Durango. Never in my life have I been so grateful to see a city. Adrenaline instantly punches its way through my veins. The words cruising through my mind are impossible to get rid of.
Sleep. Actual sleep.
Shower. I won't smell like literal crap anymore.
Warmth. No more of this terrible winter.
Food. My stomach won't bother me anymore.
Water. This won't be the next Hunger Games.
Liz and Alix have got to be thinking the same thing, because Liz absentmindedly lifts the backpack whilst simultaneously staring at the city ahead.
"It's like Heaven." She says, mouth agape.
"I agree." I say. I'm suddenly craving a cheeseburger.
"I would say 'me three' but we have a tiny little eensy weensy problem." Alix says, his words cutting a knife straight through my excitement.
"What do you mean?" I question.
"I mean that the both of us just so happen to be wanted criminals."
Oh. Alix really knows how to ruin a mood. Out of the periphery of my vision, I notice a strange look pass over Liz's face.
"That's an easy enough problem to fix." Liz cuts in. "We'll just disguise ourselves. No one would be able to tell the difference."
"But wouldn't people walking around in masks seem a little suspicious?"
Liz meets my eyes with a smirk. "Oh, sweetheart. We wouldn't have to wear masks."
~
"Explain this again. You know a guy who knows a girl who knows a dog who knows a fish who knows a man named Steve who specializes in... makeup?" Alix asks, his face scrunched in obvious confusion.
Liz lets out a long sigh. "Are you always this-- never mind. No. One of my foster parents knew a guy who specializes in disguise. He's dressed up some famous celebrities on set for movies. They brought me to meet him one time."
"And this guy would totally be okay with disguising two wanted fugitives?" I ask.
"Oh, yeah. He's great."
"I don't know..." Alix says, biting his lip nervously. "How do you know Steve won't take one look at the reward money and turn us in?"
"First off, his name is Harrison, not Steve, and he won't. I just know it."
I just know it. Well, that's promising. Not. I trust Liz well enough, but if we get caught now... we'd be in deep deep doodoo. I look her over, testing her for any signs of betrayal. Who knows? She could be working for the people who took my parents, and she's just tagging along for the ride. Maybe she's getting paid to appear nice and cuddly and full of solutions.
No. Why are these thoughts even entering my brain? I've already doubted her once, and that resulted in a shouting fest. No. I trust her. It might not be the best idea, but I trust her.
"Okay." I say, letting out a breath. "I'm in."
Liz and I both cast Alix a long sideglance. He takes one look at the both of us and throws up his arms in exasperation. "Well, I don't really have a choice then, do I?"
Neither Liz or I say a word, but my mouth is twitching upwards and she's struggling to keep down a smirk.
"Okay, okay. I'll go." He cedes.
"Yay!" I say, reaching over and squeezing his arm. It's my unspoken thank you.
"If this is what it's like to be married, I need to rethink things a little." I hear Alix mutter under his breath, and a grin takes over my face. I tilt my head down towards my chest to hide it.
"Perfect." Liz says, clapping her hands together in front of her. "Follow me."
~
"No. Stop asking."
Liz turns around for the fifth time in that last five minutes.
"But we've been walking forever, and it's past my bed time." Alix whines, running a hand through his damp hair.
It's true. We've been walking for over an hour, and we could easily have already been in the city by now, had Liz decided not to take the tedious walkabout around the city rather than through it. I guess I should understand that, though. We could be seen if we had taken a so called "shortcut," and that would most likely result in imminent death.
It's dark, and the only light that can be seen from where we're hidden on the outskirts of town is streetlights, casting a ghostly glow onto the shiny pavement, wet from snow that has fallen and melted rather quickly. There is no one on the streets. From my calculations, it's around nine.
I'm starting to feel the effects of walking all day. My eyelids are slowly drooping and my feet are dragging along the pavement as I walk.
I'm exhausted.
I don't want to fight anymore.
But I can't give in. Not today.
Maybe tomorrow. But not today.
