This is the first time in two years I've eaten ice cream with a friend, besides Cody, who doesn't really count. I can't help but giddily smile, my eyes crinkling so hard it actually hurts. Eva seems just as content, leaning back in her chair as she licks her cone of fruity vanilla swirl. My own cone of my favorite flavor trails down my arm as we lazily chat about anything and everything. It's been a few days since we Eva told off Harper and it's already like we're best friends. She's just so easy to talk to. She understands.

Jared attempted to make amends a few nights ago when my family returned to his mansion. I literally locked myself in the bathroom for the duration of the two hours we stayed. At least I had Eva to text. Even though I couldn't rant to her about the whole Chip ordeal, it felt good to bond with her. We both love ice cream and despise the perfection imposed on us. She's better than a guy who betrayed my trust.

"So," Eva smiles, taking a long lick of her ice cream, "Whatcha thinking about?"

I blink, my eyes snapping open to her amused expression. Over the past few days, we've both picked up on each other's little quirks. She can tell when I'm zoning out. I can decipher when she's upset and choking back emotions. She's done that a lot the past few days. Whenever her old friends pass us in school, she internally freaks out.

"Autumn?"

Instantly, I shrug. "About my mess of a life."

She laughs, rolling her eyes. "Your life isn't a mess. You've got me now."

"True," I smile, devouring my cone of goodness.

"Man, I love this place. Good thing we exercise."

I nod. The only downside is that we're forced to, that it's a tool of 'perfecting' our society.

Within minutes, both cones have disappeared and we wipe off our sticky hands. Eva hops up, scooting her wooden chair in. I follow suit, both of us exciting the ice creamery. The small, vivid building soon vanishes from our sight. Our steps are light and hers has a bounce, conversation falling easily. Colors and buildings blend into a blur as smiles illuminate our faces.

"Where are we going?" I query as the structures around us transition to dull and colorless.

Synthetic greenery fades and chained fences take their place. Eva's smile slightly falters, her shoulders slumping forward. Instead of answering my question, she ambles ahead. While she seems familiar with the area, I've never stepped foot in it. Actually, I've only heard of it, mainly in rumors. People claim only the low of the low live here. The government barely allow them to stay in the city. They're the people who hide from authority, struggling to pull off a facade of perfection. Whenever their Chips are scanned, the people scanning instantly scorn them. They're the poorest people in the city.

A petite woman waves to Eva and she waves back. The woman's clothes are slightly tattered, but she carries herself with pride. Honestly, I admire her for that, despite the fact that she's a stranger.

"We're here," My friend sighs, sprinting up to a small door. The house is decent size and the dark paint is slightly chipped. It takes her three tries for the security code to work, frustration evident in her huffs. Finally, the pad glows green and she swings open the door.

Few windows let in sunlight. The living room is quaint, dull furniture contrasted by lively pictures. A normal person would turn up their nose, believing Eva's beneath them. I'm not going to. This means she has a reason to hate the government. It's more proof that she's not like the rest. Not that I wouldn't be her friend if she was rich. Well, she proved she wasn't like Jared.

"I-I live here," she whispers as she turns to face me. Her eyes are downcast and her lips tremble. She's fearing my judgment, hoping I don't shun her like anyone else would.

I smile, placing my hands on her shoulders. "Eva, I don't think you're scum. Where you live doesn't define wether you're my friend or not. Thanks for trusting me with this, as I take it the populars don't even know."

She stares at me with disbelief written across her features. Slowly, her lips turn up into a smile. The smile grows until her chocolate eyes crinkle with joy. "You really don't think less of me?"

"No,"I shake my head, pulling her in for a hug."You stood up for me. You've been there for me the past few days. Why should I ignore that just because of the type of roof over your head or the part of town you live in?"

She squeezes me tightly, her voice muffled by my shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you for being there for me as well. No popular has ever been as kind as you."

We stand there squeezing the life out of each other for a few minutes. When we finally pull apart, neither of us can force the smiles off our faces. This feeling is bliss. I finally have someone by my side. My loneliness has been abolished. Here is a girl who's willing to be my friend, to stand up for me. She's not judging me, not abandoning me like everyone else has.

