Ethan
"Hey." I said from behind Fiona, who looked like she had been waiting since forever.
Immediately, she turned. "Oh, Ethan, thank God." She rushed towards me, engulfing me in a hug. "I thought you weren't gonna show." She said after breaking the hug.
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, I don't know- your new job seemed to be taking over your um- free time?" She breathe out.
"I'll always have time for you Fi, you know that."
She smiled, her red hair glittering in the light coming from the willing sector.
"Thanks, but- there's bad news."
"Yeah, Caramel."
She nodded. "She's missing." Fiona said.
"How and when did they get to her?" I raked my hands through my hair. "When and where did you see her last?"
"School? At lunch. She was okay. She was smiling again." Fiona said, her brows coming together, confused.
"Then you just didn't see her again?"
"She didn't return to our room. I waited and waited. I think they took her Ethan. I'm worried."
I was worried too. It was possible, she might have been taken, but how did the facility know? I mean, who could have told them about Caramel's new behavior?
"We have to find our way into the facility. We need to see what the hell is going on up there, if they are planning to kill everyone because of some stupid experiment they might be working on, then we'd have to make it known to the whole Inc." I said, meaning every word.
"How do we break in? The facility is heavily guarded. We can't just waltz in there like officials?"
Then it hit me.
"Officials, that's it. We go in as officials."
"What? How are we going to get official IDs?"
The corner of my lips kicked up.
"Well, we happen to know just the guy."
Ivy
"Dare." I chirped up, feeling so light headed as I sat around a blurry circle of people who I didn't know, but I was pretty sure one of them was Kyle, my best friends boyfriend who has actually been so awesome. Better than my absentee robotic boyfriend.
Although, I was pretty sure everyone around the circle was drunk, including, myself and hot as hell bad boy Kyle whom I still try to remind myself that he's taken by my no where to be found best friend, who I'm now sure is avoiding me.
"Okay," Kyle smirked at me. "I dare you to... Hm, tell me your deepest darkest secrets."
I chuckled. "Hmm, what are you? Lucifer Morningstar?"
"Answer the question." Yuki slurred out.
Yuki was your typical Japanese nerd who loves his weed mixed with his sushi, if you know what I mean... Which you probably don't cause uh- I'm a little in the drunken moment here.
"Okay, my deepest darkest secret would probably be- my new boyfriend. He isn't actually who he appears to be." I whispered the last part, making everyone in the circle lean in.
"Oh really? What is he then?"
"He is- a - Robot."
Ethan
"No way in hell, am I going to help you break into the facility. Can you listen to yourself, Ethan." Malcolm fumed, going really red.
"It's for a friend Malcolm, otherwise I wouldn't even be here." Fiona cut in.
"You shouldn't be here! You're a Willing in the Rebel sector... You could get arrested." Malcolm said.
"You think I don't know?" Fiona scoffed, looking annoyed herself.
"Look, Malcolm. We think something is going on, and this something may have to do with the reason why the institute wants you to select your best twenty subjects to a meeting." I intervened. "I don't think it's a meeting, the Inc is up to something and the only way to find out is to break into the facility, to find Caramel."
"Your friend is gone. You can't find her. You of all people should know that whatever goes in the facility, never comes back."
I clenched my jaw, knowing exactly what he meant.
"Listen Malcolm, aren't you curious? We could all be walking test subjects here. Why would the institute want twenty subjects from each sector? And not just subjects, the best twenty." Fiona said.
"Why they want that, isn't our business. You shouldn't be meddling in the institute's affairs."
"Not when my friend is involved!"
"Your friend is gone and she is never coming back! Get that in your head Fiona! And as for you Ethan, why are you even here?"
"Why wouldn't I be? My friend is missing and you expect me to be outside playing the role of a freaking boyfriend."
"Whoa. What now?" Fiona asked, looking from me to Malcolm.
"I'll explain later." I told her, focusing all my attention on Malcolm. "Listen Malcolm, just because Caramel's a Willing, doesn't mean you should turn your back on her. She's one of us. If we keep on neglecting everything like this, we wouldn't-"
"Enough!" Malcolm yelled. "There is nothing I can do about this. I am not going to give you official IDs. It'll only put the both of you in danger and I can't afford that. Listen, I can't make promises, but I'll find a way to put a word out."
