Darby was the first to speak, "Well, I have something to finish up here, Mr. Clemins, you should hurry along and pack! We will see you tomorrow!" Jack nodded and waved to the Director, saying
"Goodbye Director Mortimer, I'll make sure I'm ready!" as Darby practically pushed him out the front door. The Director waved goodbye to Jack with a warm smile on his face, but as soon as Jack was far enough away and the door had completely closed shut, he whipped around angrily to look at Darby, lecturing her.
"Your father only hired Mr. Clemins to write a few letters and chaperone you a little bit! Please tell me you will stop torturing him before the trip tomorrow!" Darby rolled her eyes and lulled her head back, saying
"Ugh! I know! I know! I will get bored of it soon enough, it's fun to mess with people a bit though." She was not the type to ever admit that she had decided to be kind to someone, in fact she would sooner admit that she was being mean on purpose to someone rather then say she would be nice. Director Mortimer sighed.
"I feel so bad for him, he's completely innocent and got dragged into the strange problems and dynamic between you and your father. That poo young man." He shook his head sadly. Darby scoffed
"He is getting paid to "secretly" keep an eye on me. He will be just fine and I think it will also be fine if I prank him a little itty bit" She held up her finger and thumb closely together cutely to show the minuscule amount of pranking she would be doing. Director Mortimer sighed and said,
"Well, just make sure that you are serious and focused on this expedition! And that you do your best to find that tomb! A lot of other archeologist groups are trying to find it first and it would be big for us to get it!" Darby stopped her act of being counterfeit cute and became serious when the subject of work came up.
"You don't need to worry about that, I will definitely work hard and do whatever it takes for our museum!.....Whatever it takes…." She finished the end of her sentence darkly with an intense look on her face. Director Mortimer smiled a little and said
"Atta a girl! Whatever it takes!" but then suddenly his imagination started to think of all the things that Darby would really do if she had the opportunity. He imagined Darby shooting someone and taking an artifact. Darby stabbing someone and taking an artifact. And also Darby choking someone out and taking an artifact. And many other questionable, dangerous and terrible things that should not be done but that Darby would definitely do. Director Mortimer jolted at his realization and frantically yelled.
"Wait Darby, not WHATEVER it takes! NOT WHATEVER it takes!!" Darby had already started walking away when he called after her. She turned to look back over her shoulder and beamed a huge and brilliant smile and waved happily to the Director, saying "Goodbye! See you tomorrow at the docks!" Director Mortimer shouted after her, fraught with anxiety.
"Darby!! Nothing dangerous! You don't have any weapons, do you?! No weapons! DARBY!!" Walking backwards now as she was nearing the exit, she ecstatically waved with both her hands and cheerfully yelled
"Byyyeeee!!" she pushed the door open and then was gone, leaving Director Mortimer shouting after her.
Jack arrived back home to his small and dingy apartment. He rented a single room in a large building filled with tiny apartments. After leaving his family's home, this was the best option he could find. It was a building specifically for the ordinary working class and even though it was very old and falling apart, he had the necessities that he needed: a bed, a small table with a chair, a bookshelf and a set of drawers. Most people would feel depressed seeing his dilapidated dwellings but Jack was content with having this much and simply happy to have his own place to stay. He had a single suitcase which he took out from under his bed, laid it open and began packing his clothing, books and belongings as he thought to himself 'I am excited to be going on a trip even if I am watching Miss Herrington in secret for her father.' A thrill of anticipation for a new adventure ran up his spine.
Darby was in her apartment. It was large and airy with many windows to let the sun shine through. She had shelves lining her walls, filled with books and every manner of interesting rock and artifact. When Darby had insisted on moving out of her family's home, her father, after throwing a huge fit, had only allowed her to move out if he picked out her apartment and checked that the surrounding areas were safe to live in. Which resulted in him "secretly" buying the entire building and hiring all the staff and security. He had tried to keep it on the down low out of fear of a fight with Darby, but of course, she knew. She also knew that this would be as close as she would be able to get without her father completely falling apart, so she just accepted it and moved on. She had pulled out a couple of suitcases and trunks and began packing. At first, it was normal things like clothes, books, underwear, pajamas, then it moved on to work items, notebooks, pens, a camera, a hand trowel and brushes and then it branched out into the more unusual; a hammer and nails, a few unmarked bottles. Darby stood over her trunk tapping her chin as she went over a mental checklist for packing. 'Hmm' She thought to herself 'Am I forgetting anything?' "Ah!" She said as she went to her wardrobe and rummaged around. Returning to her trunk with her arms full, as she tossed in a long length of rope, a knife and a small pistol. She dusted her hands off, having finished packing and looked down at her full trunk with a small smirk on her face. She said
"This trip is going to be exciting.."