Alison Harold

Chapter 21

Alison sat by the window, her eyes wide with awe and curiosity and a little bit of nostalgia because crazy enough, this was her first time in a public bus venturing out into the scary world she'd never had the courage to explore. When Mrs. Miller had driven her and Anna to Orchid Vale, she'd blocked her ears and mind during the ride, plus, they'd followed a less busier route.

But now, she stared at the towering skyscrapers, their windows reflecting the golden rays of the sun. The city streets were alive with the rhythm of life, with cars honking, music playing and laughter filling the air. She marveled at the diversity of people passing by from different walks of life hustle and bustle on the sidewalks.

She'd always been holed up in the comfort of her home, only ever visiting the library few blocks away from her house or attending company events or parties with her parents, to the point that being out here and seeing the reality of life was a whole new experience for her.

As the bus glided through the city, Alison could feel the energy and excitement buzzing around her. It was as if the world had opened up before her very eyes.

Flynn cleared his throat beside her. "Are you Rapunzel or what? You've been staring out the window with your jaw dropped like it's your first time outside."

She didn't realize her face was literally glued to the window. She flushed in embarrassment and took a peek at him. He was studying the list Mrs. Cook gave to him.

She opened her mouth to speak. "I—"

"Well, I mean, we already have a Flynn here," he said gesturing at himself before looking over at her with uncertainty. "I'm not so sure about you looking like a Rapunzel."

"Excuse me?" She said with a deep frown. "You're not even half as good looking as Flynn Rider."

He leaned closer to her, his face merely an inch away from hers and smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

His breath smelled really nice. A refreshing burst of mint and coffee with a hint of sweet vanilla fragrance. It was a pleasant combination; a breath of fresh air. Why did everything about him smell so nice?

She blinked and withdrew from him immediately. "Don't flatter yourself."

He huffed and then relaxed back in his seat. They arrived at their destination in complete silence. It was for the best because she knew anything that came out of his mouth was no good.

"Where's the package going to?" She managed to ask as they walked down an alley.

"Somewhere." He replied curtly.

"Can you be more precise?"

"Don't worry, you're not getting kidnapped."

She gulped.

Sure enough, that thought had crossed her mind the moment they'd taken a turn into the alley because, customarily, bad things always happened around places like this in many movies and stories in general. She didn't like Flynn and it was pretty apparent that he didn't like her either, so she had no idea what could be going through his mind. Best to be extra careful.

They finally made it out to the other side through the other side of the alley and a street came into sight. She released a sigh of relief. She never thought a day like this would come where she would be happy to see people and cars roaming around. They stopped in front of an apartment building and Flynn paused and turned to look at her curiously.

"You've entered an elevator before, right?" He asked in an annoying sarcastic tone.

She shot him a glare before shoving him out of the way and walking into the reception hall. Flynn chuckled behind her, obviously thrilled to be making fun of her.