Alton squeezed through the crack in the grate, making sure Maple could get in too, before scampering down the damp tunnel, the sound of his claws against the metal echoing throughout the space.
Maple followed him, looking around at their surroundings as she ran. She was curious about where they were going.
Alton made a sharp turn and skittered a couple more hundred feet before waiting for Maple to catch up.
Maple caught up, slightly winded but having a lot of energy still, being a squirrel. She looked at Alton curiously.
Alton smiled at her and ducked through a small opening that was barely noticeable in the dark tunnel. The other side was a giant, rushing underground river with thick ledges on either side. The walls of the tunnel were crammed with beams, levers, buttons, and panels. Alton transformed into a human on the other side.
Maple squeezed through, then followed his example again, turning into a human as well. She studied the area with her wide, brown eyes. “Is this it?” She asked with wonder. “It’s so cool.”
"Yup. This is it." Alton gestured to a panel surrounded by caution tape. "If I had the keys to open that panel, I could shut off the water system in this whole city. It all runs through here."
“Wow,” Maple gasped. She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she gazed at the sight. She felt very small in comparison to the river.
"You alright?" Alton looked down at her, and sat too.
“Better than alright,” she replied.
"Good." Alton smiled, gazing out into the river.
“Do you come out here a lot?” She asked, looking at him.
"Yeah. After school, usually…my parents are rarely home." He chuckled at his own dark humor.
Harley facepalmed “I’m so stupid.”
Maple frowned with sympathy. “Hey, if you need somebody to hang out with, I’m here,” she said. “I doubt my family would notice I’m gone.”
Harley facepalmed “I’m so stupid.”
Sam Looked at the ground "Yep" she teased.
Maple frowned with sympathy. “Hey, if you need somebody to hang out with, I’m here,” she said. “I doubt my family would notice I’m gone.”
At least she still has a family…but despite the negativity, Alton smiled.
"Thank you…thank you. Few people ever want to hang out with me," He admitted, letting his shaggy black hair hang over his face.
“Why wouldn’t they? You’re so cool,” Maple said, looking at him. She smiled.
"Thank you." He smiled back, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. "I guess I'm just not the kind of person that attracts other people." He shrugs. "The mouse is kind of fitting."
“What is that supposed to mean?” Maple asked. “I think that you attract people just fine. I always thought mice were cute anyways.”
"Um - thank you. Thank you." Alton blushed a little more.
Maple smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, hoping he wouldn't mind. She blushed a little as she did it, but tried not to make it a big deal. "This is pretty fun, we should do it again," she added.
"Yeah. We should…" Alton trailed off, blushing and smiling to himself at Maple's gesture.
"Maybe next time I can show you one of my favorite places," she suggested. "Of course, a lot of the places I like are pretty high up in a tree or something…" She chuckled softly.
"It's alright. I could find a way up there." Alton smiled. "There's always a way if you're willing to find it."
Maple smiled too. "Yeah, it'll be fun," she said. "But honestly this place is so awesome. I could, like, stay here forever."
"I often lose track of time in here. Skipped many a day of school." Alton admitted, sighing.
"I can see why," Maple said. "I skip school sometimes too, but not really for any good reason. It's just more interesting to not be in school." That wasn't entirely true. She sort of did it to get her parents' attention. She had so many siblings it felt like they never had time for her, and they didn't notice her unless she did something big. Even skipping school was starting to lose its effect on them, though.
"That's true. I don't…I don't have anyone to tell me not to skip…" Alton admitted, hanging his head.
"We could skip together," she said. "It's not like anyone really cares what I do anyways. It'd be way more fun to hang out with you than go to school."
