《Holt and Whitlock: Overload》 Chapter One Marianna glanced up at the sound of a bell, a polite smile appearing on her face as a couple who looked to be in their twenties entered The Gift Shop. A rather unoriginal name for a gift shop, but Marianna was hardly going to question her employer to his face. ¡°Hello,¡± she said with slightly forced brightness. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± The woman, who had picked up a small glass flower, turned to face her. Her cheeks were bright red from the chill outside and she wore a striped blue toque on her head. ¡°No, thanks. We¡¯re just browsing.¡± Marianna nodded her head in understanding. ¡°All right. Let me know if you need any help.¡± That said, her eyes went back to the Social Studies question that had been puzzling her for the past few minutes. Once again, she considered texting Alna for some assistance but dismissed the notion. Alna had started taking a free online course yesterday¨C¨Csomething to do with the evolution of human crime¨C¨Cand the last thing Marianna wanted to do was interrupt her girlfriend¡¯s studies. Especially when she was so clearly enjoying the course. She was also certain Alna had mentioned a tutoring session. Marianna nibbled on her lip, tapping her pencil against the textbook that was refusing to yield the answer she needed. She sighed, pushing some hair out of her face as she once again surveyed the store. Everything appeared to be in order: no one needed her help, the various trinkets were in their proper places on the shelves, and the display in the window looked full enough to entice people into the shop. There was little else for Marianna to do than sit here and accept people¡¯s payment for their items. Her cell phone vibrated, drawing Marianna¡¯s attention to the text alert on its screen. She picked it up, a smile appearing on her face as she spotted Alna''s name. I¡¯ve got a date for us tonight. May I pick you up after work? Marianna grinned even wider, despite knowing her girlfriend didn¡¯t mean a ¡°date¡± in the traditional sense. She had a case for them. Marianna couldn¡¯t wait. Her reply was delayed when the couple approached the counter. Marianna took the miniature, cheaply made version of the island of Starla. After completing the transaction, she bagged the sculpture, handing it over with some change. ¡°Stay warm,¡± Marianna advised them, casting a look to the windows by the entryway. Outside the window, Marianna could see the snowflakes being whipped around. She found herself even more grateful that she wasn¡¯t outside in it. At least for the moment. ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± said the woman¡¯s companion. The tight look on his face conveyed his dread at going back outside. Marianna didn¡¯t blame him. Another brisk gust of air swept inside as the couple left. Marianna tucked her hands into the sleeves of her pink cardigan and picked up her phone. Absolutely. We¡¯ll have to take a cab, though, Marianna sent back. Alna¡¯s response came through less than a minute later: Not a problem. I shall see you at 6:30. Marianna sent back an affirmative with a thumbs up, unperturbed when she received no further response. She set her phone down, turning her attention back to the store. Marianna spent the last forty-something minutes of her three-hour shift alternating between working on her homework and helping any customers that came into the shop. Why anyone would bother coming to a simple gift shop in such horrific weather beyond Marianna, but it wasn¡¯t her place to judge. She helped them all with a friendly attitude. Alna appeared three minutes early, her pale cheeks pink and eyes narrowed in irritation. Her black hair, mostly covered by simple black toque, was speckled with white snowflakes. The sight of them in her dark hair made Marianna think of cookies ¡®n¡¯ cream. She grinned. ¡°Hey.¡± Marianna walked out from behind the counter and up to Alna with a spring in her step. The irritated look softened on her face, a warm look filtering into her icy eyes. ¡°Hello, Ms. Whitlock,¡± Alna replied, a touch of humor appearing in her voice as her hands settled on Marianna¡¯s hips, making Alna¡¯s laptop bag knock against her side. They shared a brief, chaste kiss before Marianna stepped away. She headed to the back, beginning to pack up her things. ¡°Is the cab waiting for us?¡± she called over her shoulder. Marianna gathered her winter coat. She doubled-checked her keys and slipped on her backpack. ¡°It is,¡± Alna confirmed. ¡°And that simple fact will cost me at least another ten dollars.