Storm

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Five minutes later, I was sitting on Noah's couch beside Chance, Noah standing, arms crossed, across from me.

Emma was at the table not really paying attention.

This felt like an intervention.

Chance hadn't been lying about Noah being pissed.

Chance, who apparently Noah had personally called to my aid when he realized what trouble I'd gotten myself in.

Chance, who was actually Noah's boyfriend and the reason he'd been at the wall the day he'd found me.

"I told you bringing her in was a bad idea," Emma commented from her seat. She had her legs up on the dining table and was shoveling takeout into her mouth. She then looked at me. "No offense."

Right.

"I'm sorry?" I offered, although I was certain it wasn't enough. How many times had I apologized since meeting Noah? I kept messing up.

Then again, it wasn't like I wanted to be here. If I had two working legs and an escape from the Equator, I would've left immediately.

But I didn't have those things. I didn't have a way out. And if I left this house, I now knew I would probably be taken into custody.

I assumed the only reason I hadn't been taken away during our walk outside was due to the fewer people and the fact that I could have literally been going to get a repair.

Chance leaned back against the couch, running a hand through his golden blonde hair. He was still in his guard uniform. "I'm a bit surprised I got there in time."

Noah still hadn't said a word. He seemed a bit disappointed. Finally...

"I don't know why you left. I don't know where you even came from. But what I do know, is that I didn't waste all this time trying to help you for you to throw it all in the trash. Again." He took a step back and looked out the window.

I sat there like a scolded child, not daring to interrupt whatever he was going to continue with.

"So, I'll say it. If you want to leave, the door's open. You seem like you want to, so go ahead." Emma looked up at that, eyes wide. Even though she seemed to hate me, she looked a bit concerned.

But I didn't get up. Maybe it was cowardly of me, but I knew that there was no hope for me outside that door.

And I also knew I had to fix this. I couldn't just run away after barging into Noah's life and making things difficult for him.

"I really am sorry...," I muttered. I knew I had to continue. I knew I had to say a lot more.

I needed to tell them the truth.

"The reason I left...is because I knew the people. The attack they mentioned - I was a part of it. And the boy on trial, Asten, he's..."

I paused. I didn't know how to describe him. A part of me had almost said boyfriend. But we hadn't had the time. We hadn't had the chance to talk about it all.

And now maybe we never would.

Noah's expression softened at that, and he glanced over at Chance. But Chance was frozen in shock.

He stood up and took a step away from me. "Wait, what do you mean you were a part of the attack?" he asked, eyes wide in fear.

My face went red. "I mean...I didn't actually fight anyone or anything, I..." It was technically the truth.

He looked at me for a second, then looked at Noah. He shook his head. "I need...I need to go to the bathroom."

He swiftly walked out of the room without another word, and Noah frowned. Noah followed after him, quickly, leaving me with Emma.

"Mmm, that was odd. I don't know what that was about. But yeah, I agree with what they said. That was pretty dumb of you," she added.

"Thanks," I replied, dully. I felt like we'd already come to that consensus.

"Although, I do have some respect for how you got out. Like dang. Even though Chance helped you, you must have kept your cool for a while. I would've freaked. The guards terrify me." She scraped the bottom of her takeout container with her fork. "Had to change my body because of it."

It was still a shock to hear someone say something like that.

"But you've never changed a body before? Ha, I remember when I was like you," she said, and sighed dramatically.

"Is it...weird? To switch?" I questioned. I'd never really thought that far into it.

She tilted her head to the side. "It's a bit odd, especially the first time. You have to get used to the different height, weight, or whatever. When I first switched, I'd gone into a blonde-haired girl. I'd never imagined myself as a blonde. And I realized I never wanted to be a blonde again. Didn't suit me."

I tried to imagine Emma as a blonde girl in a different body, but struggled to. "Do you remember what you originally looked like?"

She nodded her head vigorously. "As if I could forget. I have a couple photos. My body also hasn't been destroyed. It's just locked up and stored with the government. I can get it back whenever, but frankly, I haven't really wanted to."

I didn't want to push her further by asking why. "What about Noah? Does he remember his original body?"

Emma just guffawed at that. I scrunched up my brows in confusion.

"Sorry, he's just a nerd is all. That is his body. He's never changed," she explained.

Oh. That's interesting.

I wondered whether I would want to switch bodies if I'd been taken into the Equator normally.

Noah and Chance finally came back, and it seemed like the two had finally worked something out. Noah turned to me. "When you said you were a part of the border attack, how big of a role did you play in it? Were you just following orders?"

What was he talking about? Who's orders would I be following?

Did they not realize just how corrupt their own government and military was?

I'd said I'd tell the truth, but looking at Chance and Noah now, I had a feeling they would react really poorly if I let it all out. "I wasn't really that involved. I didn't hurt anybody." It felt wrong to say...but I couldn't explain it all now. And I didn't think they'd be willing to hear me out.

I'd started to build up a tower of lies. Noah and Emma and even Chance didn't know the entire truth of who I was. But I'd realized now that I had no way of surviving without their help. And I'd need to survive if I ever wanted to save Asten or January or everyone else now stuck in the Equator.

I just had to make sure nobody knocked it down.