[UNEDITED]

Everyone was really agitated, not because Adam himself was not present during his birthday party--themed a masquerade party--but because by now everyone had heard the news about the South being bombed today.

Adam was sent urgently to the South this morning, with about a thousand soldiers with them. Everyone was praying for those people.

I had never seen Uncle Benjamin so tensed. But what bothered me the most was that he had only been barking orders over the phone, and had never volunteered for going to the South himself.

All those people, they were going to die tonight. Though I wondered why they had announced about their attack before bombing. That was very unusual of them.

Many parents were worried about letting their teens attend the party, but then Uncle Benjamin issued an order for extra Regulators, and then requested Mrs. Dickens to let the party attendees extend to elders as well. As a result, the birthday party had been converted into a house party, and regulators were taking care of the Dickens residence. There were only about fifty of them, because a majority of them were sent out to the South.

Mom and dad were too agitated to leave the house, but they decided to send me anyway.

"Just don't try to act like a hero, okay?" dad told me as I was being driven away to the party, "Stay inside, and call us if things go wrong."

"I will," I said quietly.

"I doubt things will be worse there, we have stationed about fifty regulators around the house. They are very competent and will take care of the things well."

I nodded. My heart was thudding loudly. A few Rank Two people had been invited as well.

Dad walked me to the hall, and then after a quick word with Mrs. Dickens, he left the place along with Mr. Dickens. There was supposed to be a grand meeting somewhere at the government, where live telecasting of the major places in the South would be taking place. I heard that the leaders would monitor those places from here without trying to get their asses chopped off. Such courageous leaders, they made my chest swell with pride.

I went inside, and looked around. Everyone looked gorgeous in their beautiful dresses, and all of them had their masks on. It did not take me a long time to find Amaya though, because her high pitched voice was audible over everything. She was gossiping with a few other girls from school at a corner of the room. She wore a mauve gown that touched her feet, and it made me feel naked. Mom had amazing choice when it came to dresses. She always seemed to pick dresses that made more of my skin would show, and she did so quite unknowingly.

Amaya, however, loved my dress.

"Adam would have totally died for you in that dress," she winked at me and then poked me in my stomach.

"Yeah, he would. But unfortunately he is not here," I reminded her.

She tsked, and then went back to her chatters, probably expecting me to join her in her boring conversation. I excused myself, crossed the room and found Mrs. Dickens attending to guests, and upon seeing me, she called and started to introduce to those people. I did not have my heart in the conversation that followed, that mostly comprised of politics and how my family was doing a great job in suppressing the Rank Three people.

I was politely shown the table of desserts upon asking a waiter--a Rank Three, and I walked to the table. There were a bunch of desserts streaked across the table. I picked up a vanilla panna cotta with strawberry mousse, and started picking at it from a corner.

"Looking for someone?" suddenly a voice whispered behind me, and I jumped.

"Dylan?" I looked at the face half hidden beneath the mask, but the jawline and stubbles were too familiar to me.

"Surprise!" he whispered again, and his breathe ticked my bare neck.

I put down the dessert. I had lost all interest in panna cotta with strawberry mousse. I had a man to attend to.

"How did you get in?" I asked, bewildered.

He spread his hands on both sides, "I am just that awesome!"

I narrowed my eyes. He was looking gorgeous in tux. The guards probably thought he was another Rank One.

I smiled at him, which died too soon when I saw two figures standing a few feet away from where we stood: Daniel and Nicole.

"Oh great!" I told him, "You brought them too!"

Dylan did not reply to that.

Suddenly Amaya was there from nowhere.

"Hello there!" he told Dylan, "Do I know you?"

I smelled trouble.

"Hi!" Dylan went forward, took her and kissed it, "I don't think we have met before!"

Amaya was smitten at once.

"I am a recent transfer from South," he went on, without letting go of her hand, "I am in one of the classes with Naomi."

"Rank One?" Amaya asked brazenly. My face warmed.

"Yup," Dylan said, without sparing much of a glance towards me.

"Cool!" Amaya straightened just a little bit, "Which class?" she asked me, a little too enthusiastically for my taste.

"Chemistry," I said the obvious. Amaya did not have Chemistry.

Dylan looked at me, and his face split into a huge grin. I smirked a little, remembering the obvious inside joke about Chemistry that only the two of us knew about.

"I would love to get to know you," Amaya drew closer, making me curl my hands into fists, "Let's hang out sometime after school?"

"Sure!" Dylan smiled at her.

