Ye old Willow

Part 19 Shop

“I want you to follow my plans perfectly, nothing else is acceptable.” Zachariah ordered.

The brown haired boy shrugged his shoulders, “Why, can't I do something different if the situation calls for it. You can't predict whats going to happen, so its best to plan for the things that can be predicted and act on the things that can't.”

Zachariah sighed, “If anyone but you said this I could agree. But your inopportune denseness, makes this impossible for you. So just stick to the plan.”

Time stuck to original plan = 49 seconds.

Time spent shopping = 2 hours.

Kazuki sighed in relief as they exited the store. When it came to shopping, women are scary. None of the clothes were even for Ayla, the entire time they spent shopping for clothes she had this serious expression on her face that lit up in excitement every few Isles as she spotted something she liked. The outfits she was finding weren't even for her, she was having the time of her life finding more and more outfits that she deemed suitable for him. He felt like a dress up doll.

Every time he started to feel a little annoyed, he would look at her cheerful face as she handed him the different clothes and the feeling would fade.

However the cost of such clothes fell to him.

Though he was more worried about were he was going to put the clothes. Not if he could afford them. Did she expect him to carry them around for the rest of the date?

He paused for a second, Is this how a apology was supposed to work, the apologizer gets treated as a dress up doll. No... That didn't happen in Heated Nights. Then again having the date force you to go shopping instead, also didn't happen.

He looked towards Ayla, his face flaring red again.

Kazuki's brown hair was now in a mess. He was no longer wearing the white suit that Zach had left him, but a more casual outfit of genes and a white t shirt that Ayla had handed him earlier. It felt a lot more comfortable than the earlier suit. And Ayla wasn't laughing every time she looked at him, so in any case it was a win win.

She had an expression of deep thought as they walked away from the store. As if she was deciding something important. That expression faded and her smile returned, as she started to drag him to the subway.

“Hurry up, or the park will close without us.”

(Aren't you the one who took so much time shopping?) He almost screamed, but his inner voice was drowned out by one thought, “Amusement park.”

Kazuki wanted to see the Park, he had never been to one before.

He had to cross that off his to-do list. He had made one when his Stepmother had announced the time limit. Since he felt their was no way for him to clear the criteria without knowing what it was.

As Ayla pulled him onto the one of the subway cars, his instincts screamed at him to run.

No one else was on the cart. Kazuki turned around about to pull Ayla back off the train, but the door closed in front of him. Much sooner than it should have. He frowned awkwardly looking around.

Ayla caught on quickly and asked him, her voice somewhat worried, “Why is no one on the train?”

He tried to answer nonchalantly, “Everyone’s at work?”

She glared at him,”Today’s a weekend, their should at least be some kids.”

The speakers above the doors connecting to the other carts, made a sound akin to clearing its throat. The light sound of static extending over them. Before finally the voice on the other side spoke, “Attention! Attention! All those who remain in the subway, please make your way to the end of the line. Your desired destination will not be reached.”

Kazuki recognized the voice, a slightly annoyed expression appeared as he placed the facts together. “Ayla, it seems our teacher does not want this date to go well.”

She wondered what he meant by teacher, but quickly realized that they only shared one, “Why would Ms. Greer. want that?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “My best guess, she has some issues, either that or she is one of my stepmothers...”

“Why would you not recognize her as your stepmother earlier. Even if you had more than one, forgetting someone like that would be very difficult.”

He smiled lightly, his brown hair lightly covering his eyes, “I did say it was a group project. That group is so big that it would be a pain to remember all their faces.”

“...” Why would it be like that? Ayla pondered.

Beyond the speakers a light mumbling could be hears. Ayla could not decipher what she was saying, but the more the mumbling continued the darker Kazuki's expression grew.

He did not even try to cover up his grimacing expression. The fear and anger building itself up once again in his heart. “Ayla.” He said quietly, “We need to find a way off this train soon. Otherwise. We might never be leaving it.”

The station started to disappear beyond the glass windows that had now become their cage.

Greer sat alone in the control room silent mumbling a mantra to herself. Unknowingly still broadcasting to the rest of the train, “I will not let you. I will not let you. I will not let you. Die. Die. Die.” and as such the mantra repeated.