"We're here." Liz's voice causes me to perk up. I wipe a stray strand of hair away from my eyes. At first, I don't process her words. They're just two more insignificant words that don't mean anything other than to fill me up with false hope. But when I meet Liz's eyes, there's a glint in them - a shine of excitement. This girl likes the hunt. She's nobody's prey.
"Thank my lucky stars." Alix says, sighing deeply. "I was about to fall asleep standing up."
I can believe that. Dark smudges line his eyes, which are sunken into his head. With the dim light from the streets and no sunlight to light up his features, he kind of looks like a zombie.
"You'll wake up when you meet Harrison." I hear Liz mutter under her breath, and through my exhaustion, my brain stays alert for something - anything - out of the ordinary.
On Liz's count, we're running across the street, boots slamming against pavement, misty breaths fogging up our vision, and only the light from the lamp posts to guide us. I find that I keep looking back where we came, but that's in the past. Right now, in the present, I need to focus on not getting caught and sent to jail. If I'm going to get arrested, I better have found my parents first.
We are led down a long alley next to a shoe store, and Liz keeps us going at a clipped pace, as if we're going to be late for an appointment or something. She finally stops us in front of a door. The number on the top reads: C15. The numbers are covered in dirt and another substance similar in sheen to honey. I don't want to know what it is.
Casting a cautious look behind us, Liz hesitates only a second before knocking on the door. The door opens immediately, revealing a man in his late 30's. He's quite a sight to see, though.
Harrison stands, almost a foot taller than me, in his doorway, large, muscly arms folded over his chest as if impatient. Tattoos cover every area of his dark skin that I can see, which is more than I'd like to see at the moment, and blue eyeshadow brightens his almost-black eyes. A dark brown beard surrounds his mouth, making him appear much older than he probably is. When he speaks, his words are spoken in a deep, rumbling voice that reminds me of thunder.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my little Lizzy. What have you brought for me? New puppets?"
I bristle at that. I can see Alix's fists clench at his sides, and I can't blame him. Puppets?
"You know better than to call me that, Harry. These are my... er... friends. You may recognize them from the news. This," she gestures to Alix. "Is famous thief Alix Black. And this," she gestures towards me. "Is wanted fugitive Jess Hollens."
Harrison eyes us, and I squirm under his unrelenting gaze. Thoughts rush through my mind like a tidal wave. Will he help us now that he knows who we are? Surprisingly, a look of amusement flashes on his face. "Wow, Lizzy. You certainly like to play with fire."
"Oh, I don't just play with fire." Liz says, a hint of a smile edging her features. "I burn."
That seems to be enough for Harrison, because a grin - a very creepy one, I might add - takes over his face, and he steps aside, opening up a view of the inside of his lovely abode. As far as I can see, he takes his job fairly seriously, with mannequins, - clothed and unclothed - wigs, and all the makeup and mirrors in the world. And that's just what I can see from here.
"Come on in, and I'll see how I can help you all." He says.
The inside of his house, is, to say the least, a bit... eccentric. Every open shelf area is covered in makeup, wigs, jewelry, clothes, everything. I don't even have the energy to say 'wow.'
Liz has already made herself comfortable in a large armchair covered in feathers. Or should I say, there are so many scarves on it it could just as easily pass for being made of feathers. It's obvious this isn't merely the second time Liz has seen Mr. Makeup Man. In the meanwhile, Alix is studying rows and rows of earrings on a shelf - no doubt guessing how much money they would cost if he were to sell them. Classic thief logic.
I'm immediately drawn to the various necklaces hanging on a rack above a small television screen. This house is small, but Harrison no doubt put that to shame with all of his random stuff placed everywhere.
"What do you need, then?" Harrison asks, the question aimed directly at Liz. I press my lips together and meet Alix's eyes from across the room.
"The prince and the princess here can't go out in public without being noticed and arrested, and I don't have the best reputation either. What can you do?" Liz replies to his question.
Harrison looks completely lost in thought for a moment, his fingers absentmindedly scratching his dark beard. Then he grins, a glint of something I can only place as excitement in his eyes, before speaking.
