Chapter 21: The Evil Smile

Alison mentally calculated the time. By the time she returned to school, it would be at least 11 PM—far too late. She knew it wasn’t safe for a girl to be out that late at night. Mike seemed genuinely upset by her rejection. "Miss Alison, please don’t be so quick to turn me down. I’ve calculated the distance, and we’ll make it back in time. I promise to get you to school safely." Given how far the conversation had gone, Alison felt that continuing to refuse would be impolite. Remembering her mother Jane's phone call earlier, Alison reluctantly agreed. "Okay, but we need to drive straight to the school after the movie, as quickly as possible." Mike's face lit up with excitement. "I drive very safely, I promise to get you back without any trouble." They left the restaurant and drove to the cinema near Central Park. When they arrived, Alison suggested sincerely, "By the way, how much were the movie tickets? Let’s split the cost." "Please, let me at least show some gentlemanly manner