¡± Even knowing full well that Alna wasn¡¯t accusing her of anything, Marianna hastened her walkthrough of the store, not wanting to cost her girlfriend more money than necessary. Marianna could have sworn she contracted frostbite the moment she stepped outside. The sheer force of the wind made her worried that she would be swept up and tossed around as carelessly as the snowflakes. She ducked her head against the biting chill, allowing Alna to act as a buffer as she walked a pace behind. The two girls clasped hands as the driver took them to their destination. Marianna alternated between staring out at the passing businesses¨C¨Ccafes, a second-hand store, a grocery store¨C¨Cand casting frequent glances at Alna. She nibbled on her lip, wanting desperately to ask for clarification about where they were going, but wasn¡¯t sure if she should in front of a perfect stranger. She resolved to ask later. That didn¡¯t stop the words from pressing against her tongue. Noticing antsy nature, Alna redirected her gaze from the front windshield to Marianna. A passing lamp post illuminated her profile, highlighting the fond look on Alna¡¯s face and seeming to make her eyes almost glow. Marianna¡¯s breath caught. She felt a tingling sensation as blood filled her still-cold cheeks. Soon, Alna mouthed. Marianna gave a bashful nod to show she understood. She squeezed Alna¡¯s hand once, shyly. One would think she would have gotten over being shy in the past months and in some ways, she had¨C¨Cjust not completely. The entire drive took around twenty minutes, much to Alna¡¯s clear frustration¨C¨Cif her locked jaw was anything to go by. When they were dropped off at a cafe of all places, Marianna became completely confused. She¡¯d half-expected to head straight to the place they were investigating She said nothing until they got their drinks and sat down at a table in a deserted corner. ¡°So.¡± Marianna set her hot chocolate down. ¡°I¡¯m confused. Why are we here?.¡± Alna, who had started typing on her laptop the moment she sat down, spared Marianna a brief, distracted glance. She paused long enough to cast her eyes around the coffee shop, making sure no one was listening in on them. This cafe wasn¡¯t as homey as some of the ones Marianna had visited in the past. The walls were painted a boring grey, with only a few store-bought pictures attempting to offset the dullness. Alna must have concluded that the few customers present were paying them no mind because she turned back to Marianna, a serious look on her face. ¡°Do you remember the man we were talking about the other day? Derek White?¡± she murmured. Marianna had to lean forward to hear her. Marianna thought for a moment. Alna had seemed to be preoccupied with researching three people at once, for differing reasons. The name Derek White, however, definitely rang a bell. He was¡­ Wasn¡¯t he the one that¡­ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°The smuggler?¡± Her voice was barely above a whisper. She cast a nervous look toward the glass door of the cafe. For once, Marianna was thankful for the horrific weather; at least it meant privacy. Alna nodded once, her eyes flicking up and around the cafe before returning to her laptop. Still lowly, she said, ¡°I am now ninety-eight percent certain he is smuggling money from the West Bank. I hacked into his computer and noticed that some interesting transactions have taken place over the past three months. Some of his files remained inaccessible to me, despite my best efforts. I want to access the physical computer.¡± Once more, Alna stilled her fingers, scanning their surroundings. Marianna saw her eyes lock on something, and turned to see a middle-aged woman sipping her drink, a novel held in her right hand. She seemed innocuous enough. Alna must have thought so, too, because she turned back to her typing. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re here.¡± **** It took Alna ten minutes to deal with the security cameras in the building Mr. White worked in. From there, they stopped in a public and clothed themselves in their respective disguises. They were simple, consisting of brown wigs for both girls, gloves and dark clothes that wouldn¡¯t attract attention. Given that they would need to move fast, they shoved their winter jackets into Alna¡¯s bag, making it bulge enough that it was a bit of a nuisance to carry around. Nonetheless, Alna adjusted the strap on her shoulder. After that, they headed for Mr. White¡¯s building. Alna got them inside with relative ease, leading Marianna in through one of the back doors. Thankfully¨C¨Cor unfortunately¨C¨CAlna didn¡¯t have to break