Who: Alice and Jake What: A little payback When: Noonish or thereabouts on Tuesday Where: Building A and then? Rating: PG at the most, I imagine Status: Incomplete
It wasn't the smartest thing Jake had ever done, not by a long shot, but he had been searching for an excuse to leave a room which had started to feel increasingly claustrophobic to him. The idea had struck him as he reflected on the fact that the adults of this place were taking pretty big chances on trying to keep him out of the Ward and that he hadn't really done much to repay this kindness. Sure, he told them that he appreciated it and that was true - but words sometimes didn't mean as much as they should.
So, given the chance while Alice was otherwise distracted, Jake replaced the paper band from the ward back around his wrist and he made sure that the mark branded on his neck was more or less covered by his hair. Once he was satisfied with this, he crept quietly from the room and out into the open complex of buildings, but he lingered by the doorway until a pair of women deep in conversation wandered past.
Thinking that they looked likely enough, Jake fell into step a few paces behind the pair and he did his best to look as if he belonged - as if he were their child and the three of them were simply out for a little walk in the calm afternoon air. This worked well enough until he reached the rather plain exterior of the pizza place where he was easily able to make his way inside and place an order. Once the greasy and warm pizza box was in his hands - with only a superficial question from the woman behind the counter which was easily taken care of by playing upon the willingness of strangers to wave at a young kid as if they knew him - he made his short way back to his building.
"Alice?" Jake called once he was back inside the safety of room 102. The pizza box was placed precariously on the edge of the desk and he wiped his somewhat greasy hands against the back of his jeans. "I, um, I have some lunch if you're hungry. I hope you like pizza..."