𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗂𝖽 ¹

𝐢𝐯

NO WAY OUT

"WELL IF IT isn't the sellout."

      Odessa lowered her head, then looked at the red-haired girl. She made a motion toward Spencer. "We can talk about that later," she finally said as she grasped his hand tighter. Without waiting for a response from the girl, they weaseled their way past her and into the small, messy apartment.

      "No, we can talk about it now," the girl demanded as she closed the door behind them.

      "Liz, please," Odessa said with an irritated tone. "Not while he's here. We can talk about it next week when I come back but—"

      "Who is he?! And where are you going?!" Liz was furious; she was always one to stand by the System's side.

      "I met him last night, his name is Jasper. He leaves for Italy next week and I wanna stay with him until then," she tried to say as nonchalantly as possible. "We're just here grabbing my things."

      Liz gave Odessa a concerned look—a look that made her nervous. With that single look, Odessa knew there was something going on within the System.

      "Jas," Odessa said, turning around to face Spencer. "Why don't you go wait for me in my room. It's the last door on the left." She tried her best to give the agent a reassuring look. You can trust me, she said with her eyes.

      The quickest flash of suspicion crossed his face, but it was gone as soon as it came. "I'll meet you there," he said with a believable smile, and headed down the hallway.

      "They want you dead, Enna," Liz said with sadness laced in her voice as soon as the stranger made his way out of the room. "Quinn said you got arrested and word got out to everyone. The System thinks you blew cover and ratted everyone out. And you know how they are; they'll chase you until you're tired of running, and then they'll—" Liz stopped talking. The two of them knew what would happen, but maybe if the words weren't spoken, the action wouldn't be taken.

      Odessa felt her eyes fill with frustrated tears. "I knew this would happen," she sighed. "If I'm being honest, I probably won't come back here ever again."

      Liz nodded understandingly, which was a surprise to Odessa. "Listen, I don't know what happened last night, all I've heard is rumors that make you out to be the bad guy. Either way, everyone is furious, and it's probably best if you leave—or better yet, hide."

      It was obvious that the girl with flamboyant hair was at a loss of words. Never in the ten years that she had been a part of the System did something so scandalous happen. Let alone the subject of the scandal be her roommate.

      "I have no clue where to go," Odessa whispered, running her fingered through her greasy hair and taking a seat on the worn couch. Her heart sank at the thought of never feeling the comfort of that couch again. "I mean, Jasper studies abroad next week, and then the only people I know are in the System."

      In all honesty, a part of Odessa was scared. What would happen to her once her case was over with? Or would it fall into a cold case? And what if the feds refused to protect her? So much could go wrong. Fuck, everything had gone wrong.

      "You'll get through it. Somehow you always do."

      Odessa couldn't find it in herself to believe her roommate's words. But nonetheless, she nodded and gave her a fake smile. "I hope."

      "Enna!" Spencer called from her bedroom. "We should start packing, shouldn't we?"

      Odessa stood at the agents words and wiped her eyes before taking a deep breath. "Yeah! Sorry, I'm coming," she said before passing Liz and letting her feet guide her in the right direction.

      Spencer stood in the middle of Odessa's messy and cluttered bedroom, looking like the literal embodiment of the word awkward. He looked around the space, slowly taking in everything there was to see.

      "I almost couldn't find your bed, or your closet, or desk, or floor—"

      "Oh shut up!" she responded, playfully hitting his arm with the back of her hand. "It's not that bad. I know where everything is and that's all that matters."

      "I mean, I guess. Until there's some type of emergency where someone has to go through your things and find something that you haven't laid your eyes on in three years," he said with a smirk.

      "Well that's not an issue, considering I can't really come back here." The playful energy in the room turned into something gray and soul-sucking. Her despair was like some sort of magnet that was too hard to detach from.

      Spencer stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down at the messy floor awkwardly. He couldn't quite bring himself to look at her or at the floor. In Odessa there was dullness, and on the floor there were fluorescent bras and scandalous articles of clothing. Finally, he settled on looking at his black, square-toed shoes.

      "I'm guessing you either heard our conversation or are smart enough to figure out what's going to happen to me." She let out a long sigh and sat on the messy bed.

      "A little bit of both," he said, finally making eye contact with her.

      She looked ready to give up—ready to be deemed a traitor by the System and brutally murdered. She looked paralyzed by fear, unable to move because there was no where to move. There was no way out in sight.

      Spencer sat next to her on a pile of clothes and sheets, and a look of disbelief fell upon the dreadful girl's face.

      "You don't act like a normal agent—doctor—someone who works for the FBI," she struggled for words; exhaustion was settling in.

      "You don't act like a normal criminal."

      "Yet somehow, I'm sure the rest of your colleagues can find a way to treat me like shit," Odessa almost laughed.

      Silence fell between the two of them. They both knew that the connection they felt wasn't supposed to be felt. Spencer was supposed to hate her and she was supposed to hate him. But somehow, someway they trusted each other.

      "I should probably start packing. Morgan probably thinks I'm sacrificing you right now."

      Spencer only nodded with pursed lips before standing with the girl and helping her gather random, interesting, articles of clothing as she searched for the file.

      From time to time he would glance at her and see that she was captivated by the memories thumb-tacked to her orange walls. With every glance, his heart sank further and further.