"Eli..." 

I stirred but refused to wake up. There was no way my body was going to let me come out of my slumber. 

"Come on, Eli," Emily cooed from the phone. "It's time to wake up." 

"No..." I mumbled sleepily. "Not yet." 

She giggled and didn't say anything for a moment. I almost fell back asleep before she sighed and spoke a bit louder than before. "We have a big day today. The faster we get there, the more time we can spend together. Doesn't that sound nice?" 

Spending an entire day with Emily does sound wonderful. I rolled onto my back and stretched my arms. My voice was still sleepy when I spoke. "Alright, fine. I'll get up." 

"That's more like it. I'll be at your house in about fifteen minutes, okay?" she said before changing her tone to a more questioning tone. "Also, have you told your mom about what we're doing and where we're going?" 

I chuckled nervously. "I brought the idea to her yesterday but didn't tell her why we're going. What was I supposed to say?" 

"Oh, I don't know. She's not suspicious of us, though?" 

"Nah," I responded dismissively. "She trusts me. It's not like me to do these kinds of things. I told her I was going out with a friend for the day. That's all she needed to know, and she seemed satisfied." 

Emily clicked her tongue. "I'm jealous. I have to come up with masterclass lies just to have a chance to hang out with my friends, especially guys." 

"You also have a more rebellious side than I do," I joked, but it was true.

"Strict parents create rebellious children," she replied matter-of-factly. "Anyway, send me your address and I'll be on my way. I'll see you soon."

"I will," I said. "Drive safe, okay?" 

Through the phone, Emily made a noise I could tell she was smiling. "Don't worry, I will. Also, we should do this more often. I enjoyed it." 

"What, fall asleep together on the phone?" I asked, a blush forming on my face. Did she really enjoy it? 

"Yes. It was the best sleep of my life." 

Blushing lightly, I sighed. "So did I." 

"I'm genuinely glad you did," she claimed with sincerity. "We should get going. I'll see you in a little bit, okay? Don't forget to send me your address." 

I pushed the covers off my legs. "I got you. See you in a bit." 

"Okay. Bye, Eli." 

"Bye, Em." 

After she hung up, I let myself fall onto my back on the bed. I'd never fallen asleep the way we did with anyone before. The closest I got was an hour-long phone call with my mother when she was out of the country on a business trip. 

I wondered if we'd do this again. It went well, and besides the nightmare from last night, I slept better than normal. Nightmares were common for me thanks to my childhood trauma, but I've learned to deal with them healthily. Listening to music, reading, playing low-intensity video games, and watching TV always helped. 

However, the nightmares will still return even after I've done all of the previously mentioned activities. Sleepless nights follow, which can cause me to be less focused on vital schoolwork. If I wanted to get into the top university, seeing a professional was an option. 

There was no way I'd take medicine if it were prescribed. I'd rather see a therapist and blab about my problems than take pills. I didn't want to rely on medicine to control my emotions unless it was necessary, which I didn't think it was,

Shit, I let my thoughts run again. Right after texting Emily the address, I threw myself off the bed and onto the floor. I threw on comfortable clothes and opened the door to my room. After using the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and put on deodorant. I don't normally wear cologne, but I didn't want to risk having a bad body odor in front of Emily. I sprayed it over my upper body while not overusing it. 

Greeting my mom who was typing busily on her laptop, I decided not to bother her and opened the fridge to grab a juice bottle. As I turned to grab a small breakfast bar, she glanced at me and offered a small smile. 

"You're leaving soon, aren't you?" 

I sat next to her and nodded. "Yes. She'll be here in a few minutes." 

Mom studied me intently for a moment. "She? As in a girl?" 

Trying to hide a blush, I nodded again. "I-It's not like that, Mom. We're only going to hang out for the day." 

I almost told her we were leaving town, but I wasn't sure how she'd react. If it were Xavian, it'd be different. 

Mom smirked. "Sure it is. You, who doesn't willingly choose to be with other people, are hanging out with a girl for an entire day. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" 

My blush increased in intensity. "O-Okay, but-" 

Her smirk turned into a bright smile, one that would sweep a man's feet from under him. "And you like her? What's her name? Do you have a picture of her? Tell me all about her." 

