Amidst Our Broken World

Chapter 13 - Tailing

I stared at him through the one-way mirror. I mean, it was technically my job to do so. This afternoon, I was assigned to Rainbow Room duty yet again, only this time from inside the observation room.

Although Peter's back was towards me, I couldn't help but stare at the back of his head. It was as if I was trying to read his thoughts by doing so. What on earth did he think of me? And what is going to happen tonight?

There were two other scientists busying away in front of me at the desk, but they didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was going on in the room. For a second, I thought he had somehow felt my burning gaze in the back of his head and was turning to confront me, but I soon realized the absurdity in that as he began to make his way towards Eleven.

No doubt it was Brenner who put him up to the chess game that ensued between the two. However, as I continued to watch their game, I began to notice that neither parties seemed to be really paying attention, and when I looked closely, though their movements were small, they were having a conversation.

I could have sworn Peter's hand went under the table at one point, and it was confirmed that he had given Eleven something because her shoulder dipped as her shorter arm reached further under the table to receive whatever he had given her. 

Something was happening between them. Did it have to do with what Peter had said yesterday evening? About hiding in my room tonight?

~

Work seemed to last an eternity. I tried to catch Peter on the way out, but he had left right away after our duties were over, and he was nowhere to be seen in the cafeteria during dinner.

Where is he? Did something happen to him?

After dinner, I was about to knock on his door when I remembered his warning to stay situated in my room for the remainder of the night. Yes, maybe it would be for the best, I thought as I remembered his threat. For the sake of my own safety, perhaps I shouldn't risk him finding me outside of my room and snitching on me to Brenner.

I returned to my room from the showers and changed into my pajamas. Whatever his reasons were, they were his business. It shouldn't matter to me. They had nothing to do with me, and I could be endangering myself by asking questions.

But I still worried for him. I couldn't bring myself to not care. The only way I could stop caring for him was if he just shut me down once and for all. Then perhaps it would stop all this madness that had befallen me ever since I'd met him. Would he still blame me if he knew how I felt about him? It didn't matter. The pain was too much. I had to let those aching feelings out.

I opened my door slowly in order to prevent any noise. As usual, the lights in the hallway were off. I was about to feel my way towards his room when I heard distant fading steps further down the opposite way. As I listened, I recognized Peter's footfalls. At first, I couldn't believe I had paid so much attention to the man subconsciously to the point where I knew it was him just by listening to him walk. But that just went to prove how there was all the more reason to confess.

Tiptoeing in the darkness, I made my way much slower than Peter did. After entering the stairwell, I'd already lost him. I strained to hear his footsteps again with no avail. 

Then I heard something else. The suppressed groan of a door hinge sounded below me on the ground floor. I peeked down the handrails, expecting to see the glint of Peter's blonde hair, only to spot a flash of dark buzzed hair.

Eleven? What is she doing h-- The memory of her reaching under the table to receive whatever Peter was giving her came to mind.

Although I had lost Peter on the way, I was sure that wherever little Eleven was headed, Peter would be there.