rhinestone eyes

006

Coraline Jones had known that Richard Gansey would give her one hell of an adventure from the moment the two met on the side of the road, but she certainly wasn't expecting him to show up at her house and drag her off to a parking lot tucked away at the edge of Henrietta.

A parking lot which currently doubled as a landing pad for Gansey's navy blue helicopter. There was a giant warehouse a few hundred feet away from where Gansey had parked, but Coraline paid it no mind as she sat on the tail of his Orange Camaro.

"We're getting on that thing?" Coraline questioned, a tone of something Gansey didn't quite recognize in her voice."Why, are you afraid of heights?" He puzzled as he handed her a carton of apple juice. Coraline couldn't tell if he was being genuine or mocking. "Only when falling from them." She offered.

Gansey's attention was focused on something in the distance. Coraline followed it to find Adam and the psychic pizza place girl approaching. "Finally!" He called out, jogging towards the pair, Coraline following behind at a slow jog. "Are you coming with?" He questioned Blue.

"Coming along in the helicopter you just happen to have at your beck and call, you mean?" Gansey gave Blue a grin as he slipped a burnished leather backpack over his shoulders."You say that like it's a bad thing." He countered. "There's definitely worse things, Holmes." Coraline offered as the helicopter began to roar to life.

Adam held out a journal, one bursting at its seams with papers. Coraline took note of the surprised look on Gansey's face."Where was it?" He shouted over the engine. Adam simply pointed at Blue. "Thanks." He offered. Adam nodded, once, briefly before Coraline snatched the journal from his hands.

There was a moment when everyone froze, so taken aback by the girl's sudden burst of confidence while standing under the gaze of Richard Gansey.

"What's this?" She questioned, seemingly unfazed by the world around her loosing balance for a split second. "Don't." Adam tried, something similar to worry in his eyes as the girl went to open the journal.

"No, it's alright." Gansey stopped Adam. "No one is allowed to look through it. But, detective to detective," He shrugged, but his jaw was wound tight.

Coraline made the quick decision to retie the rope bounding it tight and slip the seeming sacred journal safely into her messenger bag to review some other time.

"Is this thing safe?" Blue questioned as the air rumbled around them. "Safe as life," Gansey offered. "Adam, we're behind schedule! Blue, if you're coming, tighten your liberty bodice and come on." Gansey tugged Coraline along with him towards the helicopter.

His hand was loose around her wrist as he kept hold of her like she was a toddler that needed to be kept on a short leash at all times. "I hate this!" Adam called out to the boy. "I know." He offered in response.

Coraline sat in the back, beside Adam, while Gansey eventually climbed into the utilitarian chair. "Gansey leaned into the cabin to knock knuckles with Adam.

He looked back at his three passengers with a effusive and earnest grin, excitement dancing in his eyes in a way that awoke anticipation and something long locked away inside of Coraline. She tried to suppress it, to keep that ache for the extraordinary soothed but it was no use as the engine vibrated through her bones.

Adam gave Coraline a silent grin that made her chuckle, the girl nodding her head in agreement of his unspoken musings.