Counterfeit

-sixtyeight-

—sixtyeight-

Feels like we're on the edge right now. I wish that I could say
I'm proud. I'm sorry that I let you down.
+ Let You Down +

-

"WAIT, SO JUST tell me one more time: how any people know about this?" Thea was finally wrapping her mind around everything, whilst trying to keep up with what was expected to happen.

"Only a handful of people. Patrick, Charleston. More will be arriving tomorrow. Mostly guards."

"Tomorrow?"

I nodded. "During the Harvest."

"I still can't get over the Rule. And we can touch?" She was so overjoyed and in disbelief that she needed constant confirmation every time she went to hold one our hands.

"I never knew how magical it could feel. Or how powerful."

"I think thats why they took it away from us." I told her. "So we lose the empowerment of human connection."

As we all stood up, Thea declared, "I can't wait to leave this place."

"Me too." Ava agreed. "No more rules. No more confinement."

"No more MiKinley." I thought to myself, accidentally speaking aloud.

"What was that?" Ava asked.

"Nothing. I didn't mean to say anything." I explained. "Uh, I should probably go find MiKinley." I told them.

"See you soon."

-

I found MiKinley down by the creek. He looked so at peace with everything, by the water, waiting for me. He seemed grateful to see me.

"How was everything with Thea?"

"Yeah, it's good, thanks."

"What did you have to talk to her about?"

I couldn't tell him it yet, but I had to tell him something. "Uh, we just wanted to make sure she wasn't too freaked out about everything that's been going on. I think we forget sometimes that she's quite a bit younger than us."

"I like to think this place has actually toughened her up a bit."

"I think it's done a lot of things to a lot of people. But I hope you're right. Especially with how things are."

"And how are you doing with all of it? Are you okay?"

I sighed. "It gets a bit much sometimes."

"You know you have me, right?"

I gazed over at him, at my best friend. "I do. I know that."

He looked over at the stream, sitting slightly in front of me, his hand outstretched behind him as he sat. He was so close. "And you have me."

So close that I could touch him if I wanted to. If he were really here...but I wasn't thinking about that at the moment. I was lost in what I knew could easily be one of our last moments down here together and I wanted to have memory of connection, just in case I really was going to lose him.

So I did it. I reached over, curled my fingers in, pointing out with my index. It was just like with Charleston, for the first time all over again, an urge I couldn't resist. Inches away, feeling like miles, about to land...

MiKinley jumped up, hurrying to get as far away from me as possible. Afraid.

"Pip, what the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"MiKinley, I-"

"You idiot! Are you trying to get us both killed? What's wrong with you! What is wrong with you?"

I couldn't do anything but pull myself from my knees, trembling, shivering in some sort of coldness. He stared straight at me, so hurt, so betrayed.

I could hear some rustling in the trees, most likely coming to inspect the source of yelling.

"I'm so sorry." My voice cracked and I didn't know if he could hear me. It was all I could say, over again, losing myself a little each time.

"Pip? MiKinley? What's going on?"

I didn't even look away from him to see Charleston approaching. He kept his distance, unsure what had happened between us, but close enough to be there in an instant if I needed him to be.

"Of course you show up! You're everywhere! You won't disappear."

"Calm down, MiKinley. Tell me what's happened." Perhaps he thought I had told him that he was sick, and so he wanted to protect me from MiKinley's reaction, thinking that it wasn't my fault. But it was. I had tried to do something terrible. And now MiKinley might not speak to me again.

"Don't talk to me, 'Charlton.'" He spat his name.

"Charleston." Charleston corrected him under his breath.

"She just flipping tried to touch me. I suspect you're her reason behind this. She never would have done it before you came."

"Maybe if you just let her explain somethings-"

"Don't try and justify it. It would have killed us."

"If you just listen to her-"

"Screw you. I'm done with this."

"MiKinley-" it was too late. He was halfway up the path, hurrying to get as far from me as he could.

I finally turned to Charleston, almost too ashamed to face him. The empathy of his face was almost a reflection of what I felt. I knew it was a similar reaction to when he first tried to touch me, but I might have been on limited time anyway, and now I just gave Kinley every reason to never speak to me again.

"I..." Nothing came out of me except a flood of tears. I cried a whole ocean of them, spilling waves into Charleston's chest.

"I've got you. It's all going to be okay. It's all going to be okay."

But it wouldn't. No matter how many sweet things he whispered, or how close he held me, it wouldn't be okay. I think I lost my best friend before I even had a chance to save him.

-sixtyeight—
I've been waiting to write this chapter for so long now.
Poor Pip and Kinley. Will they ever be happy? Will they get a chance to be? This is like the fifth chapter in a day, you're welcome guys  haha.