"Oh, don't worry. You want disguise? I'll give you disguise."
~
The first thing Harrison tells us to do is to take a shower. Running water behind the closed door branching off from the living room tells me that Alix is taking his sweet time to wash the dirt out of the tiny little follicles of his hair. That's more than I can expect from most boys though. Plus, who knows how long it's been since he showered last.
Liz's "buddy" picked out Alix's outfit almost immediately. Apparently, for as long as we're in this city, Alix is no longer a thief, but a nerd. It pains me to see the white button down shirt, purple tie, and black trousers. There's even talk of dying his hair blond. I swear, it's as if he knows about Jax, seeing as when this is all over, Alix will come out looking like Jax's long lost twin. I guess now we know that ol' Harry does not fool around when it comes to costumes. Or, according to Liz, "disguise."
Harrison is currently rummaging through a closet full to bursting with clothes and random apparel that reminds me of the kind of stuff someone would wear on set for a play. Clothes for me, I assume. But apparently my disguise is more complicated than Alix's. I'm not sure yet if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I've been standing to the side in an awkward silence for the past five minutes, which is why I so badly need Alix to finish up.
"Hmm..." Harrison holds up a black skimpy dress that looks like it's meant to fit an eight year old. "This will suit you perfectly."
I almost choke on air. Liz catches my eye and mouths something at me, her eyes saying what she isn't out loud. Just let him do his job. You won't regret it, I promise. Yeah? Well, I already do.
He lays the dress on the back of a chair, and pulls out a pair of ripped tights and a pair of pitch black, knee-high combat boots to finish the look. At least I don't have to wear heels.
The shower water eventually turns off and I let out a breath I haven't realized I've been holding in. Finally. Unfortunately, I fail to notice that Harrison is on a completely different aspect of my "disguise."
"Blue hair or black?" I hear Harrison ask himself under his breath. He fingers the black, before holding it up to my face. He seems to decide against the color because he makes a clicking sound with his tongue before setting it back down on the table. He performs the same ritual with the blue, but this time, his reaction is a toothy grin.
"Blue it is."
I've been standing here this entire time and I still have failed to notice that Harrison is planning on dying my hair.
"Wait, what?" I sputter, playing with a lock of my hair instinctively. I can see Liz smirk from where she's leaning against a wall. Well, she can just-
"I feel like I'm about to go to prom." A voice grumbles from the now open bathroom door. The room seems to freeze for a moment. Harrison leaning against one of his many shelves with an ever-present grin, Liz watching the whole exchange with an amused smirk, and Alix crossing his arms across his chest in attempts to hide the tie Harrison gave him as part of his nerdy look.
But the moment passes just as quickly as it begins, and soon enough, I'm back to protesting. "I do not want to dye my hair any color! We asked for a disguise, not a personality switch." I argue, my voice rising.
"Oh, sweetheart." Harrison replies. "It's only temporary. It will last maybe a week at the most. I had to break it to you, but part of a good quality disguise is a personality switch. Chillax, Jessie. Maybe it's time for you to step out of your boundaries for a little while."
"Yeah," Liz agrees. "I think blue's a good change."
I can almost bet money there's steam coming out of both my ears with rage. What I would give to be back at home in my bed, eating buttery popcorn and watching a movie.
"Fine." I grumble, snatching the clothes off of the chair and bunching it up in my fists. Pushing past Alix, barely glancing at him at all, I slam the door firmly behind me and lock it, my fingers lingering on the doorknob. I press my forehead to the wood and close my eyes for a few seconds.
If surprises like these keep popping up, there will be no thrill left in them.
~
I'm in the shower for ages, but the hot water feels nice. I run my hands through my wet hair, wincing as my fingers catch in the tangles and send an uncomfortable pain rushing through my scalp.
My mind keeps wandering to things I've been trying to keep locked away. The fact that my parents passed through this very city who knows how long ago. The harsh stab of pain that comes with thinking of everyone I'd left behind in Silverton. I still miss Bayley, I realize. She's been so horrible to me; so cruel. But she's still my best friend. I wonder if she even misses me. I wonder if she even notices my disappearance.