"So," Eva grins, barely containing her delight, "Whatcha wanna do?"

"Hmm," I tap my chin,"Do you know how hungry I am?"

She laughs, the sound light and hearty. "We just ate!"

"Yeah, but all that walking-"

"Alright, let's-"

"Evie!"

I look down to see a young girl tackling Eva in a hug. My friend laughs, spinning the girl in a circle before setting her down on the ground.

"This is my sister, Lily."

I smile at Lily, who has light hair that contrasts her sister's. Her smile is wide, and she's missing a few baby teeth.

"Hi, Lily! I'm Autumn!"

Lily sticks out her hand, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. I laugh in response, moving to grasp her hand. At the last minute, she attacks me with a hug, and I lightly hug her back.

Lily smiles as she steps away from me. "Keep making Evie smile, Autumn."

I grin, watching as the younger girl skips away and down a hallway.

"She's quite a character," I laugh.

Eva grins. "Yeah, she-"

Our watches beep simultaneously.

I groan. "I don't wanna exercise."

Rolling her eyes, Eva grabs my arm and leads me to the door. "You can have all the food you can eat after this."

Yanking open the creaking door, I grin. "You better not go back on your word."

"Nah. Best friend promise?"

I stop in my tracks and spin around to face her. Her eyes widen as if she thinks she crossed some invisible line.

"Best friend promise," I repeat, holding out my first for her to bump.

We stroll through the neighborhood, alternating between jogging and slowly walking. Drops of water splash against our flesh, a fresh breeze whipping our hair. Occasionally, Eva waves to people she knows. Some people seem content with their lives while some seem depressed. Either way, they take the time to spare a smile. Soon, we've reentered the 'good' part of town. People don't seem as amiable.

The light drops soon turn to pouring pellets. We become drenched from head to toe, chilled to the bone. Our teeth chatter, yet we preserver. The vibrant buildings are obscured by the heavy rain, all other civilians having ran for cover. I look to my right but can't make out Eva's small figure. Not even a glimpse of her brunette hair is visible.

"Eva?" I shout, pausing in my stride and cupping my hands over my mouth.

"Over here," she calls just as our watches beep once again, signaling the end of our daily exercise.

Blindly, I hold my arms out in front of me, sprinting in the direction of her voice. My head smacks against a pole despite my extended limbs. "Eva?"

I scream as rough hands grip at my wrists. After elbowing them, I sprint as fast as I can in the opposite direction. Heavy footsteps chase me until someone grabs my arm and pulls me into a building. My arms fail through the air and I end up falling on my behind.

"Get away from me!" I hiss, tapping my watch and activating the flashlight.

Cody squints against the sudden light, shielding his face with one hand while blocking my frantic punch with his other. "How about a 'You're welcome?'"

"Allow me to reiterate: Get away from me."

He runs a hand down his face as I shut off the flashlight. "Autumn, this is serious."

Gesturing out the window, I mock, "Very serious. It's raining. Oh dear gosh, we're all gonna die."

He let's out a puff of air. "Autumn, listen to me. Someone found out about what we're doing!"

"Yeah," I scoff, "Jared."

"No! The person who was trying to kidnap you, idiot."

"Was it Jared?"

Though I can't make out his figure through the dark, I can imagine him rolling his eyes. "No. Jared wouldn't be caught dead in the rain. Look, I'm really sorry, alright?"

Pushing myself off the tile floor, I scowl. "I'm sure you are."

I shove him away from me as I feel his hand grabbing my arm. "Don't touch me."

"Your faux skin is peeling off.."

"What? It is? How? How can you even-"

"Night vision contacts."

"Of course."

Cody flips on the flashlight on his own watch and carefully removes the fake skin. It easily peels off, exposing my Chip and raw flesh. The Chip clatters to the ground, a few specs of blood glinting in the artificial light.

"What the heck?"

Cody and I both jump as Eva emerges from the darkness, jaw slack and eyes the size of saucers.

----

Sorry updating has taken foreverrrrrr. I just have to copy and paste like seriously. Anyways I finished editing the sequel, Inserted, a few minutes ago. Yasssss.

-Sarah