Meredith:
"Listen up, young man." Mason's eyes pierced through Thomas's like a dagger. "I've only let you because I see you as Mama Rue's nephew. Nothing more."
"You have my word." He lifted his hand half way in the air, like he was swearing. Seeing Mason's doubtful look, he said, "Come on! Do you want to keep being hunted by those people?"
Mason pursed his lips, "If you've got any funny stuff up your sleeve, you'd better wipe them off!" He paused. "Where do we start?"
Thomas smirked, feeling proud of himself that he was able to convince us, especially Mason.
"We're going down the drains." He stood up, extending a hand towards me. I took it politely and stood up, ignoring Mason's glares.
"Don't you think we should tell Mama Rue first before leaving?" I remembered when my mother used to tell Olivia and me to always ask permission from her before leaving the house. She said we had to do that so we didn't make her worried, wondering where we had gone to.
"Aw. Such innocence." Thomas's hand was still in mine. "My aunt's a witch." He said blatantly. "She'll know." He led me towards the door and opened it. The cool evening breeze blew against our faces, making my hair sway gently. I released my hand from Thomas's grip. It was getting uncomfortable.
Thomas knew Mason and me were a couple, so we had to act like one. We walked through the thick, dark forest side by side. Mason tried staying close to me, and so did Thomas.
"Shouldn't we wear disguises?" Mason broke the silence.
"Great point." Thomas skipped over a rock. "But no need to." He walked confidently through the forest like he owned the place and knew every corner and path. "No one there knows you. Besides, we won't be seen because we'll go through the underground."
"So where exactly are we going?" I asked. "You seem to know your way around pretty well."
"Roger Grift." His tone was dramatic, like he was making an introduction for a play. "He is a multimillionaire; owns dozens of illegal businesses, but somehow manages not to get caught."
"Why are we going there?" Mason asked.
"He's a good friend of mine. Knows a little about the robbery. We could ask him a few questions, bribe him a little..." He paused. "...or even threaten him." He chuckled.
"Bribe a multimillionaire?" Mason laughed. "You are getting way ahead of yourself."
Thomas just grinned, "You'll see." I could sense the authority in his tone; like he had longed to lead but had been compressed by higher authorities. I admired that.
Mason walked close to me, pushing away every branch and clearing every cobweb. He looked like he was trying so hard.
"So you finally trust Thomas?" I asked him.
He looked at Thomas and looked back at me. Thomas was busily finding his way, ignoring us at the back. "No. I still don't trust him." He furrowed his brows. "I've got my eyes on him. The least mistake, then I crush him." He punched his palms hard against each other. Mason seemed reckless to me. He wasn't the kind of person I would associate with had this been a college.
I wasn't looking ahead, just listening to Thomas blabber about how much dirty work he knew and how influential he could become. I didn't notice that was a pit covered with dry leaves. I tripped, but before I could hit the ground face down, I felt strong arms hold unto my waist and pull me back. I crashed into someone and we ended up falling back onto a pile of leaves. I opened my eyes and met Mason's hazel-brown eyes. It was my first time seeing his face this close. He wasn't so bad to look at, actually. I laid on him helplessly, as we stared into each other's eyes. His hands were around my waist and mine on his chest. I am embarrassed to say, I felt something bulging below me; between my thighs. I was lying on his...oh goodness! My face turned red. We were too close...way too close!
I frantically struggled to lift myself up, causing a greater mess: I scratched his neck and chest, and worst of all, elbowed his groins! It took a lot of effort not to scream with embarrassment.
"Hold on...wait." A groan escaped his lips. "Stop moving." I let myself loose. Our faces were inches apart and our breaths touched each other's faces. I was highly embarrassed.
He gently held my waist and tipped me over to the side, standing up. Then he took my hand and pulled me up. I awkwardly dusted my jeans and jacket, feeling my face getting flushed.
"You good?" He scanned my face.
I nodded. "Thank you."
There was silence. Then, "If you two are done with your lovey-dovey stuff, can we move now?" Thomas held a torch light to our faces, grimacing. I almost forgot that Thomas was here with us. So much had happened in these few moments, enough to leave me dazzled. Thomas hissed at us, and then began to walk away. We awkwardly followed suit.
We walked, talked and stole quick glances at each other.
"Alright!" Thomas stopped and turned, "We're here!" We got to the end of a road. It was quiet and dark and there was absolutely no one around to see us. "We're going through that sewer." He pointed to a covered hole in the middle of the road.
He slid the lid open and peeked into it. A foul smell brushed under my nose. I frowned. There were pipes connected endlessly, and water dripped from practically each of them.
"Where does that lead to?" I asked.
Thomas shrugged, "Roger Grift."
Mason rolled his eyes at his sarcasm. Without another word, Thomas climbed down the rusted metal rungs attached to the cemented wall. "Come on." He did it so easily, like he had been doing it for years now.
I looked over at Mason who stared doubtfully into the hole. He looked at me and then took my hand, holding it firmly, "After you."