I stare at the pale wall, which seems black in the darkness. A faint snoring sounds beside me and I sigh. Then, I flinch as an arm drapes across my stomach, pulling me closer. Long hair that isn't mine clogs my mouth and I attempt to spit it out.

"Eva," I groan, attempting to push her body off me. This is beyond weird.

I guess you could call this a sleepover. Well, if you were being an optimist. After we ate and chatted, Teresa assigned us places to sleep. She had a spare room for Eva and I while the boys were told to sleep in her parent's old room.

The room is nothing special. The mattress lies against a wall with chipping paint. There isn't a frame, just a mattress. The tile beneath us is surprisingly clean, not a spec of dust to be found. Who knows, maybe Teresa cleans in her free time.

A clock sits beside the bed, red numbers glaring at me. I know it's fueled off battery power since the house no longer has electricity. It doesn't have water, either, so we must ration bottles carefully. No more bathing each day. No more squeaky clean hair or sweet smelling shampoo.

Finally, Eva releases me, turning onto her other side. How she has managed to fall asleep eludes me. Sleep has escaped me as worries haunt me. What if we're caught? What if my friends' blood is on my hands?

The rebellions claim I'm something. They think that just because I was able to remove to Chip, I'm some kind of miracle. I'm not. At the end of the day, I'm just a girl who stupidly missed curfew and accidentally lost her Chip.

A single tear slides down my cheek. People are hyping me up to be something I'm not. I'm just a scared fifteen-year-old girl that has no idea what she's doing.

I slowly climb off the mattress not wishing to awaken Eva. Since she's practically dead to the world, she doesn't. Slowly, I creep out of the room, feeling my way through the short hallway. Paint chips onto my fingers and I grimace, allowing the pieces to flutter to the ground.

Moonlight creeps through the back door. It's a sliding door, and it's only covered by a curtain. I'm curious as to why this is, but I think I know. That garden has been tended. That's probably Teresa's hobby; gardening. I think it's lovely that someone in this technology ridden world is taking care of nature.

On a wooden desk by the sliding door sits a notebook. Unable to resist, I rush over to it, quietly ripping out a page. The sound of ripping paper causes me to flinch, constantly scanning my surroundings. However, no one awakens and I smile, picking up the pen next to it.

I slightly pull back the curtain and slide my back down the cool glass. The light is enough to illuminate the paper, which I press against my knees. It feels good to write again, even amidst the chaos around me. I'm also surprised Teresa has paper, as it's considered 'outdated'. Then again, it's not a device, so it's untraceable.

Autumn leaves cascaded from trees.

Children's laughter stung like bees.

I was bitter,

there because I needed a sitter.

Now, I sit in silence,

here amidst such violence.

It's all because of me.

That's why it came to be.

A tear splatters onto the paper, causing the ink to slightly bleed.

Now, I'd do anything to hear her laugh again.

Alas, I don't have her with me, just a pen.

I will protect my friends with my life,

no matter the strife.

When it's over, I'll be able to smile.

Now, sadness is my style.

Everyone expects me to do something great

They've forgotten it's me they should hate.

"Autumn, what's wrong?"

I glance over at Cody, who sits down beside me. I can barely see his face, yet I can tell he carries a worried expression.

Swiftly, I attempt to conceal the paper. However, it's too late. He rips it from my grasp, springing up from his spot on the ground. Defeated, I allow him to read it, not even bothering to fight him.

Once he's done, he plops back down next to me. Gently, he places the paper on the floor. Then, he pulls me into his arms, letting me sob into his chest.

I attempt to quiet myself in fear of waking the others. So, I end up burying my face deeper into his shoulder, inhaling his scent. All of my pent up emotions spill into the open.

He read the poem, and that makes me feel extremely vulnerable. It's like he's read all my emotions, like he knows exactly what I've been thinking the past few days. Or weeks. Or months.

The worst part is I wasn't even finished. Who knows how long I would have written for if he hadn't interrupted me. How long would I have waited to full out sob? Would anyone else have consoled me?

He rubs circles into my back and I relax against him.

"Thanks," I sniff, my voice muffled by his shoulder, which I now realize is bare. I pull away, my cheeks flaming as I cast my gaze towards the ground.

He chuckles. "No problem, Autumn. And you can totally check me out, you know."

I glance up and punch his shoulder before wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "Haha. Now it's the time to be conceited."

He sighs, running a hand through his blond hair. "Now also isn't the time to beat yourself up. Autumn, look at me," he mutters as my gaze returns to the floor.

I shake my head, but feel a hand lift my chin. My emerald eyes meet his hazel ones and something summersaults within me.

"Autumn, you're such an amazing person. You're the first girl I've met that didn't care about my riches or who my mom is, if they knew. Actually, you're the first girl I've met in the fashion I met you."

A small laugh escapes me. "I figured bumping into people on the street and being like 'Oh my gosh lets save the world together!' isn't very common."

We both share a quick laugh, attempting to keep our voices down.

"Look Autumn, none of this is your fault," Cody continues, his tone solemn. "You didn't mean for a whole mess to be created. But maybe it's for the better. Maybe we can save the world after all."

"How?" I question, still staring into his eyes. "We're practically runaway fugitives."

He shrugs. "Think of it as an adventure. Your Chip is a hope for us, but no pressure. Those rebellions have corruption, too. You heard Harper speak. And I believe her. Plus, she risked her life for you. For us. So we, as a team, can keep moving forward and stop my father and the government."

A smile tugs at my lips. "You really think we can change the world?"

"I know so," he answers, confidence clear in his voice. "With your intelligence and determination, and the rest of us being here, you'll be just fine."

I find myself laughing again, a huge pressure lifted off my chest. "Thanks for this pep talk. I really needed it."

He nods. Then, we sit in silence. Only, instead of what my poem referred to, this silence holds a thousand emotions, but none of them negative. It's a good kind of silence, the one you share with people you care about.

Wait, do I care about Cody? Of course as a friend, but maybe as something else?

I know this question has risen within me before, but I believe it's time to settle the question once and for all. Does he like me? Could he?

Something flutters within my chest and I find my heart pounding a thousand times faster. His fingers, which are still holding my chin, ignites the skin under it with a tingling fire.

He leans closer, his bad breath fanning my face. Even if that isn't very sexy, we don't have toothbrushes, so my breath probably smells the same way. However, that is the least of my worries.

Wow, how romantic, Autumn!

Instead of waiting for him, I lean forward and connect our lips. I can tell Cody's surprised as he freezes for a second. However, like wax on a candle, he melts into my lips.

It's not a harsh kiss, but rather gentle and sweet. I taste salty tears on my lips and I think they're mine. I pull him closer by wrapping my arms around his neck, and he does the same, pulling me forward by my lower back.

I gasp for air as we break apart, my cheeks on fire. That was my first kiss. Against a shirtless guy. Holy crap.

"Um," I stammer, unsure of what to do next.

Cody chuckles, pressing his lips back against mine.

"Hey guys what are you- Oh I'm just going to go back to sleep."

Cody breaks the kiss to flip his cousin off before leaning back against the door. I lean my head on his shoulder and laugh as he wraps his arms around me.