Chapter Five - Grab Your Passport and My Hand

I frown, staring at the driver - Teague - like he's crazy. "Get in a vehicle? With you? After what you've done? I don't think so. You've basically ruined my life!"

"More like I saved it. He's a pathetic excuse for a human, Mina, and weak. I did you a favor."

I continue to glare at him, until I see Brody walking out of the school. He sees me, and is heading very determinedly in this direction. So, I only have two options. I can take my chances with Teague, or stay here and have to deal with anger from Brody.

I grab the handle of the door, pulling it open and stepping inside. Teague smirks, and as I shut the door behind me and buckle, begins to pull out of the lot. Once again, Brody is standing there staring in shock from where he is in the schoolyard.

"And where am I driving you to? Your house?"

I frown, not really paying attention. He repeats the question.

"Oh, uh, ya, my house." I nod absentmindedly.

He frowns for a moment. "Nah, I don't think I'm going to take you there." My eyes widen, and that brings me out of the trance as I whip my head over to stare at him. He flashes me a rather boyish grin. "You need to live your life a little, Mina. Have some fun. It's no good sitting here and moping like a partypooper." I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off. "Are you ready to have some fun?"

I don't think I want to do anything involving Teague. But, knowing him, it'll be trouble for me if I don't.

Teague's POV

I continue to drive, still smirking as Mina begins to rant.

"This won't work! I have to be home. I have homework! My mother will kill me! And it's raining! We can't possibly do anything in the rain!" She opens her mouth to take a deep breath and continue, so I decide to cut her off.

"We're here." She pauses, and looks out the window.

"Define where here is." She responds, trying to figure out what it is.

I just shake my head. "It's an arcade, Mina. You pay ridiculous amounts of money to get tokens, play games, earn tickets, and exchange the tickets for prizes. What else would it be?"

"Well-" Again I cut her off.

"Nevermind. I don't want to know what you thought it could be." I turn the car off. "Are you ready to go?"

"Wait, this is seriously where we're going?" She cocks an eyebrow.

"Sure it is. Why not?" I respond.

I get out first, going around and opening her door for her. She steps out, and I take her hand. She tenses for a moment, before - slowly - pulling her hand out of mine.

"This isn't a date." She says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, really?" I challenge. She ignores me at that point, walking inside.

After paying for the tokens, I give her some and pick a game near where she's playing. I wasn't really paying attention and picked a game at random, so I find myself at Whack-A-Mole. I insert a token, grab the mallet, and begin to swing.

"Die!" I hiss, hitting a blue one on the head. Another one pops up, and then another, and I hit them. Then the blue one pops up again, and I stare at it oddly for a moment, before whacking it down.

After a minute or two, the game ends, and tickets come out. A pitiful ten. I frown, and with a bit of Fae Magic cause about a hundred more tickets to come spilling out of the machine.

From behind me, Mina chuckles. "Are you that serious about games, Teague?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I respond. "I'm just that good that I got a ton of tickets."

I rip them off the machine as she wonders off to another game, and I follow. After a few hours, and a bit of what Mina calls 'cheating,' we're getting back in the car. Mina is biting her lip to keep herself looking serious, but I can tell she wants to smile. She enjoyed herself. A good, solid, first step towards my goal.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, starting up the car.

"Teague, I need to get home."

"Just answer the question I asked."

She huffs. "Fine. Yes, I am a little hungry."

"Good." I nod, pulling up to a McDonalds. "What do you want?"

"A ten-piece chicken nuggets I guess." She shrugs.

"And to drink?"

"Water."

I order that as well as a Big Mac with a lemonade for myself, and pulling up to the next window, get all the food and pass Mina her's. Once we finish that, I lean back in my seat, smirking triumphantly.

"So...am I going to get to go home now?" I blink, and glance over at Mina.

I would normally argue otherwise. But that would hinder my plan, not help it, so I nod. "Of course."

She looks slightly surprised and relieved at this, and I catch a glimpse of her hand reaching in to her backpack to touch the Grimorie. I shake my head, diverting my gaze back to the road. I'll fix that tendency sooner or later. After all, she has no reason to do that anymore.

We reach her home after an hour or two, and I glance at the clock. One minute till ten. Her mom will probably throw a fit - even if it's a Friday - but I was able to gain a smidge of trust from Mina, so I say it was a success. After she gets out, grabs her bag, and thanks me for driving her home, I drive down the street and park the car. Then, I step out and pull a Seam Ripper from my pocket. It's easy to open up a hole between the planes and step right through.

With a snap of my fingers after I'm across, I'm out of the forest and in my room. I glance at the mirror, and smirk as I see gray eyes and a figure pounding on the glass. He's still trapped inside...

Plot twist? What was that all about? Is that reflecting something inside Teague? Or hinting at something else? Guess we'll just have to wait and see...But feel free to post guesses!

~Dagger