Chapter 3: A Long Walk

They were downtown, Alina leading and Todd following slowly behind her.

"Where are we going anyway?" He asked, rushing a little to catch up. She looked to him for a moment then turned back. She smiled.

"You'll see. Johnny showed it to me, he said that I could show it to you." Todd blinked.

The hill was at a steep incline and Todd had to grip some of the weeds at the side to help keep himself balanced. Alina walked slowly in front of him. She stopped for a moment, turned back to him, smiled, and jogged ahead.

When he reached her, he saw it.

They were atop a cliff, over looking the whole city. He walked over to the rickety fence and looked out, his mouth open in a look of awe. Behind him, Alina laughed.

"You've never been up here before?" She asked, "I thought maybe Johnny would've at least shown it to you." Todd turned to her, and shook his head.

"This place is entirely new. I didn't even know it was here." She smiled.

"Then we'll have to come up more often, but I'll drive us instead. Walking is just too boring." She crossed her arms.

"What now?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Well, we could go back or just hang out here. Or, we could always go slaughter some Express employees at the mall." He blinked.

"You're just like Johnny." He said, running a hand through his hair, messing it up even farther.

"Hmm...I guess that's what I get for being his neice then, eh?" He looked at her, puzzled.

"Johnny never told me about any family."

"No family ever told me about Johnny. So, when my parents kicked it, I got sent to him. I didn't even know who the Hell he was. But, I'm glad they didn't send me to some fucking orphan home." She said. He nodded, she looked back up to him. "Where's your parents? You're only what, sixteen?"

"They're....well...around." He thought about them, he actually didn't know where they were. His mother had disappeared a few years ago and his father told him he was going on vacation. The vacation had, so far, lasted a year. Aline raised a brow at him.

"Did you kill them?" She asked. He looked taken aback, and she apoligized quickly. "I'm sorry, I just thought with you being good friends with Johnny any all, maybe he had told you to do it. He can get like that, overbearing." Todd looked to her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's hard to say 'no' to. Would you actually defy the orders given to you from a killer? He's just so dangerous, I feel as if I have to do what he tells me."

"I used to think that," Todd said. "I used to be scared to death of him as a kid. But, as I've grown to know him, I've figured something out about him." Alina raised a brow.

"Which would be...?"

"He's weak. You've yet to experiance what I like to call an 'angst-tantrum' from him." He laughed darkly for a moment. "He's been trying to kill himself for so long, he's vulnerable to everything. If he doesn't get his way, he'll put a gun to his head. If there's any sort of foul-up, no matter how big, he'll sink into a huge hole of self-pity. He's yet to actually suceed though." She looked to him, a slight anger in her voice.

"How dare you! Why on Earth would you say something like that? I thought you were a friend of his."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. Nny's been nothing but nice to me, but soon, I'll be eighteen. No longer a child. So, at that age if I slip up, I'm prey. He won't care. I'll just be another victim to him, that's his rules. He won't harm children, but adults are fair game." Alina looked shocked.

"You can't be serious." Todd sighed, exasperatedly.

"Oh please, he's explained all of this to me many times before. He's even mentioned how, if I really wanted him to, he could kill my mom and dad for me. Believe me, I hate them enough. Suffering with them for years of my life is not a good time. I actually thought about doing it myself, but I'll wait. my seventh birthday's soon." She rolled her eyes.

"Please. That's the most horrible thing I've ever heard. Why would you want to kill them for?"

"Oh! Yes! Why would I wanna kill my parents!? They've been so nice to me!" He shouted sarcastically, throwing his arms up in the air. "I have no reason in the world to kill them..." She looked to him, the sarcasm flying right over her head.

"That's what I meant. Why would you? Is it just that you're trying to sound tough or something. If that's it...you're doing nothing but sounding stupid—" He interupted her.

"You, are quite possibly, the thickest person I've ever met. You know nothing about the sixteen, horrible years I've had to spend with them! You have no right to question me on something you know nothing about!"

"Alright then, Todd. What have they done that's so bad, hmm?" She placed her hands on her hips and looked to him, awaiting an answer. He walked over to the side of the cliff and sat, wanting to ignore her the best he could. "So, are you gonna answer me then? Or do you not have a reason." He looked up to her, and intense glare in his eyes.

"The question is, more like, what haven't they done." She looked to him, skeptical.

"Explain." She demanded, he was quiet. "Didn't you hear me? If you're telling me the truth, give me a reason." Sighing irritably, he rolled his eyes at her and looked back down to the lights of the city.

"They just weren't the best of parents, no wait, that would be an understatement. Let's just say they were bullshit parents. My mother was constantly too high on whatever the fuck medication she was taking to remember my name. My dad was constantly blaming me for screwing up his life. It was always, 'Todd, look what you made me. I actually have do things now because of you.' At a young age, hearing and being around shit like that can really mess you up." Alina's arms dropped to her sides. She looked shocked when she sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry..." She stammered. "I didn't mean to make you mad." Todd looked to her, she saw the glimmer of tears beading up in his eyes. "Todd, I'm really sorry." He shook his head, blinked, and the tears fell. Turning away, he said: "It's nothing to be sorry about. You wanted to prove a point, and you did. Good job." He wiped the tears away and turned back to her, changing the subject to avoid crying in front of her again. "How do you like living with Johnny?" She smiled a little, happy that he wasn't enraged. Shrugging a little, she looked down to the city and spoke.

"It's alright..."

They slowly headed back down the sidewalk to where their houses were located. Todd walked her up to Johnny's door and stood there, hands buried in his pockets.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later." He said, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah..." She said, staring at him. He could feel her gaze and refused to look at her.

"Sorry I was acting like such an idiot eariler. I'm sorry I cried." She made a little noise and shook her head, he black hair shaking in rhythm to her movements.

"If I were you, I'd probably have already killed myself." She smiled to him, he finally looked her in the eyes.

"I'm surprised I haven't tried already..." He was interuppted by her putting her soft hand on his cheeks, pulling his face forward and gently placing a kiss on his lips. When they finally broke apart, his face was burning red and she had layed her hand on the doorknob of the rotting door.

"I'll see you later Todd." She said, sweetly, looking down to her shoes then slowly throwing her head up to look into his ice blue eyes. She gave him a weak smile and opened the door, sliding inside.

"Bye," He whispered meekly.