What the hell is happening

Venting Helps

Am I imagining this? Someone pinch me because there's no way this is real. Two feet above the rooftop door is something that knocks the air out my lungs.

A vent.

An actual vent.

"What're we going to do?" Noah speaks. This is amazing but it's also risky. The vent is screwed shut, and even if we manage to open it the cameras may pick up our movement from the inside. 

"The walls around us are taller than where the vent is." Haniel concludes. I know what he's thinking. If we manage to get in, anything or anyone watching us beyond the house won't see us climbing in. 

"Why don't we just climb over the walls and get the hell out of here?" Frustration doesn't suit Noah but I get it.

"We can't do that because not only are we on the roof and jumping off would potentially kill us, but also you can't possibly think that there isn't someone waiting to see if we're planning to escape." I answer him.

"Ok so what are we going to do?" He repeats. Think Lilith. "How much time do we have left?" I ask Haniel. He pulls out his phone "About twenty minutes."

I shake my head "We can't really discuss this downstairs with them watching us. Let's make a code word."

"A code word?" Noah crosses he brows.

I nod "For the vent. How about cake?"

I hear Haniel snort, but I choose to ignore it. Unless they can come up with something better then cake it is.

I tell both of them to bring the others up so I can show them the 'cake.' Julie and Dani are up first. Dani almost climbs up there and pries the vent open but then again she's only five feet. Meanwhile Julie just blinks away her tears. When they head down Ribera comes up and just gapes at it. 

"Cake?" He's still staring at it dumbfoundedly.

"Cake" I nod.

»»——⍟——««

When I sit on the bed, I'm tempted to tell Tony about what happened. Maybe he went through the same thing. But there's no way of telling him without exposing ourselves, so I just stare at the tablet on my nightstand.

Haniel closes the bathroom door "Miss him already?" He's teasing but there's accusation in his tone. 

"Is that your first question for the day?" I tease back.

"Maybe" he shrugs "and that's not an answer."

I shake my head "Can't miss someone I don't even know."

"Second question. Why did you shut me out?" 

I sigh "I thought we went over this."

"No you just updated me but you never told me why you did it." He slides down beside me.

"I don't know" I shrug . "We were just getting close and it felt..." Weird? Scary? Good?

Haniel just stares at me. He has this examining look that makes me want to hide my face into the mattress. 

"You still don't trust me." He's not asking. It's a statement. Is he wrong though? Do I trust him? I haven't known this guy for that long but this 'situation' ought to make us form one type of relationship. 

"Why are you talking to Noah?" I change the subject because that's the type of coward I am. I don't like beating around the bush, but I also don't like confrontation.

"Jealous?" he raises an eyebrow. I fight the urge to throw a pillow at him. 

"I mean why do you only talk to Noah. You never talk to Dani, Julie, or Rib-"