them in. Business hours had ended at five, according to Alna, but that still left the cleaning staff and occasional straggler. Once inside, Alna made an offhand comment about letting Marianna break into the next place they investigated, thus putting the skills Alna had been helping her cultivate to good use. Marianna¡¯s heart fluttered with excitement. They¡¯d barely made it a few paces into the building when the distinct sound of footfalls came from nearby. On instinct, Marianna stiffened, her head snapping in the direction of the sound. Her hand reached out, grasping Alna¡¯s. Alna didn¡¯t freeze. In fact, she did the opposite. Yanking on Marianna¡¯s hand, Alna dragged her around a nearby corner, pushing Marianna up against a pure white wall before flattening herself next to her. Her face was set into a mask of determination, betraying no hint of nerves. The footfalls grew louder. Marianna¡¯s heart faltered and then picked up its tempo as she stared toward the four intersecting hallways, trying to control her breathing. Alna¡¯s arm pressed into her stomach, holding her in place and helping Marianna keep an illusion of calm. The footfalls were now upon them. Marinna pressed herself further into the wall, beginning to back up at Alna¡¯s subtle urging. She cast a nervous glance at a nearby security camera, black and ominous. It wasn¡¯t working, was it? Alna had ensured that. Right? The person was there, their steps sounding like thundering in Marianna¡¯s ears. They appeared around the corner¨C¨C And the back of a suit jacket faced them as the woman turned down the hallway opposite them. They hadn¡¯t been seen. Alna blew out a breath and gave Marianna a sidelong look. Still holding her hand, Alna led her down a few more hallways and to Mr. White¡¯s office. It was locked. Alna pulled a screwdriver from her bag and set to work on the lock. In two minutes, they were inside. Marianna drew in a deep breath. Just knowing there were other people in the building was enough to keep her blood pressure up. It was a good thing her next therapy session with Pedro was this Friday, she mused. She definitely needed it. ¡°Would you object to keeping watch again?¡± Alna asked in a low voice as she approached a desk in front of a large, curtained window. The question was absent-minded, Alna¡¯s mind focused on the task at hand, but it didn¡¯t bother Marianna. This was how Alna operated¨C¨Cfocusing on important tasks such as this with a near single-minded intensity. Even now, she was eyeing the room as she approached the computer, her keen eyes missing nothing. She leaned over the desk, examining a piece of paper. ¡°Not at all.¡± Marianna stayed by the door and locked it, wincing at the soft click. Freezing, Marianna trained her eyes on the window¨C¨Cthe kind that only allowed people to see fuzzy shapes and vague, distorted colours on the other side. In the center were backward black letters, showing whose office this was. Ten seconds passed. Marianna counted each one. No one came. She let out a breath. Now that they had reached their destination, Marianna felt herself relax a bit, although she kept her eyes locked on the door, watching for any sign of anyone passing by, or¨C¨Cmore importantly¨C¨Cplanning to enter. From behind her, Marianna heard Alna typing on Mr. White¡¯s large, outdated computer¨C¨Ca sound that would have soothed her if she wasn¡¯t so alert. Some minutes passed without incident. Keeping the door in sight of her left eye, Marianna turned to observe the room. Mr. White kept his office neat and well-organized. It was one of the most boring rooms Marianna had ever seen in her life. The walls were a light grey¨C¨Clighter than the cafe¡¯s¨C¨Cwith no pretense of comfort or personality. There was only one painting on the wall; the curtains were a darker grey than the walls themselves. The floor itself was hardwood, adding to the clinical, impersonal feeling when Marianna looked around. Barely a thing seemed out of place; not the papers on his desk or the pencils lined next to the dinosaur of a computer. The only item that seemed to disrupt the near impeccable office was the coffee cup set next to Alna¡¯s right hand. Next to that was¨C¨C A golden pen stand? Marianna stared at it, not sure if Mr. White¡¯s boldness appalled or impressed her. Marianna resisted the urge to walk over and observe the pen stand more closely. It looked like the kind she¡¯d see in a movie set one hundred years ago. A large gold pen mounted in walnut-coloured stand with a gold plaque. Marianna couldn¡¯t see many details from where she was standing, but it looked real to her. She glanced toward the door, checking for anyone in the hallways. ¡°Is that real, do you think?