Thinking of her makes me think of Jax, and I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to stop the bleeding from the still-open wound in my heart. I don't know how long it will take me to completely heal from that. Maybe I never will. I've heard that you never forget the person you first dated. In this case, the truth hurts.
My fingers finally find the lever to turn off the shower, and as I'm drying myself off, all of the events from the last couple hours hits me like a brick to the face.
When I walk out of here, I won't be Jessica Marie Hollens anymore. I'll be someone completely different.
When I walk out of here, I will walk out with a sense of purpose.
When I walk out of here, I'll have to ask for directions. But that's okay. As long as I find them.
Just looking at the dress I have to wear makes me want to throw up. It's like Liz and I are switching personas. Fabulous. But I swallow my uncertainty and slide it on. The skirt stops shorter than anything I would ever have worn in public, the hem landing a little above mid-thigh. I automatically feel self-conscious.
"Why am I wearing this?" I mutter under my breath.
Before I have the time to change my mind about my life decisions, I slide on the tights (with great difficulty), and the boots. The tights make me feel a little less vulnerable, but otherwise, the outfit practically screams "look at me." Or rather, "look at my legs." I brush my hair with a hairbrush that's lying on the sink and once I'm satisfied enough with my looks, I unlock the door and step out.
The atmosphere automatically shifts. Alix stops mid-sentence to stare, causing Liz and Harrison to pull their eyes from the task at hand - dying Alix's hair - to me. Because I'm such a sight to see.
All three of them talk at once.
"It suits you." Liz says.
"Perfect." Harrison says.
"Whoaaa....." Alix says.
I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I feel like I'm about to go to a night club. Is this what normal emo girls wear?"
"No." Harrison replies. "But we want people to notice you. And boy will they notice you. Now come here. We need to get to work on dying those luscious locks of yours."
~
"Jess... Jess? Jess! Wake up, sleepy head."
My mind slowly retracts back out of its groggy state, sending a strange tingling sensation down my spine. The last thing I remember is Harrison pulling my hair up and getting ready to dye it blue. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep during the process.
"Wha...?" I squint at the bright light of the apartment. The clock on one of the shelves in the corner says it's ten-thirty at night. In other words, bed time. My hair is pulled up into a series of tinfoil rectangles falling down my back.
"You fell asleep." Liz explains. She hasn't moved much, for she's now leaning back in a chair, her hair done up the same way as mine. Wait...
My eyes snap into focus, taking in the sight before me. Liz is now wearing a knee-length lavender dress and black flats. But her hair?
"Um -" I start.
"I know." She cuts me off. "I look ridiculous. Just don't say anything about it, okay?"
I'm about to nod when a voice startles me from behind. "Don't say anything about what?"
"Nothing," Liz and I both say at the same time.
Harrison shoots us skeptical looks but says nothing else regarding the subject. "All right." He says instead, clapping his hands together. "Are you two ready for the great reveal?"
"No." I mutter, but Harrison's question is rhetorical.
"Of course you are." He says with a content smile. Nothing else being said, I feel my hair being slowly taken out and falling back into place in waves down my back. I watch myself through the reflection the television creates, and I try not to scream too loudly at my new "hairdo."
It's not that I don't like it. I kind of do. It's the fact that I look so...different. Of course, the point is for me to look different, so I can't complain about anything. I avert my eyes from the TV, not wanting to see anyone. They settle on the floor.
"Okay, and now for the makeup..." I don't even bother to say anything, knowing and accepting that no matter what I do, Harrison is going to get makeup on me, whether I'm dead or alive.
Eyeliner, mascara, and blue eyeshadow is added to my eyes, but still I refuse to look at my reflection. Thankfully, only lip gloss is applied to my lips. Harrison adds some blush and foundation before finally leaning back to admire his creation. He hands me a small, handheld mirror, and I force myself to look.