I couldn't form a logical sentence. Was it true that I was attracted to her? No, that was crazy. With as beautiful as she is, there was no way she'd be attracted to me. She's too beautiful for me. 

"What's her name?" she asked, desperate to know everything about her. 

I waved my hand, feeling overwhelmed by all of the questions. "Emily. You'll meet her soon, but please don't bombard her with questions. I don't know how she'll handle it." 

Mom nodded, her expression turning serious. "You're right. I'm sorry for dumping that on you. I wasn't expecting it to be a girl. I thought it was Xavian." 

Now that she mentioned Xavian, I should tell him what's happening.  "I understand." 

As if on cue, I briefly saw a silhouette walking past the blinded window before a knock came at the door. Nervousness grew in my body. "That must be her." 

She motioned to the door and frowned. "Go let her in. Be a gentleman, Elijah." 

Knowing she was right, I rose from my chair and walked to the door. I opened the door after taking a calming breath and greeted her with a smile. 

"Good morning, Emily." 

She quickly returned the smile. "Hey! Good morning." 

Emily was absolutely stunning that day. She wore sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt with her light brown hair relaxed and wavy, different from her usual ponytail or bun. It sounded basic, but seeing her in something different than the boring school uniform was a great change of scenery. 

I cleared the thoughts out of my head and invited her in. Mom stood up and greeted her. 

"You must be Emily," she said, welcoming her with a hug. "I'm Jackie. You're so beautiful!" 

She smiled politely. "Thank you, Miss Jackie! You're beautiful yourself." 

Mom's jaw dropped and stared at me with a playful expression. "Oh, I like her. You have my permission to leave with my son." 

"Oh, well, thank you." 

The ladies shared a laugh, while I only smiled. Emily glanced at me and subtly nodded. "Well, we should get going. It was a pleasure meeting you." 

Mom extended her arms for another hug, which Emily returned with a light chuckle. "Please be careful and make good decisions. Let me know if anything happens, please." 

Making good decisions wasn't in the itinerary, but she didn't have to know that. Emily provided a polite smile. "We will. You ready, Eli?" 

Was I? This was potentially the last opportunity I had to walk away from this. Knowing what's to come, was I willing to do this? Was I going to be an asset or a liability to Emily? Pursing my lips, I knew that I deserved answers. I wanted, no, needed to do this. It was time to expand the bubble I'd been comfortable in for so long. 

Meeting Emily's look, I nodded. "I'm ready." 

I forgot one thing, but I didn't realize it at the time. I forgot to hug my mom. I wished I realized how much of a mistake that was before I left.

But I didn't know what was going to happen.

-------------------------------------------

Emily and I climbed into her car. Right after we shut the doors, we made eye contact and she laughed loudly. Confusion took over. Did I say something wrong?

"W-What's so funny?" 

She took a moment to calm down before shaking her head at me. "Your mom is so funny. Did you tell her about me before I showed up?" 

Trying not to blush again, I tried to find the right words. "U-Um, yeah, but it wasn't anything like that. I said I was going out, but I accidentally referred to you as a girl, so she grilled me with questions." 

"Oh, okay," Emily replied with a look of understanding. "That makes sense. I assume you still didn't tell her what we're actually doing?" 

I shook my head vigorously. "Hell no. There'd be no way she'd let me go if that was the case." 

"I didn't think so," Emily added as she cranked the ignition. "Well, here goes nothing." 

Her car roared to life. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. As she slowly drove away, I looked at my house as it slowly began to vanish. I pulled out my phone to text Xavian, telling him what Emily and I were doing. Shortly after, he responded with a surprising message. 

"Not without me. Meet me at the school." 

I chuckled, and Emily glanced at me as she turned onto the main road that led to downtown. "What's up?" 

"We might have someone else coming with us," I answered. 

"Who?" 

Looking at her sarcastically, I expected Emily to know the obvious answer to that. Who else is willing to ride with us who knows the truth about what we've chosen to hide for all our lives? 

She jokingly rolled her eyes. "Xavian?" 

"Who else would it be?" 

"Oh, I don't know," she said even more sarcastically. "Maybe it's because he's the only friend you have." 

Normally, I would've been offended by that, but it was true. I shrugged. "I like to keep my bubble small. Xavian's a great friend. We've known each other since we were little kids. I can't imagine anyone else taking his spot." 

