Sitting
in a cold, dark alley is not fun. It felt like hours before charming shook my
shoulders to say that the investigation was finished and no one was around. I
stood up slowly and cracked my back looking up at the sky. Yesterday the sky
had had a stormy, sucky feeling edged around it. But today it was sunshiny and
cheery.

“Come
on, I’m hungry, and imagine you must be too.”

“Where
are we going?”

“Take
it easy, it’s only a café”

I
followed closely behind him. This part of town was strange to me and I couldn’t
help looking around. But obviously he was familiar with it. We went in and he
ordered coffee and muffins for the both of us. I went and sat down at a table
and he followed. In an effort to make conversation I started asking questions.

“Why
are you being so nice to me?”

“Because,
I want to know your story.”

“Why
the heck would you want to know my story?”

“Because
I happen to be a reporter.”

“Wow, a
reporter and a thief. Interesting career choices Charming.”

“A thief?”

“Well
why else would you also be in the bell tower at midnight?”

“That’s
a question also aimed at you princess.”

“Then I
guess we both have some explaining to do.”

“Fine,
you go first.”

I took
a deep breath and stared to explain. “After my mother died a month ago my
father started having some serious gambling problems. We began losing money
fast and my father decided to remarry. I couldn’t handle my new stepsisters and
stepmother and my father wasn’t letting me make any money of my own. So I
decided to steal the slippers, sell them and then travel around the world and
actually accomplish something with my life.”

“Ok wow
my story is a lot more boring than that.”

“It
doesn’t matter, out with it.”

“My
family is really large but also quite poor. There are 8 of us all cramped into
a tiny apartment just five blocks from here. Because we don’t have much money
my parents are always working all day so my job is to care for my siblings
being the oldest of six. I decided that I had to do something to help us and
the only thing worth the effort was the slippers of Clarisse Carson.”

“Wait,
if you spent all your time caring for your siblings how can you be a reporter?”

“Oh I’m
not that was a lie.” He smirked.

“Wow
how charming, Charming. Now you have to tell me what happened at the bell tower.”

“Well I
had just entered the chamber and I saw you taking the slippers from the display
case. I called to you and the clock struck midnight. I walked up and placed my
hand on your shoulder. This seemed to scare you and you screamed. The slippers
started falling and I reached out and caught them. But not before you fell and
hit your head on the display case. I took you and then slippers to that alley
across the street from the bell tower that we were just in.”

“So
what do we do now?”

“Well I
take one of the slippers home to my family then me and you go and travel around
the world with the profits from the other.”

“Wait,
I don’t even know you.”

“Ah
that’s right we haven’t even met yet,” Charming extended his hand, “I’m Ethan.”

“Nice
to meet you Charming,” the name’s Rhea.”

“The
pleasure is all mine princess.”