Edit | #Wattys2016

Twenty Six

"I need to talk," Dakota says, and quickly walks into the room.

"Dakota, actually I—"

"This is important," she says firmly, "more important than Avelyn's infatuation with you."

He shuts up almost immediately, and if I didn't know better I'd say something I'd regret.

Turning to me, she asks, "you remember Blake?" She anticipates my reaction, eyes alight with urgency.

Blake. Somewhere in the back on my mind I think I've heard that name before, but with everything that has been going on, I simply can't recall who he is exactly.

"The guy with the spectacles?" Dakota waves her hands around frantically to emphasize her point.

Oh.

The one who passed around snacks when we first got into the room. The one who helped us with the video. The one who wore spectacles and supposedly liked Athena.

Right.

Upon seeing that my expression has changed, Dakota closes her eyes in relief.

"Okay, look, we need to go. I'll explain as we walk." She starts to head for the door, but Xavier grabs her arm.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

Dakota shakes her head. "No time."

Xavier nods, and looks over at me from over his shoulder, before tilting his head towards the door and following Dakota, who is now walking at an accelerated speed.

I follow them both, and once I step out the door slides shut automatically. And then I walk straight into Dakota's back.

Standing in front of us is Blake, his brown hair unkempt and wild, his eyes fixed on Dakota, all traces of emotion gone from his face.

The tension and urgency is buzzing through the air; making my heart anxious with worry.

"Dakota," Blake says, his voice low and deep. Xavier takes a step in front of Dakota, blocking her from his sight.

"Listen, it's not what you think. I'm on your side—"

"If you were on our side, you wouldn't have sent them our information. If you were on our side, you wouldn't have hurt Athena. If you were on our side—"

My heart pangs. Our information? Does Edit know where we are now? Do they...

"I get it," Blake runs his hands through his hair, visibly frustrated. "I didn't mean to hurt Athena, okay?"

"And the information?" Dakota crosses her arms over her chest, having moved from her spot behind Xavier.

Blake lets out a frustrated growl. "Yeah, I messed up. I wanted to send it to the people on the pod, but it got intercepted and—"

"I don't want to know. Let us pass," Dakota says, her voice laced with anger and bitterness. It's so un-Dakota like that even Xavier reaches over and touches her arm to keep her in check.