he saw silent tears streaming down her face with her angrily wiping them away.

He ran his hands through his freshly cut hair before kneeling down in front of her. Cupping her cheek, he wiped away a few of her tears. Regret filling his chest when he saw her subtly flinch at his touch.

"Hey," he whispered. She looked up at him, frustration and anger glistening in her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

She sniffled and glared at him in annoyance, where balled her hands into fists in her lap. A few more angry tears slipped down her cheeks as she glared at him with a miniscule hint of fear in her eyes.

"If you're going to beat me, or-or touch me... just do it already," she stated. Clenching her fists tighter making white bloom on her knuckles. As if it took considerable effort to beg like she was going against her own nature. She wanted to get the worst of it over with, even if it meant scarring her for life.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Sunshine," Alister explained in a soft tone. Trying not to spook her any more than she already was. "I'm not gonna do anything to you. I promise."

She clenched her jaw. "Why are you doing this?" She muttered.

He bowed his head, almost touching her knees. "I just," he took a breath before looking up at her again. "I just wanted one more day." She finally looked him in the eye, trying to read him. "I'm going to jail. I know that." He placed his large hands gently on her knees. "I just want twenty-four hours to live like a free man."

She sniffled again and asked in a steady tone, "but why me? Why drag me into this?"

"I don't know. I needed a scapegoat and you were as good a candidate as any. I didn't mean to drag you through this. Your parents must be worried sick."

She let out an amused chuckle as she wiped her eyes again. "Not likely. I doubt they even know I'm gone." He watched her, hearing bitter acceptance in her tone. "Honestly, this was still the best part of my week. Sad, isn't it?" She chuckled. "Being kidnapped was better than my everyday life, it's kinda pathetic."

Alister thought for a second, before succumbing into his thoughts. It wasn't so different than what he was going to live through. They were both prisoners in their lives. Unwilling participants in society's puppet show. He stood up. "Sounds like we're in the same boat."

She let out an amused breath of air, wrapping her arms around herself. He could see her insecurities building in her mind as she folds into herself. Almost like she was trying to hide from her thoughts.

Alister held out a hand to her. "Wanna have some fun?"

She looked up at him skeptically.

"Twenty-four hours. Give me one day then you can go back to your life and I can live out my sentence." She pursed her lips in suspicion of his proposition, not trusting him. "Nothing inappropriate. Just hanging out with each other. Two people hanging out, in public, for twenty-four hours." He gave her a sincere look of innocence that he knew worked. "Deal?"

She was hesitant, he couldn't blame her though. "I can leave at any time?"

He nodded. "Any time you want you can go home. I'll even call you a taxi."

She thought about it for a moment, he could see the wheels in her head working on overtime at his offer. She clenched her jaw and shut her eyes, almost trying to dissuade herself of her choice.

"Come on," he pleaded. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "One night of freedom."

She studied him. One Mississippi... two Mississippi, three mississ-

Her head dropped before she sighed, "I'm going to regret this." She grabbed his hand without looking. He grinned and pulled her off of the bench just as the squeal of the T brakes echoed off of the tile walls.

He gave her a mischievous grin. "You won't know unless you try."

She rolled her eyes. "So where to first, Aladdin?"

Alister laughed. "Accurate. I don't know, where do you want to go?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I'm a sheltered kid, I haven't spent this much time on the street ever."

"If you could go anywhere, mind you within twenty-four hours, where would you go and what would you do?" He asked.

She thought for a moment before looking at him with uncertainty. "I'm kind of hungry."

He smiled, "that's a start. I know a guy a stop away. Come on."