The City of Ionia

Ding

The elevator door opened to the ground floor. I quietly trailed behind Alice as she walked outside.

"Eh?!"

Alice grabbed my wrist. I didn't even notice when she stopped and turned around, which caught me off guard.

"Let's get something to eat."

"Huh? Uh—sure."

She dropped my hand and told me to follow her. Why did I agree? I wanted to go home and relax. However, I was stuck here, unable to leave.

I followed Alice to a small bakery across the street. The smell of fresh bread and cinnamon hit me instantly. The atmosphere was modern, with chrome walls and bright lights as the interior. Cupcakes of various colors, pastries, pies, cookies bigger than my hand, and more were displayed. My stomach growled as I debated on what to get.

"My treat," she said while at the register with her credit card out.

I felt rushed and quickly scanned as my brain went all over the place.

"Uh—eh—I—I'll take the pecan pie slice."

"One pecan pie slice and one red velvet cupcake."

Once the young cashier gave us our food, we sat the furthest away from the window. If it were up to me, I would've liked to sit by the window, watching others live their daily lives.

I bit my pecan pie and instantly widened my eyes. The perfect amount of sweetness, paired with an interesting, crunchy texture, made me crave more.

"Do you always eat this aggressively?"

With my face digging into the pie, I stopped chewing and looked up with my eyes. Alice rubbed the side of her lips. I swallowed the half–chewed piece and wiped my face with a brown napkin.

"I'm a big sweets person."

"I can tell," she said, emotionless as ever.

I sat upright and took my time eating. Not wanting to be judged, I was conscious of my every move.

Alice's red velvet cupcake was a fluffy red with a generous portion of white cream swirled at the top. I looked past her and focused my attention on the display.

Should I get something else after I finish?

No, that would be too much. I had to cut back on sweets. It didn't help since Owen learned how to bake, and now makes desserts every week.

"Jill," she said with a smooth voice, "how do you know Ruben?"

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"Uh—meaning?"

"Don't bullshit me. I'm not here to be your friend. I want to know why Ruben recruited you. He isn't going to crack and say, "So that's why I'm here with you."

Great…

I couldn't tell her the truth and mention Sydney. I didn't want to loop her into this. I assumed Sydney and Alice knew each other since they were both part of the branded 7. If Sydney were to find out about this, then I wouldn't know what to do.

I must leave her name out of this at all costs.

"I—uh—just happened to meet him." A lame reason, but I had nothing better.

Alice must've caught on to my life quickly since she furrowed her brows. "Ruben meets a lot of people. Why would he give you this task? That's the question I want answered."

I casually shrugged. "He offered. I accepted. Simple as that."

Alice took a small bite of her cupcake and placed it back on the square table. She took exactly four chews before swallowing. I wasn't sure why I counted, but I did.

"Speak the truth," she said with red bits stuck in between her teeth. "I only ask since you're going on this mission with me. I want to ensure you are capable of handling your own."

"Well… you'll find out soon enough." I wasn't sure where I got this confidence, but it felt great.

For some reason, speaking confidently made me feel untouchable.

She leaned in and roughly muttered. "This isn't a game. Having somebody on the frontlines puts my life at risk. I can't have that. Tell me, who are you, and why did Ruben recruit you?"

I sat with a straight back, my head stood taller than ever.

"Raids… I've been through more than I can count. You have nothing to worry about. I will not need any help."

"What—?" She scoffed and slammed her fist on the table. She slammed it again. And again. And again, until she broke into hysterical laughter. Red bits of cake flew out of her mouth, and tears appeared from the corners of her eyes. She swayed back and forth as though on a rocking chair. The workers and others around stared at us, probably wondering about the reason for her uproar.

I was wondering the same.

What did I say that was funny?

"Help?!" She said without using her indoor voice. "Help?! Really?"

"Uh—people are looking at us."

"I don't give two shits about other people!" Alice stood with enough force to knock the chair on its rear. She reached over the table and grabbed my windbreaker jacket and pulled me close to her face. We stood over the table, and people probably watched in confusion.

She continued with a low, yet stern voice. "You're acting like you've been in this situation before, which pisses me off. What do you know about raids? You're inexperienced and came out of nowhere. This cockyness of yours will get us both killed." She pulled me closer and whispered in my ear. "Do not say another word. Finish your pie and leave. I don't want to see your face until the mission."

Alice dropped her hand and walked out of the bakery.

I gulped and adjusted my jacket. I didn't have the courage to look back and see the customers' and workers' reactions.

I ran my palm roughly down my face, letting out a deep sigh, and wondered how things would be during the mission. This was my first mission in Ionia. I didn't want any bad blood between us or anyone else. This had to go smoothly no matter what.

"Excuse me, miss." One of the employees stood over the table with a calm, smiling face. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh—ya. Just—uh—just an argument with someone I know."

The smile never left his face. "Ah, alright. I want to make sure everything is ok and well."

I glanced back and forth between the almost–finished pie and the man. "The pie is great."

"Thank you. I hope your day goes well." He turned around and walked behind the counter.

I finished the last bit of my pie and leaned back against my chair, stretching my arms above my head. My muscles on my back got the best of the stretch.

I looked at the plate with crumbs of the crust scattered. Using my index finger, I pressed against a small piece that stuck to my skin and licked it off.

"Ya… it's good pie."