RUN

Chapter 6

Today was the day. The one we'd all been prepping for—whether we liked it or not.

Mission Location: Jackson's BBQ
Operation Breakdown:

Nate Anderson – Played by Will

Lanie Wilson – Me

Cameron Allan – Christina

George Michael – Paul

Mission Objective: Uncover who knows about the Siasms—and who's behind creating them.

Honestly, I didn't even know Paul was coming until Christina casually dropped it into conversation, which made zero sense at first. Then I realized—he was the oldest, and more importantly, Christina's boyfriend. I wished Jack was coming too, but he was busy with guard training.

Christina and I were in our dorm room, changing our appearances to stay under the radar. Her transformation was already complete—gone was the signature crystal blonde hair, replaced by a dark brown ombré. Her skin had more warmth to it now too, less pale and ghost-like. She looked... different. Still beautiful, just not obviously her.

I, on the other hand, looked exactly the same. No hair changes. Just gloves—because it was cold. Our outfits were simple, casual. Not cute, not our style. Christina had hated it at first. "Preppy," she had said with a grimace. "Like middle-aged business casual—but somehow... trendy." She came around eventually.

While she painted her nails, I sat with the mission folder in my lap, rereading the assignment for the fifth time.

"I still can't believe I'm going on a mission," she said, waving her half-painted fingers. "Me. Miss Girly Girl. The Popular One. I used to avoid getting my hands dirty, and now I'm someone people whisper about—like, who is she really?"

I smirked. "If you can knock me out with a soccer ball—and you did—you're more intimidating than you think. Even Paul's scared of you."

She giggled. "You saw what Jack did for your date last week, right? He's a keeper." I blushed, looking down at my hands. "What about William?"

My expression shifted. "What about William?"

"Do you still like him?" She asked, cautiously.

"If I'm dating Jack, I don't think I'd be into Will," I said, as Christina returned to her nails. "We were just friends."

"Oh," She murmured.

"I mean," she added with a shrug, "I thought you two had a thing."

Before I could respond, a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," I called.

Paul stepped inside, dressed in casual gear that didn't quite suit him. Christina bolted from the bathroom and wrapped him in a hug. I followed, smiling.

"Awww," I teased, watching them. It reminded me of Jack—and how much I wished he could be here too. After five minutes of watching their reunion like a third wheel, I cleared my throat.

"Paul? Was there something you had to tell us?"

"Oh, right," he said. "It's time. We need to head to the courtyard. Fast."

He and Christina rushed out. I hung back, grabbing my coat—and nearly dropped it when I stepped out and saw Jack standing there in his guard uniform.

He smiled. "Did you really think I'd let you go without saying goodbye?" My eyes go big.