「 FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY 」

10 | "So... Do I get free ice cream?"

When I walk into my bedroom I see Gracie on once side of the room and Mia on the other, in between them is Mia's scarf, which she holds onto tightly and it looks as if Gracie won't let go.

They're caught up in a stare off and I can't help but snort at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Lex!" Mia says in surprise, immediately letting go of her scarf and having Gracie trot off with it happily. She doesn't get very far though since she trips over the long material and gets tangled up in it. Once Gracie gets out she gives us a glare as we laughed lightly at her, she hops up onto my bed and nestles in between the scarf and nods off.

Mia and I sat on the bed with out backs leaning against the headboard and I smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" she asks me,

"Yeah" I say so she doesn't worry.

"I'm not Chase, Lex" Mia says with a smile and we chuckle at that, "what's up?"

"I don't know, that's the problem, I have no idea what's going on and no one seems to want to tell me"

"Well it's not my place to tell you b-"

"That's the thing Mia," I tell her softly, "who's place is it to tell me?"

She looks at me with a look of sympathy, "Lex, I'll be blunt... Our world is full of guns, gangs, wars and we just want what's best of you. There's always more than what meets the eye in this city and it's dangerous, I know where Noah's coming from. Truth be told I didn't willingly enter this kind of life, most of us didn't and I know you didn't either. I guess you'll find out some day, but today is not that day and you should cherish that freedom while you can because once it's gone you'll really miss it".

After Mia's little speech I embraced her in a huge hug because she looked like she needed it, she had unshed tears in her eyes and a small frown upon her face.

"Thank you," I whispered, "I needed that" and she nodded into my shoulder.

When we pulled apart she had a wide smile on her face and it was inevitable that I smiled too, "What?" I asked her,

"So you and Logan huh?"

"I thought you didn't like him? Or any of them for that matter-"

"I don't but my hopeless romantic side can't help it. Now, we need a ship name".

***

The next morning I woke up to dying whale noises- oh wait sorry,

Someone singing.

I stretched letting out a loud yawn, on the bottom of my bed is Gracie still sleeping soundly. As I sat up a small yellow posted note fell off my forehead and it read 'gone home, text me later xx - Mia'.

I send her a quick good morning text telling her I got her note before walking towards the bathroom to get ready. After brushing my teeth and a quick shower I head downstairs still in only a white singlet top and black shorts, filling a bowl of fruit loops and eating it. After breakfast I filled up Gracie's bowls full of food and water before going back upstairs to waste my time on absolutely nothing since I had nothing planned for today.

As I reached the top of the stairs the door to the spare bathroom at the end of the hall opened.

Two loud girlish screams sounded throughout the hallway, one coming from me and one coming from... Dylan?

He had a towel tied around his waist and steam from the bathroom fly out from behind him making him look and seem angelic with his messy brown hair and toned body when really he was just wasting our hot water.