After Earth's Fall | ✔ UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION

~*~

Nila and Anna haven't talked to each other since the fight, let alone glanced at each other. Both of them pretend as if the other doesn't even exist but as the contest draws closer and closer to the finale, the more they try to evade each other, the closer they seem to be pushed into each other's presence. In fact, today is cutting day. The day where the contenders in TED are halved to only twenty to make way for the teamwork tests that await in the second round of the Draw. The people who are kicked out will have lost their chance for good.

Anna has been trying her best to always be as far away from her former friend as much as possible which never fails to stab and pull at Nila's heartstrings, despite her still being furious at Anna for not listening to her. She also never realized how jealous Anna was of her in TED. Despite having other friends like Dylan in TED, Nila has never felt more alone. It's not like Dylan knows the extent of the conspiracy theory, Anna downright refuses to acknowledge it and everybody else is clueless. Being alone is not a concept unseen in the TED program. A lot of fellow students seclude themselves voluntarily from the start. At first, Nila didn't see why but now she understands. In the end, this competition turns even the best of friends against each other. When it comes to the Draw, you are fighting for a dream everybody wants to make a reality with limited spots available. The chance of a lifetime. The last thing she wants is to be in the Draw but if Anna is unrelenting in her plan to win, then Nila must as well. She needs to make sure Anna is safe down there. Not only Anna but Dylan if he makes it too.

Deep down, Anna is still her friend..she hopes. This could be repaired, right? If she found some hard evidence about what is going on then surely Anna would turn around; so long as her ANONYMOUS whistleblower doesn't decide to gaslight her and delete it right after it's sent. Nila's thoughts are all over the place when it comes to Anna but with the second round of the Draw coming up faster than she first expected, she needs to focus on training more than anything else. As of now, the important thing is the leaderboard.

Nila looks across the room to Dylan, who is aggravatingly enough, partnered up with Anna being the new top of the class. The two have gotten very close, as in very close. Nila onlooks with upturned brows and a sinking frown as they continuously tease with each other. Anna drops down from the climbing rope attached to the ceiling, her long auburn hair in a plait whips around her neck gracefully. Dylan says something sarcastic and Anna playfully gives him a punch on the shoulder which Dylan laughs at. Anna grabs ahold of the rope again and Dylan sets himself up behind her, his hands floating close to her body – ready to catch her at a moments notice.

She may as well admit it. She has a crush, a big fat crush.

Nila, in the past week, had sunk down all the way to number eight. Though she's been gradually making her way up, she used to be number eleven. She's taken consuming the pills as a plausible consideration just to get ahead of Anna but that would negate everything she's stood for. If anything, it's as if the longer Nila abstains from the pills, the shadier the government of Mars appears every passing day.

Besides, as she turns away from her partner to look at the leaderboard, Miss Megalla moves her name up to number seven. The woman gives her a discouraging frown while the two lock eyes and Nila breaks the connection and continues her training as usual.

Progressing into the second round of the Draw is pretty much guaranteed when you're in the top five. And even better, the top three. Get into the top three and you're suddenly a golden child and everyone's best friend and mentor. She would know, those three spots once belonged to her. Determined, she erases those negative thoughts from her mind. Nila smiles triumphantly, she can do this! She knows she can. She doesn't need those stupid pills, she can make it on her own, through her own strength and capability.