I rolled my eyes. If Amaya was being so smitten just by looking at his chin and a set of blue eyes, God knew what she would do if she saw him without his shirt on. And she did not even know his name.

"Hey, Amaya," I called her, "I was kinda discussing something about an assignment with him," I tried to shoo her from the place.

She narrowed her eyes.

I pointed to Dylan, "He was giving pointers for studying for the finals."

Amaya took the cue, but was unsuspecting of my true motive. She gave a quick shrug, and then turned to Dylan.

"When you're done, you know how to find me," she traced a finger on his chest, and my insides blazed, "I am the only one wearing mauve here."

I hated when Dylan looked after her as she strutted away. All I wanted to do was go after Amaya and tear her hairs along with her pride, despite the many contributions she had to my little excursions.

"What's with the smile?" I turned to find Nicole on my heels, looking mildly irritated.

"You know my brother!" Daniel was there in an instant.

"So, what are you all doing here?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Well, the whole world is busy with the bombing the South, and we thought we could sneak into whatever facilities they were building here." Daniel said.

I suddenly remembered that I was at Northbridge Avenue.

"Wow, that's gonna be great!" I was excited all of a sudden, "When are we getting out?"

"Are you serious?" Dylan stopped me, "There's no 'we'. Daniel and I are going. You are staying here with Nicole."

"But why?" I protested, "Why can't I go with you two?"

"It could be dangerous out there," Dylan said.

"Plus, we don't want to get into trouble for a laggard like you," Daniel chimed in, "A laggard on three inches of heels," he added after taking a look at my legs.

I felt really hot from anger.

"Don't call me laggard!" I pointed at his face. He simply shook his head, forcing me to turn even angrier.

"Calm down," Nicole shrieked, "We don't want to get into trouble 'here'," she pointed around her, "Let's not forget that we are in an enemy territory, okay?" she patted Dylan's back.

Both of the brothers fell silent after that. I turned back and picked up my dessert, anything that kept my anger at bay for the moment was welcome.

Daniel took Nicole and went to dance with a few other couples. I was left alone at the table with Dylan.

"You look pretty today," he said as he leaned against the table and folded his arms.

"Thanks," I told him over the butterflies in my stomach, and I picked up my dessert and scooped up some more panna cotta onto my spoon.

"Wanna dance?" he asked me all of a sudden. My heart jumped.

I nodded.

As he led me to the dance floor, I forgot the world around us. I looked at Dylan only, and how his muscles flexed as he circled his arm around my waist, pulling me so close that our bodies touched. He slowly placed his hand in mine, and then looked me in the eyes.

We swayed with the music. As we turned slightly, I found Amaya looking at us like a hawk. I wondered if that's how she was, always lusting after the men of my life: first Simon, then Adam and now Dylan. She was being especially annoyed today, and I wanted to flip her off. But the look on her face was giving me all kinds of pleasure.

"I gave those vials to Aunt Mel," Dylan suddenly told me.

"Huh?" all I was focused on was how good my hand looked on his chest, and it took me a while to understand what he was talking about.

"Aunt Mel. She did some minor tests and found that the medicines were the same. They were just higher in power."

"Hmm," I was hyperaware of how his finger flexed and then repositioned on my waist. It felt good.

"Ever since we visited the Monroe house, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it," Dylan kept saying, "Mr. Monroe said something about his daughter not wanting to turn into a monster. Does that ring a bell?"

He was finally able to pull me out of my trance, "Yes. I hate to say it aloud. I am thinking exactly what you are thinking," I told him.

"I thought those preventives were done with back in those days, but if he has been producing more of those, that means we have bad news."

"But why would he even make more of those things?" I asked, "His experiment with your father had failed, right?"

"I don't know," Dylan closed his eyes, "It's all so messed up!"

"Is this also why you are visiting that place today? The labs? Are you hoping to find something...some clue...or maybe those preventives?"

Dylan shook his head, "I don't know what to expect there. If Benjamin had something to hide--the preventives or even the healing serum--he could have simply used his underground lab. The room where he keeps the medicines is quite big. And we also have not checked in all of the shelves."

He had a point.

"But we are not ready to break into the underground lab yet, right?" he asked sincerely, "It might get you in trouble, or him alert."

I nodded.

"I'm still hoping that I might find something in that building. I have a hunch," he said.

We went back to dancing, or I could say it was me who went back to focusing on how our breaths matched, and how the corners of his lips curved every time his eyes met mine.

I just wanted to melt in his arms.

The song ended too soon, and then Nicole intervened.

"Dylan, dance with me!" she demanded.

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