Removed

26

 "And then, he fell in the water instead of the cat," Cody chuckles, wiping away a tear of laugher that escaped his eye.

Guffaws vibrate through my chest. Tears blur my vision as my chest heaves up and down. One glance at Cody kneeling over from laughing too hard and I'm in hysterics all over again. We must be quite a sight, two teens hunched over the pavement in front of the school. Maybe we look insane, like we're doing drugs instead of eating lunch.

Finally, I pick myself off the ground and swipe my hand across my damp eyes. "What a devious ten year old Jared was."

"Agreed," Cody smiles, rubbing his eyes with his fist before plucking our lunch boxes off the ground. Instantly, I reach for mine. A smirk worms its way onto my friend's face as he breaks into a sprint, clutching both lunches to his chest. "Come and get it!"

"Hey!" I shout, rushing after him. My fingers graze his arm before he halts in his tracks, causing me to crash into his back.

He turns around and holds a slender finger to his lips, nodding his head towards the curve of the building. Usually, we turn right and eat lunch against the wall. Did someone steal our spot?

I cringe as a loud smack rings through the air. "Of course you scared me! When you were almost a period late this morning, I began to worry! We all did! Especially after what I said last night."

Silence pierces the air like a knife. Slowly, Cody and I inch forward. We slightly peak around the corner, our cheeks pressed together. I'm pretty sure mine radiate heat as something flutters within my stomach. Get a grip, Autumn!

Eva's ponytail billows in the breeze, her face flushed. An indeterminable emotion swims in her eyes, the sun turning her chocolate irises golden. Jared's back faces me. He nurses his cheek, inky hair reaching for the sky. He takes a tentative step towards Eva, his footing slightly faltering. He flails his arms, regaining his balance before his face and the floor become acquainted.

"Well, Eva," Jared draws out slowly, each syllable a blow to Eva's gut, "I'm not sure why you care. After all, you hate me. You want to see me die."

I suck in a breath, swiftly slapping a hand over my mouth. Luckily, the two remain oblivious to Cody and I's eavesdropping.

Eva's head rocks back and forth, her eyes devouring the pavement. A single tear traces her cheek. "Yeah, I kinda hinted at that, didn't I?"

Jared's shoulders rise before swiftly dropping. "You didn't just hint at it. You blatantly stated that fact."

It looks like the air is sucked out of Eva's body. She collapses onto the ground, her knees bent and hands supporting her weight. Jared kneels in front of her, the back of his head obscuring her face from my few. Cody tenses beside me before leaning closer to the drama.

"I'm sorry," Eva mutters, my ears straining to hear. "I'm such a stubborn jerk, aren't I?"

"Well, I'm the same way," Jared sighs, running a hand through his messy hair. He leans closer, so close that from here, someone might guess they're kissing. "Wanna hear a secret, Ev?"

She stiffens at the nickname, slightly leaning back. "No, let me go first."

"Just kiss already," Cody groans.

I smack his arm, which is nearly impossible at this proximity.

"Eva-"

"No," Eva adamantly cuts him off. "I-I kinda like bantering with you. Well, it's more than that," she lightly laughs, her gaze shifting to the clouded sky. "But, you know, I might, kinda, sorta..." She trails off before smashing her face into his. Honestly, from here, that's what it looks like. But I know for sure that their lips are connected.

My hand flies over my mouth to stifle my squeals, and Cody imitates me. Jared's hand cups the back of her head and pulls her closer.

"Finally!" Cody shouts, causing the our two friends to jump apart.

"You idiot!" I berate, smacking his arm before shoving him away from me. Surprised, he allows our lunch boxes to drop to the ground.

Eva's fingers trace her lips, eyes wide and hair slightly disheveled. Jared mirrors her, minus the tracing of lips.

A grin stretches across my lips, excitement nearly causing me to explode. I leap froward and envelope Eva in a tight embrace. My fingers dig into her shoulders as I pull away, bouncing on the balls of my feet. Jared's mouth opens, but I cut off his statement by throwing my arms around his neck.

"So cute!" I squeak, causing Eva to cringe. I grab both her and Jared's hands. interlocking them together with the giddiness of a five year old receiving a present.

Cody appears beside me, the sunlight bouncing off his teeth. As Eva and Jared rip their hands apart, I lean my arm on his shoulder and grin like a mad woman. The two appear flustered, cheeks ablaze like raging fires and eyes shifting to and fro.

A short chuckle sounds from beside me. "So, are you guys together now?"

Jared, finally reacting to our excitement, waves his hands back and forth. "Whoa, calm down. I think you guys are reading into this too much."

"Screw it!" Eva smiles, tossing an arm around Jared's neck and pulling him closer. Then, she shoves him aside, clears her throat, and rubs her hands on her skirt. "I mean, um..."

Suddenly, Jared throws his own arms around her and pulls her flush against his chest. "Yes, we are."

Eva pushes him away, her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze involuntarily flicks to him, who stands unsure by her side. "Well, we can't rush anything."

Jared solemnly nods. "She's right."

Cody takes a step forward. "So, you guys don't hate each other after all." I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"Um, hello."

I spin on my heel, my hand flying over my thumping heart. Her eyes match the color of synthetic greenery, hair mocking the shadow of midnight. Panic throws her normal mien out the window, her gaze flicking behind her and from side to side. Her teeth tug at her bottom lip, her waist slimmer and hair oilier.

"Harper," Cody hisses, venom lacing his tone.

She holds her hands in front of her, inky hair blanketing part of her face. "Look, I don't have much time! But..."

"Save it!" I shout, my hands balling into fists by my side. My eye twitches, memories of the bathroom confrontation flooding back. "How did you escape?"

"What's going on? Escape from where?" Eva queries.

As Harper grips her forearm with her opposite hand, I notice angry red wounds coating her flesh. "Look," she gulps, glancing behind me, "I know you probably hate me. I know I'm a horrible person. I don't have much time to explain. But..."

I hold up a hand. "I don't think I want to hear your explanation."

She runs a hand down her face, panicky glancing behind her. "You don't understand. They're coming. Today. And if they take you-"

"Who's coming?" Jared interjects, the edge in his voice capable of slicing steel.

"The Etchers. For the Chip testing."