Seven | Book 1 (An EXO fiction)

8.

~Chapter 8: Making Our Way Downtown~

"Okay, I'm going to park the car over in the parking receptacle. You can just get out and wait here until I get back. It'll only be like 3 minutes." Luhan looks at me warily and I pucker my lips and look out of my passenger side window.

"I'll just stay by that mall entrance over there. I'll be on the bench?" I look at him to see if that's fine with him, and he nods. I smile and he pushes a button so that my door will open for me. I climb out of the silver vehicle and the door closes behind me. The window rolls down and Luhan leans over his seat so that I can see him better.

"Stay there. Don't do anything reckless until I get back." He says sternly. I roll my eyes and walk towards the mall entrance on my own. It's been three days since I talked to Tao and told him that I would go along with this suicide mission. Kris sent Luhan and me out to go and update my wardrobe now that I've decided to stay. I'd prefer it if the angry tall man would have come with me rather this guy who acts like I'm going to stab him at any moment, but Luhan is apparently the eldest and most experienced with this whole thing. I haven't been told exactly how long I will be staying with the boys, what I'm going to be doing in the castle, or how long I will have to stay with the Queen, but as of now I'm just rolling with the punches.

I situate myself on the long metal bench and look around. We have apparently been in the 2nd ring this whole time. It's a lot less urban in this ring than it was back in the 3rd. Maybe that's why it all seems cleaner. I've been given a light blue shirt and white pants to wear on today's adventure, and I was forced to shower 3 times before leaving the house. I didn't think that I smelled that bad, but Luhan was adamant. He wasn't going to take me out unless he could only smell my soap. A tap on my shoulder disturbs me and I jump in to defense mode almost immediately.

It's been about a month since I was on the streets but the reaction is still instinct. The identified hand only belongs to Luhan and he gives me a worried look, I attempt to smile and brush off my nearly violent reaction. "Let's walk around. I need you to see something..." I stand up and squeeze my lips into a line to show my skepticism. "And there is a specific store that we should go to. Let's go." He says.

**

We walk in silence for 15 minutes and the street and this part of the city is beginning to get a bit too crowded for me. The energetic people and excitement is tangible. I can feel myself tensing up and my nerves are on edges. A hand on my shoulder squeezes me reassuringly, when I look back it's just Luhan nodding in encouragement, but not looking me in the face. I roll my eyes. Great, it's starting.

Before we left the little "cult house", Luhan told me that he wouldn't be able to talk to me much outside of the house (as if he talked to me much inside the house in the first place). That he won't be able to interact with me much out in public. I was told that as long as I pretend to be confident that everything would be just fine. I blink at Luhan behind me and then swallow down my fear. I square my shoulders and lift up my head so that I don't look as scared as I feel.

No one gives me any kind of second glance. I look around and no one seems the least bit interested in what I'm doing or who I'm with, and to say that I'm kind of confused is an understatement.

"They think that you're Gaia." A soft voice informs me. My steps stutter and my eyes widen at the statement; they think I'm a mutant? A quick pinch to my arm makes me groan and recollect my composure. He didn't pinch me hard, but it was definitely not light enough to be missed. The deer-eyed boy is still guarded around me, and I can understand why. I wasn't exactly approachable for the first weeks and I did almost break his arm.