"But-" Fiona started.
"I know she's your friend, and you care so much for her. But I can't have you risking your life for her, If they catch you, they'd remove your chip on sight and God knows what they'll do to you after that. I can't afford to get you hurt Fiona." He said, looking from her to me. "Both of you." He added.
Malcolm was like a father to both Fiona and I, when I was brought in by force, he taught me how to remain calm, he taught me everything my father didn't get to teach me. And Fiona, she was the first friend I made, she was way easy to talk to, cause we both went through similar situations.
She was a Willing because she didn't have anywhere else to go after the incident with her parents. The Inc took her in on her own free will. But me, the total opposite.
"I'll put out a word for Caramel, but for now, I need you to go back to your sector Fiona. Please." He said to her.
She raised both her hands in surrender. "Fine." She muttered. Making her way to the door before she turned to me. "Call me later, we have a lot to talk about." She said before leaving.
"Malcolm-"
"Don't even start Ethan. You should have denied Fiona's request to search for Caramel."
"I should have, but I couldn't."
"Why? Because you still have a beef to settle with the facility? You know the Inc has you on their radar, two years ago-"
"That was two years ago Malcolm."
He scoffed. "I know- but I know you better than you know yourself. You want to get to the bottom of this because of what happened. because of Lacy-"
Impulsively, I jerked Malcolm's T shirt with a tight grip. "Don't you even dare bring Lacy into this. I have made my peace with that."
"Have you?" Malcolm asked looking from me to my hand gripping his shirt.
With clenched jaws, I let go off his shirt. "I am doing this for Fiona and Caramel and for all those who have been taken by the facility."
"No one asked you to play hero, Ethan. You have been assigned a job to do, yet here you are, pushing your luck with the institute. Do you know what they'll do to you if they find you here?"
"What else can they do? Remove my chip?"
"Yes, and far more worse things than you can even imagine. Go back to your job Ethan. I don't want to see you here, unless you're summoned."
Staring at him for what felt like minutes, I retreated. "Fine."
A look of relief flashed through Malcolm's eyes.
"But don't think you can keep me out for long, if I don't hear any improving news about Caramel. I'll storm into that facility, with or without your help, I don't care about what Glory has to say about it."
Ivy
"A what now?" Keilen asked with scrunched brows. Keilen was badass. She was the ICHS most badest bitch. She was the never missed a party kinda girl.
"A Robot. You see, I was getting bored of being single and- I kinda needed a boyfriend cause, you know- it's our final year and- I really wanted that relationship drama in my life so I- did the deed. I went online- Google to be precise and then I saw this dark site, it goes by the name. Your human-"
"Mind if I interrupt?" A familiar voice cut in.
I looked up immediately to find Trevor, standing right above me.
"Trevor?" I breathed out. "Oh I was just telling everyone-"
He pulled me up immediately, "Come on." He gritted.
Squeezing through the sea of sweaty bodies, we finally made our way outside.
"What the hell were you about to do?" He asked accusingly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I answered with a question, angrily.
"You were about to tell them, about the Inc? What part of secrecy, can't you fucking understand?!" He yelled at me, making my eyes widen.
"Are you seriously yelling at me?"
He closed his eyes for a second. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"
"You ditched me! We weren't even ten minutes into the party and you ditched me for God knows what! You were supposed to stay with me, do every single thing that I tell you, and yet, you decided to ditch me. Why? Cause you were too smart or- or too roboty to attend a highschool party, which is funny obviously cause I remember paying for you... I bought you. You are just an item that I happen to buy. You are something that I was supposed to have full control over."
His jaw clenched. "I never argued about that."
"Maybe you needed a little reminder. Trevor."
He nodded. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
And just like that, my drunken self felt so guilty. And why? I don't even know.
"Take me home." I said, unable to look at him.
"Sure."
After that, there was no other word said between us.
Well, let's leave the apologizing till tomorrow, shall we?
_
Vote and comment:-)
I can't wait to update the morning after.
Why don't you guys check out a new book that I'm working on. HADES! it's available for you.
Nora