•~•~••~ A Week Later •~•~••~

I sit on the bench, eating my lunch.

"Eliah?!" Louvour yells.

"Yes?!" I poke my head around the corner.

"Eliah, I need you to vacuum the Prince's car out. Like now. I'll let you stay out for as long as you're doing this. Nobody in cleaning is available." I nod, putting my bowl down.

I quickly go  to the cleaning closet, and grab the  vacuum. I rush to the car, opening its doors.

"God, what does he do?!?" I yell, covering my nose.

"God, can you be any louder?" The mystery guy from my first day rounding the corner. Then it hits him. "Ohh God." He covers his nose, gagging.

"What did I say?" My voice turns funny as I speak, making a grin spread across my face.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Clean that shit up, man, it reeks." He grins, sitting on a stool. I shake my head, using a broom to clean everything onto the floor on the other side. I grab a bottle of Fabreze and spray the car and the outside.

I unplug my nose, sniffing.

"It doesn't stink! Woo!" I celebrate the small victory, climbing in the car, and cleaning it some more.

"Hey, Brown!" I bump my head on the ceiling of the car.

"Ow! What?!" He laughs for a good minute, then appears in my line of sight.

"The guards came in and said that they need the car in like 20 minutes." I climb out, meeting face to face with him, his face close enough to kiss.

You know if I knew his name, we were dating, or if I even liked him. Which I don't.

"I'm done." I say softly, taking a deep breath.

"I'm Devon." I smile.

"Eliah. But you should know that." I take a step to my right, stepping around him.

"Yeah. Last week... What are you doing after you clock out for the day?" I think. As I start making my plans, I put up my things.

"Pick up Melanie, make dinner, and study for upcoming exams." He takes my hand, stopping me.

"You should meet me. I have things to tell you anyway. Meet me in the field by the border." I give him a look.

"Why should I?" I take my hand back.

"Because. You'll like what I have to tell you." He leaves, and I sigh.

"Sure, meet a perfectly good stranger out in a field by the border, surely he won't kill you." I tell myself, shaking my head. I look at my hand, as if its nerves won't let me forget my encounter.

I pick my things up, putting them back in their places, I really think.

That test isn't for a good three weeks.

I pick my lunch back up, smiling to myself.

I'm going to somewhat trust this guy, and meet him.

My life isn't worth most of this bullshit anyway.

•~•~••~ Time Skip: After Work •~•~••~

I grab my bike, and head for the school. Melanie waits for me by the statue of the first king Gregory Schmidt, ready to leave.

"Hey small fry." She grins from ear to ear as I stop.

"Hi big fry!" She hugs me, and sits in the little buggy attached to the bike. She puts her helmet on, and gives me a big thumbs up.

I rev the bike into life, driving off. I drive the three miles to our house, and put the brakes on. She hops out, tucking her helmet under her seat, and running into our little hut.

"Hey! I've got to go do something, Ashley!" I see my roommate's face in front of mine a second later.

"Care to tell me where?" I take a shaky breath.

"First of all, warning. Second of all, no. I'm allowed to go out. I'll be back before Small Fry is asleep. I hope. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." I tell her as I lie to her.

"Fine. Tonight's pizza though."

"Save me at least one slice!" I yell as I close the door behind me.

I take off the buggy, and drive off.

I know exactly where the Field is. I used to live near there.

I get to the road that cuts off, and hide the bike.  I walk the mile and a half to the end of the road, and stop.

"Eliah." I turn to the voice, and sigh.

"I better not end up dead." I tell him.

"Please. I'm a whole lot dumber than that." Devon gives a shit-eating grin, and holds his hand out. "Trust me." I shake my head.

"I will haunt you if you hurt me." I place my hand in his.

He pulls me close to him, and my breathing becomes rapid.

"I'll take you up on that." He grins, and begins pulling me into the Field.

"You realize how close we are to the Border, right?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I'll make sure you don't break any laws." He smiles back at me, and I give him a look.

"What about you, Mr. Saves-a-lot?!" He laughs.

"That's the best thing you could come up with?" I sigh.

"Where are we going?" I ask him, just full of questions.

"Somewhere." He replies, still pulling me through the Field. Then he stops.

"Ow." I pull myself off his back, and look around him.

"This, is what I like to call my hiding place." He takes me into this hut, and closes the door behind us.

"Wow. Where -" I start to ask.

"This was my grandmother's for the longest time. She used to have a couple people out here trimming up a roadway to her house, tending to the stock and things like that." He goes to the table, and turns on the stereo, hooked up to his iPod.

"Man, I haven't ever seen this house before. I used to live in a house near here. But it was before the turn off to the dead end." I look around.

"Hey." He takes my hand again, and pulls me closer to him.

"Yes?" I ask him.

"Would you like to dance with me, madam?" He bows, and I laugh.

"Yes, of course." I curtsy, and he places his other hand on my waist. A classical song is playing, setting a permanent smile on his face.

I place my hand on his shoulder, my other hand still in his. We keep eye contact as we dance around this living room and dining room.

The song changes into a modern lyrical song, and we change our style. I wrap my arms around his neck, his arms wrapped around my waist.

"So what is this for?" I ask him.

"I just. I wanted to get to know you, but I completely just forgot." I laugh, and he chuckles.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" I ask him.

"Tell me basics." He says, as the song returns to classical.

"Okay. My name is Eliah Rose Jackson, I'm 19, my parents died a long time ago, I have a roommate named Ashley, I'm taking care of Louvour's niece Melanie.... I like to read and sing, I guess.... I don't know what else you want to know.." I sigh, and he nods.

"Okay, that's a start." He snickers.

"Okay, tough guy, tell me about you." He nods.

"I walked into that one didn't I?" I laugh.

"Yah think?" We both laugh, and he sighs.

"My name is Devon Adonis George, I'm 20, my parents only want me to be here so they don't loose their positions in their firm, my sister is persnickety, and I just want to escape." I sigh.

"Devon, it can't be that bad can it?" He drops my hand.

"That's why I work with you. To get away. That's why I'm here with you." I smile.

"Then I'll help you escape." Before my brain could stop me, I caress his face.

"Eliah. I can't ask you to do that." He says. I shake my head.

"You're not asking." I tell him, looking at him.

"Then what am I saying?" I smile.

"I don't know, tell me. I'm a girl, I take things the wrong way." He holds me close.

"Well..." He's close enough to kiss, and my brain is turned off.

Then my phone vibrates.

I sigh, pulling it out of my back pocket.

Private Message: Ash 😝😇

Ash 😝😇:
bring mail.

"Shit!" I cry.

"What?" He tries to grab my arm, but I side-swipe.

"The government!" I run out of the house, down the row in the Field, and down the road. I get on my bike, reving it to life. I stop by the store on the way, a lady with a bag standing outside.

"Here. Go." She hands me the bag, as I give her $10.

"Thank you." I take the bag, and ride off, almost wrecking.

As I arrive to my house, I drop the bike, get a grip on the groceries, and take a breath.

"Miss Jackson." I take another breath as I open the door. Two armed guards are staring at me, with Ashley and Melanie huddled on the couch.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"Yes, we were told you or someone here stole a valuable item from the palace." I make a face.

"What?"