The following day, a chair scrapes against the disgusting cafeteria floor as I tug it out from underneath the table. It's a plain brown, complimenting the uncharacteristic table. Slowly, I lower myself into it, scooting closer to the table with an unsubtle screech of metal against tile. For a society obsessed with perfection, their cafeterias are filthy. Not only that, but the furnishings are generic and bland.

"Hey, Autumn!" Eva greets from my right. Her attitude has definitely changed from yesterday morning. A smile litters her face like food does the ground. She seems to have forgotten about her sister's pain and regained her usual mien.

"Hey!" I reply, offering her and the two boys across from us a small smile.

Cody sits across from me while Jared lounges across from Eva. Maybe the two can actually stand each other's presence now. Jared seems annoyed while his cousin is snickering. Eva's casually eavesdropping on their conversation, her eyes fixated on a point between them while a laugh escapes her lips.

Jared sends her a glare before a smirk appears on his lips. Then, he scoops up his carrots from his 'healthy, balanced diet', which we're all forced to eat, and flicks them at Eva. She gasps, throwing up her arms in a vain attempt to shield herself. One of the slices lands in her dark hair, another slaps her in the face, and the third is harmlessly deflected by her arm. I guess they can't get along.

Fuming, the brunette stabs her fork into her salisbury steak and hurls it towards a surprised Jared. He moves his head to the side but is still met with gravy and steak to the face. Light brown liquid tickles down his visage as the steak thumps onto the table. Cody and I share a look, both pursing our lips as chuckles threaten to escape.

Cody leans back in his chair, lunch barely touched, as Jared grabs his carton of milk and thrusts it in Eva's direction, drenching her hair and face with the creamy liquid. She rapidly blinks, swiping the back of her hand across her eyes. Milk gathers at her slightly pointed chin and drips onto the table, the colors perfectly matching. As she raises her entire inky plate and inches towards Jared's face, a pale hand grabs her arm. The plate clatters to the table, various food items smashing onto it.

"Come with me," the teacher spits, practically yanking Eva out of her chair and dragging her towards the double doors.

Another teacher reaches for Jared, but he jumps out of his chair in the nick of time. After shooting the male teacher a steely glare, he marches towards the exit. The stunned yet irritated teacher follows him, obviously peeved about Jared's display of attitude. The teacher who took Eva disappears from view, her short and inky hair swaying like her hips.

I glance over at Cody, nerves bubbling within me. The whole cafeteria, which I just realize had gone silent, erupts in chatter once again. My heart pounds in my chest

There's a zero tolerance policy. They could be in huge trouble for causing such a ruckus.

"They're just upset someone wasted their 'precious' food," Cody snickers, putting emphasis on 'precious'. I know he's attempting to lighten the mood, but anxiety hangs heavy in the air between us.

I shrug, placing down at my own plate of food. Suddenly, my stomach somersaults at the idea of consuming it. "Yeah." My voice is so soft and delicate that I'm not sure he heard me. Ash is alive. The Others are after my knowledge of Chip removing. Now, two of my best friends could be in serious trouble. It's not fair. It's like God's testing me. Or maybe the government. Is this all some sick joke? I'm not some superhero that used to be featured on television. Maybe they stopped airing those shows not to deter us from acting out, but because it's silly fiction; it's just not realistic.

My gaze snaps up as the bell rings. Cody nearly jumps out of his seat, uncharacteristically lost in his own thoughts. We share a simultaneous nod before gathering our belongings and heading our separate ways. It doesn't matter what happens to me anymore. The important thing is protecting my friends no matter what. Right now, my brain's spinning with possible scenarios my two friends could be facing. With all the vile, malicious people inhabiting this city, the cruel possibilities are endless.

*****

*****

As soon as English class is adjourned, I attempt to rush out of the classroom. Angry looks are shot my way as I elbow and shove a few classmates in the process. A few jerk me to and fro, eager to escape the mob of students and be granted freedom from this building.

Suddenly, my back hits the hard tile as a boy shoves his way past. Claire, one of Eva's former friends and a part of Kaylee's popular group, helps offers me a hand. Her blonde hair frames her face while a small smile lights it up. Warily, I accept it, allowing her to hoist me to my feet. I wobble slightly before I fully regain my balance. She's stronger than I expected.

