Gale sighed. He hated this feeling. Being jealous at somebody else for having something. Jealousy, was what the history books called the emotion or feeling, in the years before the Wipe was instated as a mandatory procedure. He couldn't help but feel like the third wheel in the group every time he, Alex and Phoenix hung out after they started dating. He'd told Phoenix about how he felt about Alex, and since he was an immune too, he understood. But to go behind his back and start dating Alex when he knew how Gale felt? That's just plain betrayal.

Yet he had dealt with it. Dealing with it only because Phoenix made Alex happy. Dealt with it because Alex, being an immune herself, needed someone to make her feel safe when feelings were essentially illegal. Dealt with it because he put his friends above himself, and he'll keep doing so until they are friends no more.

"Hey, Earth to gale!" Phoenix snapped his fingers next to Gale's ear, causing him to jump off the couch and onto the floor.

"Jeez, Nix , I could've hurt myself!" Gale chuckled to hide his true emotions as he climbed back onto the couch next to the rest of the trio. "Be careful next time, m'kay?"

Alex frowned, before sighing. "Gale, you've been rather checked out lately... Any reason as to why?" the female asked, having always been the kinder of the trio.

"No." Gale insisted, glaring discreetly at the other male. "No reason at all."