Twenty Fifty-Six

+14+

Hey guys! Just want to clear things up. Depending on when you read chapter 13, it may have said that the dance was in a month or a week. The dance is in a week, and should be chapter 15!!

Also, the picture up there has to relevance, it's just a cool picture I took at my cabin.

"A dance, huh?"

Tristan smiles. "Yup. We get them once and a while."

"Are they fun?"

"They're not bad. You go to dances back at home?"

"Only once. I never had anyone to go with."

"Seriously? You didn't have a date? Wow."

I blush. "What about you?" I ask. "Did you go to dances? Have girlfriends?"

"Not really. I was in grade nine during the draw. I went to one high school dance, but then we broke up when my name went in the bowl."

"Awh. That sucks."

"She understood. I couldn't do what Dave did."

"Yeah, I know."

We both get quiet, listening to the conversation around the table. We've long finished eating our breakfast, but we don't have classes today, so we're still hanging out here at our lunch table, talking.

I look around the table.

Paige and Dawn are talking with Dave, Tess and Oliver are flirting, Sadie and Ethyn are talking with Daniel half in the conversation, and Tristan and I are just sitting, quietly.

Sadie and Ethyn stand up. "Let's go to the common room," Sadie says. "The couches are comfier."

"Okay," Tess agrees.

Everyone stands up, and we head over there. I linger behind a little bit, enjoying the calm and quiet.

I look over to the large wall with white blinds pulled down over all the large windows. Curious, I head over, and cautiously pull one of the blinds forward a little. No alarm goes off, so I pull the blind forward more, and peek around it.

I'm slightly disappointed to see that it's just a courtyard, nothing that could tell me where we are, but it's still outdoors.

I hear someone enter, and I drop the blind, letting it fall back into place, and take a step back.

"Amber?" asks a familiar voice.

Daniel.

"Hi," I say.

"Looking outside?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Want to go outside?" he offers.

"Sure." I say. It's a sweet gesture, and even though he's given so many mixed signals, I'm willing to take it.

"Follow me."

We head down another unfamiliar hallway, and then go up a flight of stairs. We walk further, then down another flight of stairs and to a door marked emergency exit.

"Can we go through there?" I ask hesitantly.

"Yeah, it's safe, promise."

"Okay."

Daniel pushes open the door, and nothing bad happens. He holds it open for me and gestures for me to go ahead. I step through, and trip, not realizing that there's a step down.

"Oh Amber! I'm sorry! I forgot to warn you that there's a step. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Daniel holds out a hand, and I graciously take it.