Emily nodded in understanding. "I get that. I can't say I have a best friend, just a lot of close friends. Oh, are we meeting him somewhere?" 

"He said to meet him at the school." 

"Sounds good to me." 

The drive to the school was only five minutes away, but thoughts plagued my mind. Was I doing the right thing by doing this? I knew that if I turned around now, Emily would be disappointed. She'd most likely choose to go to Fera by herself, and there was no way I'd let her do that. I needed the answers as much as she did, so I might as well tag along.

A gentle touch on my arm shook the thoughts away. Emily's fingers rested on my arm. She spoke delicately. "It'll be okay. Especially with Xavian tagging along, nothing will happen to us." 

"How do you know, though?" I asked, meeting her gaze for a moment.

She offered a small but reassuring smile. It helped calm the nerves. "I don't want to promise anything, but I have a strong feeling that we'll get what we need without harm to anyone. Combining our strengths and smarts, I don't see how anything terrible can happen. As long as we're careful, everything will be fine. " 

I hoped she'd be right, but her words can only suppress the symptoms sickening my mind. The cure was for all of us to walk out of the capital building alive and well. There wasn't much anyone could do to help ease the stress. It was simply who I was as a person. 

However, I chose to trust Emily's judgment. "If you say so." 

She pulled into the school parking lot, but Xavian's red car wasn't anywhere to be found. I didn't expect him to be here that quickly. Only a couple of other cars were parked in the faculty area, presumably teachers doing some weekend work. 

"Where does he normally park?" Emily questioned. 

I motioned towards a smaller section near the sports field. "Where the other athletic boys like to park." 

Emily drove into the lot and parked the car. I texted Xavian that we were waiting for him near his normal spot, and he quickly responded that he'd be there in just a few minutes. 

"He'll be here soon," I informed her.

She nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt before turning her attention to me. "Is there anything you want to do while we're there? We don't have to go there and immediately leave. If anything, we should probably wait until dark before breaking in." 

Emily's logic was valid. I wouldn't have thought of something as simple as that. I shrugged. "I haven't been to the capital in years, much less a vacation. I don't know what there is to do there." 

Pondering, she snapped her fingers. "Do you like zoos?" 

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Not really. A long time ago, I went with my mom and a bird tried to attack me." 

She tried to hold in laughter. "O-Oh, okay. We can go to the park and hang out. How's that?" 

"I'm fine with that." 

Our gazes never looked away, sending an unfamiliar feeling through my body. My eyes naturally alternated between her eyes and her lips. I'd never kissed a girl before or been in a true relationship, so this was new to me. 

I noticed Emily's eyes doing the same. She slowly leaned forward, and the feeling drastically increased. Was she leaning in to kiss me? What do I do? Should I do the same? 

As soon as I leaned in, a loud car horn blared, interrupting the moment. We peeled away and frantically looked around from where it came from. Xavian's car could be seen turning into the athletic section.

He rolled his window down and flashed his cheeky smile in front of Emily's car. "I know you two aren't leaving without me!" 

Emily and I shared a look before bursting into laughter. It lasted for a few seconds before calming down. I opened the door and stepped out. "Are you going to keep being a dumbass, or are you coming with us?" 

"Oh, I don't know," Xavian responded sarcastically, putting on a thoughtful expression. "I am known for being a dumbass, so I think I'll keep being a dumbass." 

"Shut up and come on! We don't have all damn day!" Emily demanded with her head out of the window.

Xavian wasn't expecting to get bossed around, so he saluted her and parked the car a few spaces away. He hopped out and greeted me by pretending to load shotgun shells into his arm and cocked it. I did the same as we collided our hands with the inside of our forearms, our signature handshake. 

After letting go, Emily shook her head from inside the car as I turned around. "Boys." 

"You're just jealous that you don't have a bro," Xavian teased. 

Rolling her eyes she waved toward us to get in. "Come on. Are you done making out or not?" 

We started to make our way toward her car. Xavian shrugged and spoke in a lower tone. "Like I said, she's just jealous." 

I chuckled and climbed into the passenger seat. Emily geared the car and sped out of the parking lot, toward the next phase of our adventure.

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