A little gasp escapes my mouth. I look... pretty. Rebellious. Spunky. I look like someone else. The blue works with my skin tone and I find myself smiling at my reflection, jolting backwards when the mirror flashes back a dashing smile. What happened to dorky outcast Jess?
"I know." Harrison says, picking at something under his fingernail. "Another job well done by Harrison. You're welcome."
I'm at a loss for words, pushing myself up out of the chair. I seem unable to not look at myself. I can't unsee this version of me.
"Your name is now Kassandra Gilmour. You are nineteen, and you just moved here from Denver two days ago."
I nod absentmindedly.
"Mr. Naptime over there is Lucas."
Mr. Naptime...
Alix.
I pull my eyes from the trap called a mirror and notice that Alix is still here. I'd forgotten about him for a moment. But that's easy to do, seeing as he's passed out, his mouth wide open, and breathing loudly. But...
He looks exactly like Jax, I realize with a jolt. I avert my eyes immediately, unable to look at the identical copy of my ex-boyfriend.
"And Liz?" I ask him, forcing my attention away from Alix.
"I'm taking the role of 'dumb blonde,'" Liz says. Then, with a flutter of her eyelashes, she speaks again, this time up an octave similar to how a dumb blonde would speak. "Hi, my name is Allison, but you can call me Ally for short."
I hold back a snort. I don't say it, but she's gorgeous both ways. Her hair is now a platinum gold, pin straight as normal, and her red lips and silver eyeshadow highlight her gray eyes. Her fingernails are painted an innocent white color, complebmenting the metallic sheen of the bracelets clanging together on her wrist.
"Holy.... differentness." A voice says from behind us, causing us both to turn. Alix's once brown hair is now blond and is gelled back, a pair of black rimmed glasses sitting on his nose. They must have fake lenses, I realize, since Alix has sharp vision. He's watching us both with wide eyes. He looks less tired than he was before, because the rings under his eyes are now gone and his eyes are brighter and more full of life than ever. He looks like Jax does when he figures out the answer to something. He calls me every time he does.
"Jess, guess how many galaxies there are in the solar system?"
"Jess, you have no idea what I just found out. Lunch back in the day was considered dinner, and dinner was considered supper."
"Jess, did you know that your name means sweet and rich and that Shakespeare came up with your name?"
I miss Jax so much I can barely think straight. But it's not fair to Alix. He's dressed as a memory, a figment of the past, part of my imagination. I shouldn't let that faze me. All the same, I can't look him straight on.
"Well, my pretties. You are done." Harrison says, clapping his hands together. "You're going to fit in perfectly with society. Now, there's a hotel a couple buildings down. I know the guy at the front desk. Just mention my name and you'll get through free of charge. I should also let you know that there just so happens to be a get together at Lucky's Pub across the street tonight. You all look presentable enough, so you could go if you're in need of answers. Also, you three look like you need a little fun."
Then, just as simply as the door was opened to let us in, it is opened to let us out. Cold night air rushes in through the opening and I wish I'm wearing more than I am. Then I remember my sweatshirt.
"Looking for this?" Liz asks, holding up my sweatshirt as well as a pack full of what I can only assume is the clothes we changed out of. I nod solemnly and grab both from her, allowing her to grab the supplies backpack from the ground. Alix pushes himself up out of his chair and limps over to his crutches, before hobbling over to us.
"Thanks, Harry. I owe you one." Liz calls back to Harrison. Her thanks is welcomed by a grin.
"You actually owe me twice for the other time, but I'll be cliché. Anytime, Lizzy."
Liz winces slightly, and I almost don't catch it. But I do. What happened the other time?
I don't have time to dwell over it, because then Alix and I are echoing back our thanks, and after a last glance behind us, we step out of the house. As a team. As a family. As fugitives. As someone else.
But does that necessarily have to be a bad thing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finally got this chapter up! Guys, this chapter was loooonnnngggg, so I apologize for the long wait.
I dedicate this chapter to BrunoLoch just because he doesn't like long chapters. Heehee. ;)
Comment thoughts and feels below and hopefully my next update won't take nearly as long. Thanks!
~trebleclef18