It was quite a big jump to start out with, but I was pumped with adrenaline. From spy school, I had also learned how to maximize a jump. I quickly steadied my legs on my railing. Only for a second. If I stayed too long, I would lose my balance. Using my arms and kicking off with my legs, I propelled myself into the air. I prepared myself to land on a shoulder roll. However, I missed. My feet missed the railing by a couple of inches and I started to plummet down. Instincts quickly kicked in. I grabbed on to the edge of the balcony rail just in the nick of time. I looked down. Bad mistake. I let go of the rail I was holding onto and started to fall. Thankfully a hand grabbed mine just in time. I looked up to see Erica.

"Ben! Don't let go!" Erica said pulling me up and helping me climb over. I collapsed on the floor with Erica besides me. I was breathing heavily and my heart was racing.

"Ripley, what were you thinking?!?" She whispered yelled. She scrunched her brows and crossed her arms, "That has got to be one of the dumbest things I've seen you do! You're supposed to only do this kind of stuff when I force you to."

"Shh, lower your voice," I whispered back. "Besides, I calculated the height and terminal velocity, I wouldn't die. I'd just break a couple of bones at the very most."

"I don't care if you died jumping off a balcony, I just don't want people to think I killed a fellow student. What do you think that will do to my career?"

"Oh," I said disappointed.

"And," she continued, "What do you think you getting hurt would've done to the people that care about you?"

"So...does that include you then?"

"No!" she denied immediately. "I was talking about your family. And friends, like Mike, Chip, Jawa, and Zoe..." The mention of Zoe turning everything sour. Her worried expression went away. It was replaced by the cold and emotionless Erica I knew. "Ben, it's getting late. I need to sleep and so do you."

"Fine," I say getting up. "I'll just leave the way I came," I added, grabbing the rail again. Erica glared at me. We got into a staring contest to which I lost.

We walked into Erica's room and she opened the door for me. I took the door from her and shut it behind me.

"Ben,—" I took a step towards her.

"Erica, since I'm already here, let's talk." I sat down on the bed, and motioned her to take a seat next to me. She didn't. Instead, she stood right in front of me, rolling her eyes.

"Did you just risk your life to do this?!?" She asked incredulously.

"No! I mean...not really...well, maybe!" I continued quickly, "Did you actually see all of it?"

"All of what?" Was she playing dumb?

"All of...that?"

"Ben, please do specify."

"—Did you see me kiss Zoe?" I blurted out.

"Yes, I did. You seemed to enjoy it. I didn't want to rudely interrupt."

"I—"

"—Ben, I don't care what happened between you two. It has nothing to do with me—"

"How are your eyes by the way?" I asked changing the subject.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I lik—*ahem* because I like to worry about my friends. I need to thank you also."

"For what?"

"For giving me that talk. Thank you, we couldn't have thwarted SPYDER without you." She didn't say anything so I continued. "I'm sorry you had to see me and Zoe do that. Zoe...sh-she told me that she wouldn't wait for me forever. She said she was nowhere as amazing as you are, but she wasn't chopped liver also. She wasn't going to be chasing me forever. I didn't want to lose her so...maybe that's why I did that."

"Why are you telling me you this?" She asked cautiously. I took a deep breath.

"Because...because I thought...maybe, maybe I should apply it on you. I don't want to see myself like this. I want to stop liking you."