✔ ALUEDAA

¢нαρтєя тωєηту - ƒσя тнє вєѕт

"You do know you are going to have to give me his full name and all the information you know about him, right? He's with the men threatening all our lives," I asked, looking at Claudia in sympathy.

"Yes, I understand... But can we do it later? I'm extremely tired."

Just as she said that, Cameron opened the door, a smile on his face as he came up to me and hugged me.

'Please don't tell him' Claudia mouthed, worry etched onto her face.

I nodded.

Hugging Cameron back, I suddenly realised I was only wearing Elsu's shirt, and metal chest or not, being so close to someone while hardly wearing anything was quite awkward.

It didn't take long for Cameron to realise what I was wearing, his mouth half open as he jumped back, his face going red.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't notice..." Turning around so that he couldn't see me, "I just, I was happy about what happened before... And I just... I'm sorry!"

I couldn't help but laugh, my red ears hided from view by my black hair.

"Don't worry," I said once I had managed to calm my nervous laughter down, "Anyway, I was just going to go and get changed,"

Maybe it was that incident, or maybe the fact that Cameron and I had become closer over the past couple of weeks, spent more time together, from studying to playing video games, but I felt strange around him. Different.

"Hey, Ungeld," I shouted, walking towards his retreating figure as he spoke to some boys from football, "I'm going to leave for a while, mind covering for me?" I asked once I reached him.

"Oh, someone's naughty," Phil winked, making me wink back.

"Of course, what do you expect? Got to keep up with my reputation,"

"Sure, crashed into a car?" Ungeld asked, the joke from our early years back, but since he couldn't say airplane in front of the standers, decided to go for car.

"What about a bus? Or a truck?" I asked, making his smirk widen.

"I'll go for a train,"

We both laughed, the football players joining in.

This is a clear example of what people do when they don't understand a joke... Just laugh it off.

"Anyway, see you in a couple of days!" I shouted, running in the opposite direction.

Ungeld had always been into football, and now that he was in school, he had tried out. Turns out he was pretty good, and so he was now a team member. This had meant that, ever since his first match, he would start begging for us to go and watch him every weekend.

I had to admit though, he was really good. Maybe even better than the captain.

Taking the long route home, I walked through the forest, the leaves from the trees that had fallen in Autumn frozen on the floor, the bare branches letting the cloudy sky to be seen.

The weather wasn't the best, but compared to some winter storms I had been in, it was calm, relaxing even.

Taking my phone out, I went to my message board, my fingers tapping on the keyboard slowly, still trying to get used to the gadget I had got merely a month ago.

"Hi, director Lily! Just thought I'd let you know I'm taking a few days off... Just thought I'd let you know so that you could place someone in my stand," I read aloud, trying to find any spelling mistakes. "There, that should do it,".

My mind kept wandering towards Cameron, my stomach churning at the very thought.

Do I like him? I asked myself, remembering the many films I had watched, no, no. You probably just feel protective over him since you have to keep him alive.

As I thought about what my life had become, a bunch of homework and exams, boy problem and films, I reached home, the smell of pizza reaching my senses.

Stay and face Cameron, or fly and save a couple of standers?

I knew what I really wanted.

But I also knew what I really needed.

Entering the house as silently as I could, I ran up the stairs, the chatter from the kitchen reaching my ears as I jumped through the window into my room.

The white plain walls awaited me, the wardrobe that had been refilled with new, casual clothes being one of the only things putting any color in the room. My bed was made, the light blue duvets covered by the pink blanket Ivy had lent me, claiming she didn't want me to get cold.

Walking towards the drawer next to the stack of guns, I took out my training trousers, the elastic material hugging to my legs as I quickly got changed.

It was oddly satisfying, getting ready to go out again. The familiarity of all my movements enabling me to stop thinking, turn the trail of thoughts off.

As I took my shirt off, I made my chest turn metal, knowing it would be the best option from previous flights, since depending on the material, it sometimes got torn by the wind. Spreading my wings, I grabbed my small waist bag, and placed a couple of guns inside it, just in case I ended up fighting someone.

Time to go, I thought, making sure I hadn't left anything behind as I grabbed the dark blue mask from my drawer, along with the extra supply of food and water.

I wasn't going to be away for long, yet the feeling of leaving this place I had now called home for less than two months shattered my heart.

"It's for the best, you need some fresh air," I told myself, opening the hatch leading to the garden, the open wall letting a breeze come in.

It's for the best.