"oh my go-... Sophia, I have to go. my friend is actually here... and I wanna talk to her, if you understand."
"uh. yeah. you know, whatever. I don't care." Sophia smiled at me carelessly, and walked over to a table filled with chatter and laughter.
I walked to amilia's table, and suddenly something behind me crashed. instinctively, I looked around to see what is was, and to my disappoint, it was just someone who had dropped their tray.
I turned back so amilia, opening my mouth to greet her, but she had left. vanished. I whipped my head around, looking throughout the hall. she was gone.
"amilia? AMILIA?" I screeched.
suddenly, the teen boy from earlier gripped my arm, and a tingling sensation went down my spine. before I could react, he slapped me, and I heard 2 soft words escape his mouth: "sweet dreams".
- - -
"elise?"
I moved my fingertips.
"elise! thank fuck! I thought you were dead. Jesus Christ, you scared the living shit out of me!"
I recognised the voice immediately; it was amilia. I opened my eyes to see her holding a bloody cloth down to her leg.
"w-wha-what happened?" i stuttered, but the words still managed to escape my lips.
"well... after I saw you coming over, I was frightened. I thought you had brought me here, and I was scared to think of what you'd do. I know I sound pathetic, but that's honestly what i thought..." she looked down, and bit her nail, before resuming to speak.
"when he stabbed that tranquilliser thing into you, I realised you were a victim too, so I tried to help. I ran over to you, and I heard people chanting my name, and... and... they must of thought it was a rebellion. because they shot me. in the leg."
I got up from my bed, and again, like before, shooting pains went down my spine.
"no, no, sit down. you missed dinner, you need to rest. I'll get Tate for you." amilia smiled, and with that, she walked out the cold, dark room, leaving me, and my thoughts, alone.
- - -
"hey, elise, wake up." once again, my eyes fluttered open, and met with icy blue ones. it was the boy; the voice on the speaker; the one who talked to me when I first woke up; the boy who shot amilia. it was him. I flinched, and he looked shocked.
"wow. you're that scared of me?" he laughed, and it was a real laugh. I hadn't heard a laugh in ages, at least, not since dinner.
"don't be scared, please. I was doing my job. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He pleaded. He looked vulnerable, and somehow, something inside me felt sorry for him.
"oh, yeah, Elise? I'm Tate."