¡± Marianna looked back at the desk long enough to gesture to the pen stand. Alna took a moment to answer, her gaze intent on the computer as she typed. ¡°I believe so. Mr. White, it seems, is the type of man who likes to hide his crimes in plain sight. I have here a correspondence with someone who appears willing to sell him an original da Vinci painting. Stolen, of course.¡± Well, then. That was something else. Now that it had been pointed out to her, Marianna suspected this office wasn¡¯t as boring as she¡¯d originally thought. That painting of a waterfall¨C¨Chow much money was it worth? Had Mr. White bought it through unscrupulous means? What about those filing cabinets? What could he have¨C¨C Marianna¡¯s head whipped back toward the door. There it was¨C¨Cfootsteps in the hallway. She backed up, heart pounding. ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna whispered, ¡°someone¡¯s coming In almost no time at all, Alna was standing behind her, snatching Marianna¡¯s hand and dragging her even further away. They stopped at a closet door to the right of Mr. White¡¯s desk. Alna rested a gloved hand on the handle, not opening it, but prepared to do so. Marianna¡¯s heart slammed against her ribcage. A beat. The blurry figure passed by the office. Marianna released the breath she¡¯d been holding, relaxing a bit. She stayed still, though, waiting for any sign that someone intended to enter the office. When what must have been at least a full minute passed, Alna dropped Marianna¡¯s hand and blew out an annoyed breath. ¡°Well, that was a setback,¡± she muttered. Alna¡¯s eyes locked on Marianna¡¯s face¨C¨Cconcerned and searching. ¡°You¡¯re all right?¡± It was part question, part statement. Alna could surely read in Marianna¡¯s facial expressions and body language that Marianna was holding herself together well enough, but had decided to ask, anyway. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Marianna flexed her sweaty hand inside its faux leather glove. She smiled to back up her words. ¡°You should get back to it so we can get out of here.¡± Alna nodded once and immediately went back to Mr. White¡¯s computer. Marianna retook her position by the door. ¡°Anything good?¡± Marianna asked a few minutes later. The quiet click-clacking of the keyboard did wonders for her previously frayed nerves. ¡°Plenty,¡± Alna said with little to no inflection, concentrating on the task at hand. ¡°Although I now have to take precautions before I can send the evidence to myself.¡± Marianna counted to twenty before she spoke again, straining to hear any sign that someone was nearby. When she concluded they were alone, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re sending it to your email?¡± There was yet another short pause before Alna answered. ¡°I created an account specifically for this.¡± Marianna bit her lip against the fond smile that fought its way to her face. Alna seemed to have an incredible ability to think about almost everything. ¡°So, are you going to email the evidence to the police, then?¡± Alna normally went through the Brigate Crime Hotline for things like this, but maybe this was big enough to contact the police directly. In response, Alna looked up briefly before saying, ¡°No. But I will be filling in their online form for reporting crimes. I¡¯ll send the information along and contact the Brigate Crime Hotline as well.¡± Thorough. Just the way Alna preferred things. Marianna nodded and fell silent, focusing all of her attention on keeping watch. It was somewhere around five minutes before the silence was broken. ¡°There,¡± Alna announced. Marianna turned to see her stepping around the desk. She hadn¡¯t once sat in the chair at Mr. White¡¯s desk, she noted. ¡°That¡¯s done. Now¨C¨C¡± Marianna heard light footsteps from down the hallway. ¡°Alna,¡± she whispered, cutting off her girlfriend. She backed up to the closet from earlier. Alna was beside her in a flash. Saying nothing, Alna grabbed Marianna¡¯s wrist and dragged her into the closet. Chapter Two Alna only had a second to muse about how ironic this was before she was yanking Marianna inside. She quickly shut the door behind them, plunging the small space into darkness. As Alna¡¯s eyes adjusted, a door opened in the office. Alna edged forward, straining to see in the dim light filtering underneath the closet door. Abruptly, Marianna stopped, jerking Alna back before she could walk into a box. Alna proceeded forward with even more caution. With some careful maneuvering, Alna and