Removed

19

 "What?" I gasp, recoiling in shock and horror. My body begins to tremble, fear gathering inside of me swift as lightening strikes down a tree. My feet inch away from the table and Cody's dark figure. My dark hair slaps me in the face as I spin on my heel, the action a subconscious reaction to the startling news. In a split instant, my secret could slip out into the open. Questions would be fired at me like bullets, then I would simply be terminated for my illegal knowledge. Chips usually shock and possibly murder you if tampered with, but I was lucky enough to survive the accidental extraction. Or was it a curse?

A bulky hand grabs my wrist, yanking me in the direction of it's owner. It's too dark to make out his expression. He's simply a faint outline against the inky backdrop of my favorite ice cream shop.

I attempt to shake my wrist from his grasp but it simply tightens. "Let go," I hiss.

"Really, Autumn," he breathes, his breath smacking me in the face. "Please stop running every time you're given a reason to question trust. If I wanted to turned you in, I would have done it a long time ago. You could just as easily turn me in for my part in Chip Busters."

A shaky sigh escapes my lips as my arm is allowed to drop by my side. "You're right. I'm sorry. Trust just doesn't come easily to me."

"It's not that easy for me to trust either," He whispers sullenly. "But really, you can trust Jared and I. I know you can trust Eva, too. We're a team now."

Slowly, I nod. Without further thought, I wrap my arms around him. He stiffens in surprise before hugging me back. Both of our arms are loose and awkward tension hangs in the air. After we pull away, I can feel heat splicing across my cheeks. The darkness is, for once, a blessing, hiding the red of my cheeks from the boy in front of me.

"Welp," he nervously laughs, "you should get back to your parents."

I shrug, an awkward feeling filling my chest. It's warm and bubbling mixed with a feeling of safety. Maybe I enjoy this idiot's company more than I'd like to divulge.

"Autumn?" He mumbles, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Curfew is soon. You know they're being extra strict with Chip monitoring."

My memory snapping back to the Chip check looming ahead, I suck in a sharp breath. "What about the Chip check coming up? They're gonna figure me out."

"I might have-"

We simultaneously turn towards the door as it's yanked open. I hold my breath, crossing my fingers behind my back. As Cody stiffens beside me, I can barely make out a slightly pudgy female silhouette. Her heels clack against the tile and in a flash, the lights buzz to life. My eyes squint against the suddenly flood of artificial light, staring at the dark haired woman leaning against the wall. A smile is etched across her face instead of a scolding frown. Glasses similar to my own black framed, which I have switched for contacts, rest against the bridge of her nose. For some reason, it causes me to smile. It's probably the fact that we both share an imperfection in our vision, one that with combined with my asthma adds attributes to the reasons people have to resent me.

"Hey, Aunt June," Cody nervously smiles, his lips turning upwards ever so slightly.

June shakes her head, taking a step forward. "You always think I'm going to scold you. You know I gave you permission to be here. And I told you to call me June."

Cody swiftly nods, his smile morphing into an ear-reaching grin. "I know, June."

"So," June wiggles her eyebrows, casually placing a hand on her hip, "who's your friend."

My friend groans, running a hand down his face. "It's not like that, June! We were just, you know, chilling."

A sly smirk graces June's delicate features, her dark chocolate eyes gleaming. "In the dark? At night?"

I roll my eyes as Cody glances to me for help. We can't divulge the truth, but I definitely don't want those kinds of lies spreading. "I had something to tell him," I smoothly lie, my arms crossing over my chest. "It's kind of a, um, personal secret."

"She's-"

I hold up a hand, affectively cutting him off. "Don't spill the secret, dufus. Now, I need to go. My-"

"Oh, why don't you stay a while. I'm not sure why my nephew didn't offer you any sweets."

I smile, shaking my head. "You know the whole food intake thing. Have to keep up the-"

June waves her hand, gesturing to her stomach. "Please. Can I be honest with you?" Her eyes snap to Cody, who instantly nods, clearing me as someone trustworthy. "I don't believe in all that. It's silly, forcing people to live uncomfortably just to fit Ingrid's perfectionist standards." She spits the words like they're venom she needs to eject from her system. As soon as the words are out in the air of the small shop, her eyes widen.

Softly, I smile. Inside, I'm jumping for joy. The owner of this amazing ice creamery shares my opinions. She's not a mindless zombie! "Don't worry, I share your opinions."

Her eyes widen even more before returning to their normal appearance. She swipes a piece of hair behind her ear, her pale flesh seeming to glow in the florescent light. "Well, then I like you already."

I giddily smile, following behind her as she motions for me to do so. "I love this ice creamery! It's the epitome of awesomeness!"

She halts behind the counter and I in front of it. Cody leans against the perspiring glass, licking his lips as his eyes slide over the various buckets of flavors. My mouth waters, saliva nearly pouring out of my lips as my eyes land on my favorite flavor.

"Thank you, dear," June exclaims rather loudly, taking a dramatic bow. "I put so much into this shop. Now, what's your favorite flavor?"

"Fruity Rainbow Swirl!" I shout rather quickly, the words coming out in a rush as my mouth anticipates the savory flavor. The vibrant colors of the shop greet my eyes, a sigh of contempt nearly escaping my lips. Though the favorable and the unimaginable, this shop as been there for me.

A small laugh escapes June's lips as she grabs a pink scooper and begins scooping my favorite flavor out of it's silver home. Next, she grabs a reusable cup, which is made of porcelain and is not allowed to leave the shop, and plops the scoop into it. With a large grin, she plops a second serving over the first, the swirl of colors causing my grin to become so wide it strains my skin. She holds it out for me to take, which a gladly do, handing me a silver spoon to eat it with.

"Enjoy," she grins. Her grin falters slightly as she seems to ponder something. "You know, I never caught your name."

"Autumn," I supply, stretching out the hand not clutching my bowl of amazing goodness. She shakes it, her hand soft and chilly from the freezer.

As soon as we let go, I grab the spoon, plunge it deep into the creamy treat, and plop it into my mouth. I sort of suck it off the spoon, immense cold attacking my mouth and splendid flavor gracing it.

After Cody receives a bowl of his own favorite, chocolate vanilla swirl, which June was able to recite by heart, we sit down at a table. For the next hour, we amiably chat as Cody and I finish our ice cream, the goodness slowly melting as conversation dominates the disappearance of the cold treat.