"Are you okay?" She asks, glancing around the room to realize we're the only ones left. Even the teacher scrambled away.

I nod, scanning her expression from malicious intent. "I'm fine. Thank you."

She cocks her head to the side, her eyes taking the look of a puppy. Well, I think. I've only seen one in my life. "You think I'm mean, don't you?"

I'm taken aback by her blunt question. "What?"

She rolls her glossy blue eyes. "Anyways, I'm assuming you're worried about your friends after lunch today?'

"Um, yeah," I cautiously answer, taking a small step away from her.

"I'm sure they're fine. Have a nice day, Autumn," she chirps, practically skipping away.

"That was weird," I mumble to myself before exiting. However, I hope she's correct about the others being fine.

Finally, I'm able to step into the hallway. It's cluttered with teenagers of various ages; ninth through tenth grade. Some laugh with their friends, some shout into the watches strapped to their wrists, and some slam lockers shut with a surplus of force. Shaking my head as the colossal amount of noise littering the hall attacks my eardrums, I merge with the seemingly endless crowd.

"They got themselves suspended," Cody groans as soon as I reach my locker.

My eyes widen as they meet his worried gaze. Suspension is a serious punishment. It might seem harsh for simply throwing trashy food at another person, but the government takes discipline very seriously. Plus, they encourage us to consume their food because it's supposably beneficial to your health, and therefore perfection.

I let out a sigh as I yank open my locker. "Should we go check on them?"

Cody's voice becomes drowned out by the mixing pot of noise surrounding us.

"What was that?" I nearly shout, grabbing the strap of my bag and attempting to drag it through the junk cluttering my locker.

"I said," he exasperatedly reiterates, "we're not supposed to. It's basically like being locked in a house until tomorrow at midnight."

Finally, my bag flies free, smacking me in the face. Cody lets out a hearty laugh from behind me, his breath tickling the back of my neck. Without turning around, I whack him on his arm. Luckily, my aim is correct. He dramatically whines while it's my turn to laugh; or rather, cackle. Since my last period only required my digital notebook, which the teacher collected to grade our essays, the rest of my belongings sit in my locker. My paper journal is placed gently in my bag before the locker is slammed shut. Then, I hoist the light bag onto my shoulder and spin around to face Cody. His own bag sits on his shoulder, the standard pale tan shade.

"You know," I smile, "we never got that ice cream yesterday."

He offers me a sad smile, his hazel eyes dull. "Sorry, In- Mom wanted me home yesterday, and today too." I'm guessing he doesn't want anyone to realize he's related to Ingrid.

Great, I have three friends now and they're all occupied. "It's alright. I understand. Tomorrow?"

He nods, patting me on the shoulder before turning to exit the building. "Yep! Bye, Autumn!"

"Bye, Cody," I whisper, leaning my back against the cool metal and squeezing my eyes shut. I wish I could tell him about Ash being alive, about The Others. Actually, I wish there was no Others. I wish this was all some sick, twisted joke. That Ash never 'died', that there was no rebellion. That my Chip didn't fall out. Maybe the fence's electric shock sent me into some weird coma.

No. This is ruthless reality.

My eyes snap back open to gaze upon an empty hallway. No more obnoxiously loud chatter. It's a relief of a sort. However, silence can be just as deafening. A single tear traces my cheek as I head down the hallway towards the exit. The panes of glass on the double doors are slightly fogged due to the temperature difference between the air conditioned school and the scorching heat the sun is emitting. I roughly pull it open, leaving it to slam shut behind me.

A tiny rock becomes caught under own of my flats and I kick it as hard as my muscles will allow, sending it soaring through the air. Instead of watching it land, I snap my gaze to the sky. A light blue greets my emerald eyes, wispy cirrcus clouds peacefully drifting. If only my life was as simple as to exist and then to cease to exist. If only my purpose was set, if it was obvious what I was made of. But it's not. It's a web of complexity.

I decide to head to the salon. Instead of sitting around and pondering my pitiful life and complexing problems, why not help out my parents? Maybe I can paint someone's nails and leave an imprint, even if it's temporary. Plus, my parents are eager to spend more time with me. Yeah, this could be enjoyable.

I can almost swear that cloud looks like Ash smiling down at me.