Archer's POV

Despite Adam's dumb joke, he was right about the weather. The next morning, thunder comes, along with rain. I quietly get out of bed and change, not wanting to wake Adam. And I of course don't. He sleeps like there's no tomorrow, while I..well, I don't sleep.

I walk outside, quickly heading to the weight room. It's raining too hard for a run outside, so I find the treadmills and start running. It's a good stress reliever for me.

Although it also gives me time to think. A little too much time.

I set the pace and start running, staring at the grey wall in front of me.

You shouldn't of cried in front of Casper. I think to myself. Now everyone is curious, they want to know. Mia won't stop until she figures it out. God Archer, you had to let Casper get to you like that. Of course, he ruins everything.

I suddenly feel a presence in the room, and look to see Lydia, smiling at me. She's in a sports bra and athletic shorts, and I watch as she steps on the treadmill.

Out of the other five treadmills here, she picks the one right next to me.

"Hey." I say, realizing I'm already out of breath.

"Hey Archer." She says, putting her long blonde hair in a pony. "Running on a rainy day is nice, but not when the raindrops are like bullets."

I manage a laugh. "Yeah. Nice they added these though."

Lydia looks at me strangely, eyeing me up and down. "Aren't you hot?"

I glance down at my tshirt and athletic shorts, and I look back up at her, confused. She sighs. "I mean, guys with toned body's usually don't keep their shirt on at a gym. Care to explain?"

"Oh. I ah...I wanted to sweat more," I say, but that's a lie. My minds suddenly shifts back....

.....I watched as Mia took off her sweatshirt. "Getting pretty into it, huh?" I asked. She smiled. "How about you?" She looked at my shirt, as did I.

"Nah." Was all I said......

......Casper stared at me curiously.

"Too afraid to show it off? Or have you lost that six pack of yours?" He asked. I ignored it.....

And now Lydia is asking.

I keep my shirt on to hide the horrific scars on my body, especially my back. Although Mia knows they are there, she doesn't understand how I feel about them. I don't want people to see the ugly pink scars on my back, nor do I want them asking questions about it.

"You suck at lying, but I guess I don't need an answer." Lydia shrugs, starting to run.

You don't want the true answer, Lydia.

It's not just my back, it's the small scars that are scattered on my body. Even my rib is still a little bruised. All it does is bring back memories, memories I'm trying so hardly to forget. Although it seems like everyone reminds me of it somehow, but I know they don't mean to. They don't even know they are doing it.

"So."

"Huh?" I say, knowing I was zoned out. Lydia just smiles and shakes her head. I never really gotten to know Lydia that well. She met Mia, so was pretty much forced to meet me.

"When did you come here, to the Alliance?" I ask.

"Probably three months before you. I was at dome five, so it wasn't far. I thought I had it made there. But, all my friends were fake," she sighs.

I keep my stare forward. "I understand."

"Boys go through that too? Gossiping and picking sides and shit?"

"Well..ye-no. Not like that. It's not that.."

"Freakin' complicated?" She blurts out, and I smile and nod. "It's pretty straightforward."

"Another reason I wanted to come here. Boys just seemed so cool to me, you know? It sounds dumb and all, but it's true. Guys are honestly way cooler then girls sometimes. Sometimes." She exaggerates.

"I get it. But hey, your pretty cool yourself," I say, and she smiles.

"I try. But, I know nobody can beat her. At least, not in your eyes." Lydia says, looking at me.

"Beat who?"

Lydia rolls her eyes. "God, sometimes boys can be dumb too, can't forget that." She pauses. "Mia."

***

There's only a slight drizzle now, so I go outside. Most people aren't out here, but I go to the shooting range and practice my knife throwing.

Nobody can beat her.

Nobody can beat Mia.

I throw another knife, slightly confused about what Lydia said earlier.

With my mind elsewhere, I miss the target, and the knife goes flying back into the woods. God, throwing knives is not my thing. I sigh and walk into the woods, looking at the ground.

It should be right here.

I kneel down and search the ground, puzzled. I didn't throw it that far, it has to be around here somewhere.

I stand up and lean against a tree, eyeing the ground. Now I'm irritated, how the heck did I miss the target in the first pl...

It's the noise that forces a cry out of my lips. A sharp, clear noise, then a thunk, too loud for comfort. I jump at the noise, but I realize I can't move. I look down at my shoulder.

And the knife is a good inch into the tree, with my shirt caught right in it.

I cry out again and look around carefully. I reach for the knife with my other hand, trying to pull it out. But my hand is so shaky I can't even grasp the knife.

"Who's there?" I croak, helplessly looking around. I notice the rain has stopped, probably a while ago. My breathing is heavy as I struggle to get free. I bend down to try and get my shirt off.

That's when I feel a large hand cover my mouth.

I scream into the hand, and grip their arm, trying to pry it off me.

"Shh." I hear someone whisper. A male, it sounds like. The hand is too large to be a females.

I use all my might to get free, yelling into his hands. He shushes me again, but I bite into his hand.

"Let him go. We will have plenty of other chances later." A female says.

That voice.

I feel the knife being pulled out of the tree, and the man turns to face me, looking me in the eye. I don't recognize him. He puts his pointer finger to his lips. "Shh." He says again, and I watch with wide eyes as he sprays something, right in my eyes. It immediately stings, and I sit against the tree and close them tight.

Open your eyes.

I wipe them, trying so hard to open them.

Open your damn eyes.

I manage to squint, and I barely catch a glance at the two people. All I can see are shadows. But it's as if I've seen that shadow so many times I actually recognize it.

Because I swear I heard her voice and saw her shadow. Because I swear I just saw Evelyn.

HEYOO!!!!

Whoop another chapter! Sorry that these chapters take a while to post, I have like two other stories that I'm writing.😁 But I hoped you enjoyed it!

Please continue to VOTE, COMMENT, AND SHARE!!!!!☺️❤️

Thank you😄