Diamonds in the Rough

8.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way".

Arthur studied the girl in front of him as she brushed the dripping blood off her cheek and glared at him with murder in her eyes, "I think I'll go with the easy way".

"Good choice" her gaze didn't falter but he did catch the slight tremble of her hand, even though the grip on her knife remained steady.

"Small issue though" he really hoped the guards were on their way because he was about to piss off the only person in the room with a lethal weapon and he wasn't sure he was going to survive the next ten seconds, "the door's kind of locked from the outside".

She didn't say a word, but she took a step towards him, and he instinctively took a step back. To his surprise, she made a beeline straight for the door and threw her weight against it. There was a loud thud but as he'd thought, the door remained shut.

She turned towards him, "how do you open it?"

He shrugged, "I don't, I'm kind of being punished right now and part of the punishment is being locked in here till my father feels like letting me out".

She cocks her head, "what's the other part?"

He winces, "the apology letter, it has to be about three paragraphs and 800 words long with exemplary grammar, spelling and punctuation."

She lowers the knife, "doesn't sound that bad".

"I'm dyslexic"

She cracks a smile, and he can't help feeling like maybe being locked in here with her and her knife isn't the worst thing to happen to him.

Almost immediately she turns back towards the door, "I need to get out of here".

He settles down on a chair, "how did you get in here in the first place?"

She shoves the door half-heartedly, "I had a job and I got bad intel".

"A job like roof repairs?"

She looks at him exasperated, "look we both want to get out of here, right? You know this place better than I do, are there any weak spots that I can break out of?"

"I mean the roof is..."

"If you say anything about roof repairs, I swear I'm going to take you up there and throw you off".

"I meant the roof hasn't been repaired yet so there could be some weak spots up there".

"Right"

She looks down, breathing heavily, "I can't leave without finishing the job".

He stands up, "maybe I can help with that".

She studies him for a moment and then shakes her head, "no you can't".

"Try me"

"You need to get your dad to open the door".

"That's your job?"

She takes a deep breath, "that will make my job easier".

He bites his lip, "there's one thing you may need to know, uh, my dad doesn't really like me all that much".

"Yeah, the fourth-grade punishments he gives you kind of gave that away"

Arthur makes a face, "he probably has a good reason".

She shakes her head, "or maybe he's just a sadistic piece of-" she stops, "so are you going to help me?"

"I'm thinking about it".

She twirls her knife in her fingers, "do you want some more incentive?"

He smiles brightly, "I think you just helped me make up my mind".