They entered the warehouse cautiously, and Val exhaled. "We should probably stick together, yeah?" * * * "They're really, really good," Eleanor gushed. "Mom's gonna be so surprised!"
He nodded agreeably. "Sounds good." *** She grinned, crossing her arms before tilting her head. "You can all go sit down now. It's time for me to go."
She cocked her head before stepping forward. In the next room, there came a creak. "What would you say if I told you that I had two pistols in my bag?" she asked conversationally. * * * They nodded and held their coats to their chests, making their way back to their desks in a line, murmuring words of thanks. Arlo caught her eye and addressed the class. "Alright, everyone, finish your assignments, and I'll be back in a moment."
He hesitated. "I don't know.." *** She approached him, her head cocked slightly. "I can't believe you used my boyfriend to get the prices."
"Well, good thing it's not hypothetical," she said, reaching into her bag and pulling one out. "Be careful." *** "Yes, well, they're low prices, and I think he must have been lying. Your work is too good to be valued at that price."
She gave him a small smile before taking it back. "Stay behind me, then." * * * He frowned before giving her an envelope. "Don't open that here, okay?"
She reloaded the guns and took a deep breath before opening the door. The room was empty, and she entered slowly, keeping the pistols cocked. * * * "No. Thank you. You've..." He sighed. "Those kids are eternally grateful to you."
He moved silently, and kept a close watch on the surrounding. *** She shrugged. "Just trying to help out, y'know?'
She frowned, her brow furrowed. "Let's move on." * * * "Well, you've succeeded," he said sincerely. "Seriously. Thank you."
He nodded. "Okay." *** She smiled brightly. "Of course. I need to head home though. I'm... pretty tired."
She moved into the next room, and it was also empty. "This is... really weird." * * * He frowned. "Did you stay up all night working on these?"
She looked around. "What do you think happened?" * * * He frowned, crossing his arms. "Go get some sleep, Cal."
He nodded, crossing his arms. *** She smiled and gave a small wave, heading for the door. "Well, see ya."
Val stepped forward carefully before pausing. "That's weird." * * * "Arlo, are you and Callie soulmates?" Eleanor called out, before succumbing to giggles.
He stopped. "What?" *** Callie rolled her eyes with a playfully grin before giving one last wave to the kids and leaving.
