Chance's POV

The lights are blinding, a mix of neon red and purple and blue, sweeping across the dance floor. I've never been to parties before, and hopefully this will be my last one.

Blake walks up to me, grinning like an idiot. "What's up?" He slings an arm around my shoulder like we're best buddies, but by the way he's leaning all his weight on me, he's just doing this because he's going to fall over anytime soon.

"The ceiling, the sky, whatever," I drawl, wrinkling my nose. "Are you drunk?" I shove his arm off me, and he stumbles over himself a little, and then laughs at himself.

"Me? Nope," he makes a point of exaggerating each syllable, "but I can, because I'm not the one driving us back!"

A moment later, Athena appears from the crowd, her wild hair finally tamed into a simple bun. She finally spots Blake, who's now ranting about how magic carpets should exist in the Inner Cities - which doesn't exist anymore - and how unicorns are magical, and whoever hurts them or hates them are retards.

"I'm so sorry!" Athena says, grabbing Blake's arm. It comes out as a "I'm a pony" because the music's way too loud and Athena can't shout loud enough. The organizer of this party decided it'd be fun to bring this party back to the two thousands.

I raise my eyebrows, suppressing a laugh. A now severely-drunk Blake leans against his girlfriend, his arm tucked securely around her waist as she leads him out the door and gestures for me to follow.

Hopefully Troy doesn't get too drunk, because I'm definitely not coming back for him. He's turned legal this year, and like any other eighteen year-old, he's pretty hyped about the new privileges he gets as an adult.

Judging from past experiences, however, Shaylee is more likely to exceed her alcohol limit, just like her sister, who is now stumbling out the door, falling every three seconds, holding the door frame for support. She's going to have a massive hangover tomorrow.

Caden and Sharlynn broke up last month, but they're still the best of friends, and somehow, I still see the sparks that fly between them.

Emily, always, always, the life of the party, hops down from the table where she'd been dancing, sending me a signal to say that I should go home first. A group of her newfound friends cheer for her as she gets in the centre of the dance floor once again and shows off some complex moves that would most probably break my bones. I send a nod her way, before mouthing "stay safe" to her. She flashes me a thumbs-up, then proceeds to launch into a backwards somersault, before landing on the floor on the balls of her feet.

So much for staying safe.

Xavier brushes shoulders with me, clapping me on the back before walking out the door. He then backtracks a little, and looks over at Dakota, dancing next to her sister like no one's watching. He smiles a little, and she finally meets his gaze, blushing a little. He walks over to her and exchanges a few words with her, which - like always - ends up with them kissing. Thankfully, it doesn't get too intense because Emily's friends start cat-calling and hooting.

Over the past few years, Xavier's gotten less possessive and protective over Dakota, and has given her at least some breathing space, although I still find it a little awkward when their public displays of affection get a little too heated.

And then there's Samantha, who's decided to stay in the Inner Cities - the ruins of it, anyway - to salvage any lives left when both the Edit buildings, The Black Hole and Rehabilitation were blown up.

Walking out the door, I heave a sigh of relief when the strong scents of alcohol fade away, replaced by the cold, cutting night air of the Outer Cities.

"Hurry up, Chance!" Caden says. I break into a light jog and reach the truck, sliding into the driver's seat.

I flash them a sheepish smile. "Apologies," I say, "it's hot and sweaty and packed in there, and getting out is almost impossible, unless you're like her." I jab my thumb at Sharlynn, who's now falling asleep.

Caden laughs a little, and leans over to brush away a strang of hair on her forehead. When he notices us staring, he clears his throat, his face heating up a little, and I buckle my seat belt awkwardly, stepping on the gas.

The ride is silent, except for the occasional murmur from Blake about pumpkins, which Athena hushes playfully, adorably stroking his head, and placing a kiss to his forehead.

I'm glad for the silence, actually. It gives me some time to think about everything while I multitask and keep my eyes on the road.

At a red light, I start to sink into my thoughts.

I'm turning twenty-eight this year, and have a pretty stable job at a Teen Helpline association. It's interesting to hear each person's story, fascinating to know that I can help those people without even knowing them.

Amber would've been proud of me.

Who am I kidding? She'd be more than proud.

Maybe it's the fact that she's gone that kills me, or maybe it's because she's always there, a memory that refuses to disappear. I remember her laugh, her smiles, and even if I'd like to, I can't forget her. She was that girl who'd wake up in the morning just to fall back asleep again, and she was this innocent angel that was always loving and caring.

She was mine.

And now? She's just a whisper in the breeze, and sometimes I wish I could've saved her. Everyone says I'm taking it out on myself for no reason, and they try to send me to therapy when I first had to deal with the pain of my loss. I'd wake up from nightmares alone, no familiar scent to calm me down, no arms wrapped around me, no peaceful, rhythmic breathing.

Heck, I miss her.

Occasionally I'd catch a glimpse of hair that resembled hers and almost run to the person, but I couldn't. Although we didn't find her body, and search parties have been sent out to look for her - there's still the hope that she's alive - I still have to move on. If she's dead, she would have wanted that.

I feel Amber everywhere - the city lights, the streetscape, sometimes even in Troy.

"Chance, you gotta move," Athena whispers from behind me, nudging my side gently. I start from my thoughts and step on the gas, sending her another apologetic smile in the rear view mirror. She sends a similar one back.

***

When we get back the lights are on.

Probably Dakota, who's gotten just enough alcohol in her system to make her feel pumped, but not completely drunk.

Xavier gets out of the car first, before opening the other doors. Caden effortlessly carries Sharlynn out of the vehicle, and makes a dash for the house, saying that he needs to attend to Nature's Call.

Athena, however, with her still-healing body, has to shove Blake out of the car, and still then she can't help him up properly. Xavier ends up doing the task instead, and as I lock the car and turn towards the house, Athena looks at me concernedly.

"You alright?" She asks

I shrug. "I guess," I say, "I mean, yeah."

To be honest, no one can answer that question with a definite answer. We all have our rainy days, and in those times we feel like we should go and hide, but then there are those amazing times where you feel like you can do anything.

"It's okay...to be upset, I mean." Athena says, "Blake was having a really tough day today, and hey, talking can do you some good."

Understanding what she's getting at, I reply, "I just...I don't know. She's gone, and the fact that she'll never return is killing me."

She sends me a sad smile, almost sympathetic as she opens the door. "We've all been there," she says.

"Chance!"

I stop cold. The voice is so familiar, so clear, so real. It's not an Edit trick, I'm sure. Caden and Xavier grin at me as she comes charging at me, and throws herself into my arms.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, sweetheart," I say as I inhale her scent and kiss the top of her head.

My Amber doesn't reply; instead she hugs me tighter.

Epilogue dedicated to everyone who's been here all this while, but especially to zoeernyap for being such a great friend.

So that's it! Edit has finally come to an end, and thank you guys so much for everything.

I will post an Author's Note soon to finally close the book.

If there are any questions, do comment them down below and I'll answer them in the Author's Note.

'Till next time!