Writing Prompts

Awkward Arrangement 1

In collaboration with my brother, RBTrain.

"You're marrying her and that's final!"

His father's words echoed through his head. They're trying to take control of my life again! Making decisions behind my back, Luke thought. He paced back and forth in the small hotel room his parents rented for the meantime. Just a few rooms down the hall is the girl he's supposed to marry. I can't take this anymore, he thought. Luke took the blanket on his bed and tied it with the bedsheet and made a makeshift rope. He threw it down the window and made sure it's strong enough to carry his weight. As Luke slowly climbed out the window, he saw a shadow a few rooms over. And it's... it's doing the same thing he's doing!

"You're such control freaks!" Scarlett yelled at her parents before storming off to her hotel room.

Her parents had just told her that she was to marry a man she's never met. She had dreamed of a wedding to a man she was head over heels with, and now, her parents were going to crush her dreams. Just like her dreams of becoming a painter. The Hill couple deemed it not challenging enough for their smart daughter. She was smart, sure, but she wanted to be something else. All her life, her parents had controlled everything, from the clothes she wears to the school she attended to. She was over eighteen by now, and yet, her parents still had control over her life. She was tired of them being controlling and dream-crushers. So, she decided to pull out all of the sheets in her hotel room. She tied the ends together to create a make-shift rope. Scarlett tied one end to the foot of the bed and threw the make-shift rope out of the window. As she climbed down, she noticed a figure doing exactly the same thing she was doing.

Who is that?, She wondered.

When Luke finally made the descent, he checked on the person a few rooms over. Seems like the guy made it too. He still can't believe his parents stationed guards outside his room. They're still treating me like a little kid, Luke thought. He waded his way through the bushes under the light of the moon. He found himself by the hotel's garden area. "He must be around here somewhere!" A man shouted. The guards must have noticed him. Luke ran through the maze area of the garden, trying to shake off his pursuers. He ran blindly inside the maze, turning left and right. The voices behind him are getting closer and closer. Up ahead, Luke saw the exit. It was his chance at freedom. He ran straight towards the exit with all his might. And as he was about to taste his freedom, he had an unexpected... bump. "OUCH!" The girl exclaimed, "watch where you're going!" She shoved Luke away from her. "I think I heard someone over there!" The voice shouted. "Shit! They're here!" In a fit of desperation and panic, Luke grabbed the girls hand. "Where are you taking me?!" She asked angrily. "Just shut up and run!"

The guy grabbed Scarlett's hand as they ran outside of the maze. Scarlett snatched her hand away from the grasp of the guy. She glared at him.

"They must've gotten out already!" A guard shouted.

"Quick! Spread out!" Another guard ordered.

"Ugh!" Scarlett groaned. She grabbed the guy's hand and started running out of the hotel's territory.

"Where are we going?" The guy asked in between breaths.

Scarlett smirked. "Seems like somebody's out of shape."

The guy flushed. "Shut up!"

The two later found themselves in a busy intersection part of the city.

"Have you ever been here?" The guy asked.

Scarlett nodded. "I have friends, you know."

The guy glared. "Well, I don't live around these parts, so I wouldn't know."

Scarlett rolled her eyes, and then pulled her hood up. She stared at the guy. "You escaped with those clothes on?"

The guy looked down on his clothes. "What's wrong with mine?" He turned to her getup. "Besides, you look like a guy in your outfit!"

Scarlett slapped his arm. "Shut up! At least I have a disguise."

They went inside a nearby coffee shop and sat at the table far away from the windows. The two ordered coffee and drank in silence. Crap, I didn't think straight and panicked. Why'd I drag this random person along?, Luke thought. It occurred to him that they never even introduced themselves. "Hey," Luke started, "I never got to introduce myself. I'm Luke by the way. Luke Spencer." The girl stared at him in surprise when she heard his name. She then glared at him with such intensity that seemed like he had done the most heinous crime in the world. "YOU," The girl said with contempt. "M-me?" Luke asked, puzzled. "ASSHOLE!" She screamed in anger and stormed off. Luke chased after her outside, "was it something I said?" The girl turned towards Luke, glared at him and said, "It's you! You're the reason we're in this mess!" And like a bolt of lightning, Luke understood who the girl was. "Wait! You're Scarlett?! And what do you mean it's my fault? It was your family that proposed this marriage!" He shouted. "My family?! Stop shoving your head so high up in your ass!" The two argued back and forth, pointing fingers at each other. "I knew I'd find you here," a familiar voice said. Startled, Luke looked over to where the source of the voice was. A man around his mid thirties was leaning on a car parked right beside where the two argued. "Uncle?!" Shouted Luke. "Too predictable little nephew. I mean, a coffee shop... really?" The man laughed.

Scarlett turned to Luke with an accusatory glare. Idiot, she thought.

Luke's uncle chuckled. "You should've thought about it, Luke."

Words exchanged between nephew and uncle. Scarlett looked back and forth.

Now's my chance, she thought as she slowly took steps backwards. Once she thought the distance between them was enough, she turned around and saw her horror of an aunt looking like she was going to murder anyone who was in her way. Ah shit, Scarlett thought as she froze in her spot. She took steps backwards once more and bumped into Luke.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked, irritated.

Scarlett made a grab for his hand and dragged him through alleyways as she heard his uncle screaming, "Hey!"

Once they stopped, Luke was panting, and yet she wasn't. She was looking around to see if someone managed to follow them.

"Why'd you drag me with you?!" Luke glared.

"As much as I dislike you, Luke, I won't be able to stand myself knowing someone's suffering because of me." Scarlett explained then dragged him towards a building.

"Why are we here?" He asked.

"Don't worry. We can figure out our next move here." She reassured him. She pulled out a bunch of keys. She made her way to the elevator and pressed 5. Once they reached the fifth floor, she just continued dragging him until they were in front of a door that said, 506. She opened the door with her set of keys.

Luke was in awe. "Woah."

"Don't make a mess. This is my friend's loft." Scarlett warned. "She's OCD."

"How do you know they won't find us here?" Luke asked.

"My friends knew I was going to be in an arranged marriage, so they saved up enough money, including me, to rent out a place for me to hide." She wrinkled her nose. "Though I doubt my parents won't be able to find me."