Hi, readers! I apologize to the few of you who actually like my book that I have not updated in a long while. But I have some news, as I have rediscovered this old book of mine, I may continue to write it!

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

ALEXIS

I stayed awake for a while, unable to fall asleep, but eventually, sleep came. Confusing, half-remembered dreams filled my night. When I finally woke up, the sun was beginning to rise, casting a beautiful pink color across the vast, seemingly infinite sky.

Pink had always been my favorite color—but I'm not the typical prissy princess girl. I'm tough—I always beat the boys in races and sports competitions. I just have taken a liking to the color pink, and is that bad? No.

I noticed Levon and Dana rising as well. "Good morning," Levon said. "So... What to do?"

"Figure out who got us into this mess," Dana replied, "so we can get revenge."

"Wow, stereotypes are so wrong," Levon said, and in my opinion, being insensitive. Dana said nothing in reply.

"Well, we kind of have to. They did this to us," I pitched in.

"True, but how do you have any plans to do so? I don't think anyone will tell us the truth on that if they were, even if I promised them at least a week of being their boyfriend." Levon smirked at us.

"He's right," Dana said, but still obviously disliking his attitude. "Not about the boyfriend part."

"So you think they would make that deal?"

"No, no, no, you know that's not what I meant," Dana replied quickly. "Stop smirking. I mean they obviously won't tell us that they were the ones who got our parents to agree to this. We need to find out more from anybody we can—find allies who won't sell us out."

"I have an idea where to start," I said. "With my mom."

"How do you know she won't give us away? I mean, she's married," Levon replied.

I rolled my eyes. "She won't."

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

                             DANA

We had packed our things with us in case we had to fly anywhere quieter or just anywhere else afterwards and laid them down on the rooftop.

"Flying lessons—something I promised myself I'd never take," Levon mumbled, and I ignored that statement.

"We're merely just trying to get the right wing motions. I bet any birdwatcher could perfect it right away, and I've been forced by my dad to join him on many birdwatches."

"I flew fine on the way here—I didn't plummet from the sky." He smirked.

If I didn't know better, I'd think Levon was afraid—but I did know better, right? There's no way he was afraid of heights. He came to the tallest building he could find, just like us! "That's because instinct and strength held you up, but just barely. Your wing position and the way you flapped them was all wrong. Let me show you." I walked over to Levon and Alexis and flapped my great, greyish-blue wings and lifted instantly.

At a slow pace, I circled the top of the building so they could catch the movement it took to flap their wings properly. "Just like this!" I exclaimed. "It's easy once you get the hang of it!"

Alexis, catching my silent cue for them to begin flying, copied my wing movements as best as she could. She flew over and around the building. I saw a great smile stretch across her face as she was observing the great view of the city. She was exhilarated by this—most definitely.

"Wow," she said, breathless. "Come on, Levon, it's great—beyond great!"

"So you can just say amazing or fantastic or perfect—" Levon began. Something told ne he was stalling with his "humor" and sarcasm this time. Maybe he really was afraid.

"Go," I said. "If you're afraid, conquer the fear."

He glanced at me—a sad look that I might have imagined, as it disappeared quickly—and reluctantly copied to the best of his ability my wing motions. He took off, eyes wide with apparent fear. It also seemed that he was astonished at what he could do.

Levon seemed to be avoiding eye contact with the ground. He was staring into the horizon and the sky around him—which was still beautiful.

"Woo! Yeah, that's good!" Alexis encouraged. She had a wide smile on her face. Alexis seemed way more excited about flying—like it was the coolest thing ever. And it was.

Levon touched back down on the building's roof. He shook, and a few dark green feathers fell from his wings.

He strutted over to us, a smug look now on his face. "Oh yeah, I guess I'm such a good flier. Wanna race?" He winked. I shuddered while Alexis smiled.

"Yeah, okay," she said.

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

LEVON

I have no idea where the fake confidence always comes from. Maybe I just try to use humor as a way to hide everything that goes on in my head.

I just got Alexis into a race with me, which means more flying. I guess I'm just okay at hiding my feelings—except from Dana. I was just thankful I didn't seem to blush or give away my feelings towards Alexis. I feel like Dana can read anyone, and even thinking about anything would reveal my deepest secrets.

"Let's line up at the opposite edge of this building," I suggested. "But where do we go..?"

"How about to the top of the nearest building, straight ahead?" Alexis suggested. Since we found our way to the city, there was no shortage of giant buildings.

"This is not a good idea," Dana said. "Please don't tell me you're actually going to race. You could be seen. They'd know where to find us."

"I'm never going to back down from a race," I said, smirking towards Alexis. "It's on." Dana rolled her eyes and said nothing.

"I'll start it. Three...two...one..." I began.

"Go!" I shouted, and raced across the rooftop and shoved away from the building.

We flew and flew fast towards the other building. As we approached it, it slowly dawned on me what it was.

My dad's old work building.

I pulled ahead from Alexis and collapsed on top of it, unable to hold back a tear. This was it. The place he brought me to when there was no babysitter, the place he ended his own life.

I saw Alexis approach me, unsure. "Levon?" she said in a questioning tone. "Are you okay?"

I saw no reason to lie to her. "No" was all I said.

"Is there anything you wanna talk about?" She walked slowly towards me.

"It's just...this is my dad's old work building. And I don't believe I've let anyone know, but I moved in with a friend. My mom died in a plane crash, and my dad took his life here because he could not bear it." I felt more tears slipping away.

Alexis sat down right next to me and put her arm around my shoulder. I wanted to push away, I wanted to fly into the sunrise and never come back. But some unknown force made me want to stay.

I looked into her eyes and they held a sadness, they held a pity. I didn't want her pity, though I knew it came from a good place.

"I'm sorry," she said, and we sat there in silence, watching the final moments of the sunrise together. As we did, I wondered what else was beginning, what could be.

"We should go back," Alexis finally said. "Dana must be having a heart attack."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, wiping tears away. "That's right." I almost said I forgot Dana was even there.

We flew back, in the direction away from the rising sun, to a new horizon.