Marianna reached a space near the back and sat against a wall. Alna, after casting a wary look in the general direction of the door, unzipped her bag with slow, careful movements and pulled her phone out. She turned on the flashlight. Marianna jumped and gave Alna a look that seemed to ask if she was insane. Alna illuminated the wall behind them. Thankfully, the way White had his boxes arranged his boxes allowed Alna and Marianna to take a seat behind one. Marianna started to relax and Alna reached over to grasp her hand once more. She debated shifting around some of the boxes to hide them better. No. That endeavor was much too risky. They would have to wait and hope White didn¡¯t come into the closet and hunker down¨C¨Cout of sight¨C¨Cif he did. Alna turned the light off and placed her phone in the pocket of her brown coat. She turned, meeting Marianna¡¯s eyes in the darkness. As she attempted to keep her breathing slow and even, Alna did her best to search Marianna¡¯s face. She looked for any signs that Marianna might experience a panic attack. Marianna¡¯s breathing pattern was still rather short and uneven, but much calmer than it had been a minute ago. In the near non-existent light, Alna could see the whites of Marianna¡¯s eyes. Still nervous. Seeming aware of the direction her thoughts had gone in, Marianna gave Alna a slight nod and a small smile. Silent reassurance. Alna nodded back and redirected her gaze to the door. There was little to hear, which was both positive and distressing. White was likely at his desk. Alna cursed herself¨C¨Cnot for the first time. She¡¯d done extensive research on the man¡¯s work schedule. At least she¡¯d thought she had. Clearly, it hadn¡¯t been enough. Was he stealing money from Gloria Bank at this very moment, as she and Marianna hid away in the dark? It was a definite possibility. Alna¡¯s jaw clenched. She turned to Marianna, who had calmed down even more in the last few minutes. From what she could see, Marianna was still nervous, still fearful, but to a much lesser extent. Alna pulled out her phone. Pulling up her notes application, she typed You okay? She passed it to Marianna. In seconds, the phone was passed back to her. Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine. That was good. But Alna wanted to see if she could help her feel somewhat safe. After another moment of staring at the door and listening intently, Alna once more redirected gaze to her girlfriend. She slipped her hand out of her grip, bringing Marianna¡¯s attention¨C¨Cwhich had been on the door as well¨C¨Cto her. Reaching out in the limited space, Alna touched the underside of Marianna¡¯s chin and brought their lips together. Marianna¡¯s head jerked back a bit, surprised at the action. Alna stilled immediately, prepared to pull back at the first time of discomfort. Marianna, however, after only a few seconds¡¯ hesitation, soon returned the kiss, their lips sliding over each other with ease. Again, the irony was not lost on Alna. She doubted it was to Marianna, either. But it had the intended effect of calming Marianna. The kiss lasted somewhere around fifteen seconds. A bang came from the office. Marianna flinched immediately while Alna went still. They waited. Nothing happened. Marianna let a quiet breath. According to the occasional, discreet glance at her phone, Alna and Marianna remained in that closet for twenty-six minutes. At the seventeen minute mark, Marianna¡¯s phone vibrated, causing her to jump and Alna to tense. Marianna pulled out her phone and texted back whoever (her parents, likely) had messaged her. Alna decided that was a good idea and sent a quick message to her own parents. Minutes passed, turning into a half an hour. Alna could see Marianna checking the time with growing concern. For a moment, Alna wondered if she should talk to Marianna¡¯s parents and try to explain to them why their daughter had been out so late. She doubted that notion would be all that welcome. Marianna hadn¡¯t even introduced her girlfriend to her parents¨C¨Cnot in any official capacity, anyway. Alna had met Farren Whitlock after she¡¯d caught Alna kissing her daughter. Their entire exchange had lasted less than two minutes and she hadn¡¯t seen the woman since. It was eight o¡¯clock. Alna would have to work on her timing next time. It was somewhere around eight o¡¯ five when the closet door opened, allowing light to flood inside the open space. Marianna¡¯s slight gasp was almost soundless as she and Alna hunkered down as much as they could. Alna released the breath she¡¯d been holding, straining her ears. Some shifting¨C¨Cmuch too close to her and Marianna for Alna¡¯s liking. Her muscles coiled as she ran over the self-defense moves she had looked up online. The sound of a box being lifted. And then, almost miraculously, she thought she heard a text alert. There was a soft thump as White put the box down and presumably pulled out his phone. Alna stared at the box in front of her with bated breath, tense and waiting. White let out a sigh and then, after more shifting sounds, left the closet. Minutes later, he left the office altogether. