Free Minds

Chapter 83.

"What are we doing in my neighbourhood?" I finally managed to express my shock in the form of a question, as Dorian and I exited the car that brought us to Ridgeton.

   This night was already taking a weird turn. Throughout the day, Dorian remained tight-lipped about what he was planning for tonight. He'd left so much to the imagination that countless scenarios of how this night was going to go won't stop appearing in my head. Despite that, I couldn't have possibly guessed that I'd be standing in a familiar street of my very own neighbourhood.

   Taking Dorian's outstretched hand, I decided to try again, "May I ask what we're doing here?"

   I received a hand squeeze from him after he said, "You'll find out in a minute."

   So I let him lead the way. Although, I have to admit how strange it was that Dorian was leading me through the streets in which I was born and bred like he owned the place. Any passerby would think he'd been to Ridgeton a hundred times.

   After a brief walk past some stores and houses, we stopped in front of a large, brick-walled building I knew all too well.

"We're here," Dorian remarked.

   I made sure to shoot him my most confused look before staring at the building before us again. It was the ancient music store that was one of the most famous landmarks in our district. This was where I'd met Dorian when he first came over to my house so we could work on the drone we initially planned on using to infiltrate Zavlon. It was also when I got to know about Dorian's love for music and the piano.

   But... this was a music store. Who went on a date in a music store?

   When I looked up, Dorian was closer to the door, one of his hands hanging on the door handle.

"Are you coming?" he asked, his tone ever so casual.

   You know, my house wasn't too far from here. I could still make a run for it before I got arrested for trespassing. Clearly Dorian was doomed, but that didn't mean i had to go down with him–

"Beth." Dorian sighed, holding out his hand afterwards. "Trust me."

   Choosing optimism, I took his hand and emptied my mind of all the worst possible cases as we walked through the store.

   Somehow the messy arrangements of guitars, violins, keyboards and other instruments I couldn't name against the walls of the room we were in had an appealing effect. That could probably also be attributed to the old and fresh wood scent mixed with vanilla.

"Dorian!" The dark-skinned, grey-haired man wearing tiny glasses behind a counter peered at him with a big smile that appeared to be too familiar. "Welcome back!"

   Welcome back?

   Before I could inquire further however, Dorian replied with a grin of his own, "Hey Mr. Placca."

   I took the smile of Mr. Placca as an indication to speak, "I'm Beth Simmons. Nice to meet you."

"That name sounds familiar," he mused. "Aren't you the girl that goes to that fancy school?"

   I winced. After everything that had happened in the past few weeks, I'd forgotten the mild fame I'd received in Ridgeton due to my attendance at Zavlon Academia. The moments when I had shameless stares–some glares, let's be honest–thrown my way as I walked from the bus stop to my house wearing the Zavlon school uniform seemed like decades ago now.

"You must really be something," he added, without a trace of sarcasm or mockery in his tone. "Ridgeton is proud to have you."

   On any other day I would have begged to differ, but the genuineness behind what he said was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Even though it wasn't entirely true, I was glad to see that aside Mum and Tali, someone from Ridgeton didn't think I was a sellout.