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A pair of girls were waiting for Klaus when he pulled up instead of just the one. Eli ushered Aria into the car and practically hissed at Klaus to go straight home before disappearing into the street.
Klaus didn't have any objections. His time had been spent running out on an empty trail just outside the city. It silenced the overwhelming noise in his head, but it made his stomach growl.
Aria smelled faintly of the lavender hand soap in their bathroom and it made him realize he reeked of sweat. He glanced her way at a red light. If it bothered her, she did a good job of hiding it. She kept looking outside the window with her hands pressed against her knees, nails digging into the fabric of her pants.
"Did Eli frighten you?"
"No."
"Then what's wrong?"
Aria took a moment to answer. "Just thinking."
"About?"
She turned her attention away from the outside world and onto him. "Did you ever think about running? When it was early?"
"No. Things weren't as bad for me as they were for the rest of you. I'm different."
"Ah," she said knowingly, "you must be the Chosen One."
Klaus couldn't help but snort. "What gave it away?"
Aria was getting more comfortable. She slumped back in her seat and stopped digging her fingers into her clothes, turning her head to grin at him. "Everything. Are you hiding a lightning-shaped scar by any chance?"
"Maybe."
For the second time that day, Klaus waited for her to press for more answers. She didn't. Part of him wished she did so he wouldn't feel like he was lying. There was an odd twinge of guilt whenever he remembered that morning, the way Aria referred to him as someone like her. He didn't suffer the same way she did in that place. He didn't come out with scars like the ones she had. He didn't have to struggle to hide and survive on his own for months. The difference ate at him.
"Are you okay?"
"Don't you want to know why things were different?"
"Not really my business, is it? I figure you'll tell me if you feel comfortable enough one day."
"I could be dangerous or something."
"I pulled the trigger on you yesterday and you still helped me after. You're no threat. Do you want to tell me?"
Klaus hesitated. "Yeah."
"So tell me. If you're ready."
"I wasn't born like you guys. But they thought I was a good candidate for what the government wanted. Soldiers, I guess. They didn't come for me for about a year or two after you. It was calm when they did. It's not like I could say no, so I tried cooperating. I was one of their lab rats. They'd take what they learned from slicing you guys up and use it to try and make normal people Enhanced."