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Alna blinked in bewilderment. She¡¯d thought that type of timing only happened in movies. After sharing a glance with Marianna, they came to a mutual agreement to wait a few more minutes. Just in case White came back. When three minutes passed with no sign of him, Alna risked leaving their hiding place. She moved to her feet with care, Marianna¡¯s hand grasped in her own. The slight tremor in Marianna¡¯s hand spoke of relief and leftover fear. Alna gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. With her phone offering a sufficient amount of light, Alna approached the door and leaned toward it, her bag slipping. As she did so, she cast a brief, longing look at the boxes surrounding her and Marianna. She¡¯d gleaned some sparse details while in the closet and was convinced one held evidence of White¡¯s illegal crimes. But with the latest scare, Alna dared not open any of the boxes. Physical evidence would have been beneficial, but she would have to make do with the evidence from White¡¯s computer. That would be enough. Not to mention Alna would likely get in trouble with her parents if they lingered much longer. Concluding that there was no one in White¡¯s office any longer, Alna eased the door open and peered at the room. Still no one. Good. ¡°Three minutes,¡± Alna said to Marianna as she opened the door wider. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marianna give a brisk nod and turn back the way they had come. Having done breaking and entering with Alna four times by now, Marianna had become efficient at removing evidence of her and Alna¡¯s presence in the places they¡¯d broken into. So much so that Alna decided that, this time around, she would not check Marianna¡¯s work. Instead, she would focus on hers. Finding and removing evidence of her and Marianna¡¯s being here proved to be an easy task. She wiped down the keyboard, moved anything that had been bumped back into its place, and scanned the floor for any melted snow left behind. They¡¯d been careful. Three minutes was more than enough time. Once their time was up, Alna and Marianna exited the office, Marianna keeping watch while Alna locked the door behind them. That done, Alna took Marianna¡¯s hand. As they crept down the hallway, both girls cast frequent looks behind themselves, watching out for anyone who might spot them. Although their disguises would hopefully hide who they were, if someone were to physically confront either of them, the wigs were unlikely to stay on. Stopping at a corner, Alna peered around it, the brown hair of her wig falling over her shoulder. Seeing that it was empty, Alna eased around it and continued to lead Marianna to the door through which they had entered. After reliving another incident of having to dive out of sight of the cleaning crew, Alna and Marianna reached the door and again Alna took some time to first unlock and then lock the door behind them. The gust of frigid air made Alna tense on impact, her teeth chattering. She felt Marianna snatch her hand back, no doubt to wrap her arms around herself. Neither of them spoke for another several minutes, both waiting until they were a significant distance away from the building White worked in. ¡°Whew,¡± Marianna commented. Alna could hear her teeth chatter and concluded they would have to wait indoors for a cab. ¡°That was intense.¡± Alna¡¯s lips twitched upward at that. As a general rule, Alna loathed it when people stated the obvious, but she¡¯d found during the course of their short relationship that Marianna seemed to be the exception to many things. In this case, Alna thought Marianna¡¯s statement was rather cute. ¡°Indeed,¡± Alna intoned, with a bit of her occasional dry humor injected. Stopping at a lamppost, she turned to face Marianna. ¡°I will call a cab. But first, we should get changed.¡± Alna handed over the bag that held clothes and her computer before pulling out her cell phone. The girls located a fast food restaurant where they used the restroom to get changed. Alna called for a cab and ten minutes later, the two girls entered a nearby gas station they had decided to wait in. ¡°Thank God,¡± Marianna sighed. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get frostbite.¡± Alna turned to face Marianna once they had steered clear of the glass door, watching with concern as Marianna removed her gloves and rubbed her bright red hands together. She wanted to reach out and grasp them in her own, but given how cold her hands were, that would help very little. ¡°I do not believe we were outside long enough to contract frostbite,¡± Alna said. Ignoring the looks they were getting from the cashier, Alna removed her own gloves and placed them in the pocket of her black winter jacket. She rubbed her hands together to generate some warmth. ¡°Although I can understand why you would think that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Marianna said with a slight smile. They bought some tea to help warm themselves up and then lingered near the windows, keeping an eye out for their ride. Marianna¡¯s phone vibrated with texts, making her frown when she checked it. She excused herself to the restroom when she saw she had a missed call, handing her tea to Alna. Alna watched Marianna¡¯s retreating back with furrowed brows. There were many things about the world that Alna didn¡¯t like¨C¨Cthings that annoyed or disgusted her. But seeing the stress Marianna¡¯s home life was causing her¨C¨Cthat was something Alna well and truly hated. She took another sip of her strawberry flavored tea, once again catching the cashier watching her. It was understandable, she supposed (she and Marianna were in quite a state when they¡¯d entered), but that did not mean it annoyed her any less. Alna stared back, allowing her steely gaze to linger long enough to make him look away. Alna had just finished sending a text to Aiden, assuring him that their ride was on the way, when Marianna exited the restroom and approached her. She was pale and wide-eyed and her hair was more ruffled than it had been before. A sure sign that had been running her hands through it or yanking it in agitation. Marianna¡¯s posture was stiff, her cheeks flushed for reasons that had nothing to do with being outside recently. Yet another fight, it seemed. Alna allowed her sympathy and concern to display themselves on her face as she handed over Marianna¡¯s tea. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t look as though she had been crying. Alna hated seeing Marianna in any kind of pain, but tears were much worse. ¡°I am in so much trouble,¡± Marianna muttered as she accepted the tea from Alna. She was staring at the floor with a hard look on her face, trying to keep her composure. Alna ran her hand along Marianna¡¯s back. Marianna shot her a weak smile, gratitude shining in her cerulean eyes. By the time they were both sitting in the cab, it was almost eight-fifty, and Alna knew that the chances of escaping her parents¡¯ wrath were slim to none. The thought made her sigh, which caused a small gust of wind to blow over in her mental world, mirroring her actions. The closer the cab got to the Whitlock house, the more Alna could feel the tension building in Marianna¡¯s body. Alna, wishing she could do more, settled for interlacing their hands, running her thumb across Marianna¡¯s knuckles. At one point, when they were minutes away from Marianna¡¯s house, Alna ducked her head to murmur into her ear, ¡°Perhaps you should stay at a friend¡¯s place this weekend.¡± She decided not to suggest Marianna stay at her house, not wanting to be too presumptuous. A sigh escaped Marianna¡¯s lips, and she leaned her head against Alna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I might go over to Sadie or Hikari¡¯s place tomorrow night.¡± Her eyes were closed, tension displayed in every line of her body. Alna squeezed Marianna¡¯s hand to show her silent support. When the cab stopped at the Whitlock house, Marianna paid her part of the fare to the man upfront¨C¨Cbecause she had insisted earlier¨C¨Cand gave Alna¡¯s hand a squeeze. Her reluctance was palpable to even the most ignorant of people. Alna resisted the urge to tell Marianna she could stay at her house and instead murmured that she¡¯d see her later, telling Marianna that she could call or text her if she needed to. No matter the time. Marianna slipped out of the cab with slow movements, clearly dreading the inevitable argument in her future. Alna half-wished she could go inside with Marianna and offer her support. She didn¡¯t, though. And so, when Marianna disappeared into her house with a wave, Alna turned away and told the driver her address.