Maeve bobbed her head to the music in her ears. She was fortunate enough to own a few cassette tapes. Mostly metal bands, she liked them though. Not everyone enjoyed blazing bass, and at times, raging screams. She sat on the grass, legs sprawled before her as she stretched for today's exercise. They were going to run the track. She liked running track. The sun was out, blanketed by the occasional cloud. The warmth soaked into her clothes and scalp. She loved the days Coach Mann would take the class to the outdoor track. The gymnasium was fine, but nothing beat the outside.

Not everyone did, but she liked running. It made her feel free. Sometimes she just had too much energy to contain, and it was harder for her to focus on her other classes that required her to sit at a desk for half an hour. As she curled her left heel into her other thigh to stretch her right leg, a shadow moved toward her. She knew instantly a person was coming up to her, so she took one of her earpieces out and listened as the person approached her.

"Hey," Recognition flooded her. Her mood soured a little. She glanced over her shoulder to see Bethany. "Could you hold my feet while I do some crunches?"

Bethany was a tall girl. Maybe tall was an understatement. Compared to Bethany, Maeve was like an Oompa Loompa. Then again maybe heights didn't matter. Maeve certainly didn't care. The first time Bethany tried messing with her, Maeve sent her to the infirmary, needing at least two stitches for a busted lip and fractured nose. Maeve didn't get out scotch-free, either. Their quarrel had given her a mean moonshiner and sprained wrist.

"I'd rather not," Maeve grunted, finishing her stretches, and then getting to her feet. "Unless you want a repeat of last time."

Bethany's face cinched. "Why do you gotta start a fight every time I try talking to you?"

"I can give you several reasons - got pen and paper?"

"Tch. Whatever. Didn't want you as a stretching buddy anyway."

Maeve watched in satisfaction as the tall girl clomped away to another student. It wouldn't have been so bad if Bethany wasn't a bully. Or bully her sister for the hell of it.

"Hey, Williams!" Coach Mann, a balding hulk of a human being, called for her. He stood near the equipment shed, with Sergeant Ramsey standing beside him.

The alarms in her head went off immediately. The first thought in her head was, "What did Ellie do now?" She groaned to herself, turned her Walkman off, wrapped her headphones around it, and began making her way to them. She ignored the looks from her peers and their little snickers and jabs and jeers about Ellie. She hated being taken from class by Commanders and Drill Sergeants personally. It was humiliating to a fault.

"Sergeant Ramsey," She greeted formally.

"At ease, Cadet," the man said importantly. "I need to have a chat with you."

Maeve glanced between her superiors. "Now?"

Instead of answering her, the sergeant looked at Coach Mann. "I'll be borrowing your student. She won't be back."

"Fine," Coach Mann nodded and then brought his whistle to his lips, breathing a sharp shrill that caught the attention of the class. "EVERYBODY LINE UP!"

As she watched the rest of the class gather at the starting line of the track, she heard Sergeant Ramsey call to her again, "Follow me, Cadet."

"Yes, sir." She sighed quietly, forcing herself to accept whatever the man was going to unleash onto her. Sigh. There went her day. Like a dog, she followed him into the school building, through various corridors of classrooms, and then finally his office. It was a normal-looking office with a metal desk, a wall of old-world achievements, and two wooden chairs meant for visitors. The desk had some nicknacks, a few photos, and paperwork that seemed unfinished. Behind the desk were some filing cabinets that had more paper and other miscellaneous items that looked important. She didn't like being brought into the offices. It sucked serious ass. Smelled like ass too.

Sergeant Ramsey shut the door behind them and went to his desk, settling into his chair. Then he motioned for her to sit across from him.

"You're not in any trouble, Maeve," said the sergeant calmly. "Your sister, however, is."

Of course, Maeve resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sat on the first chair's edge. "What did she do this time, Sir?"

His face flinched, his almond-shaped eyes becoming tiny slits. "It's not what she did, but what she hasn't done."

Maeve was lost. "I - I don't understand, Sir. What's this all about?"

He let out a sigh, scooting forward, leaning on the desk, and lacing his hands together. "We've had issues about Ellie's behavior in the past, and we got through it. But this is more serious than giving her teachers and drill sergeants an attitude or getting into fights with other classmates or cadets. Maeve," - he looked her in the eyes - "Your sister is a bright girl; she's smart, she does well in her classes, and she excels during drills, but no matter how many times she's put in the Pit and taking on more chores as punishment, it's taught her nothing."

Maeve smiled tightly. "Sir, as much as I enjoy deciphering your crypticity, I'd rather you give it to me straight if and when it involves my sister."

"Ellie's missed several weeks of classes and drills."

"She what?" Maeve blinked.

"Maeve," Sergeant Ramsey watched her carefully. "Do you know where Ellie is?"

"I...what? Sir, what -"

"So, you haven't seen her at all?"

Maeve stilled, the color draining from her face. "Ellie's missing?"

"I know she's had her...moments, and she's a resilient young woman, however," Ramsey sifted through some of the papers strewn on his desk. "We won't be tolerating any more of this behavior."

"Wait. Wait," Maeve snapped her head up. "Please. She's just a kid! There have been others giving her shit, some of her teachers too. It's not her fault. Maybe she's - maybe she's just wired out and -"

"Cadet," the sergeant silenced her. "I'm sorry, but your sister will be expelled from school. Her unexplained absences are just the nail in the coffin."

"No, please don't do this, Sir," she pleaded, standing. "She's probably just sick, or- or something and wasn't able to get a note from Nurse Ingrid - you know she doesn't like giving kids notes and -"

Ramsey shook his head. His decision was indisputable. "I respect that you're loyal to your kin, but this is the final straw. You're dismissed."

She felt as heavy as a thousand cinderblocks. Her legs tingled from the shock, little explosions of fire bouncing off her muscles while she trudged to the door. A numbness took over when she exited Ramsey's office. She needed to focus.

When was the last time she saw Ellie? During gym class...three weeks ago? No. It was during breakfast three weeks ago. How has it been three weeks already? She tried thinking further back. Her head was filled with all the strenuous assignments and extensive training drills, nothing besides. Her teachers liked giving tons of homework to those who had little time to spare. She only just finished revising her last draft of a six-page essay for her English class.

She had been far too concentrated and busy that she hadn't had the time to realize Ellie was gone.

As if a bag of bricks collapsed through the ceiling, it began to hit her. Hard. Ellie was gone.

Gone. Gone. How was she just gone? Her heart hurt as it pounded in her chest. No. No. That couldn't be right. She wasn't gone, she was...she was rebelling against the school and FEDRA. That'd be something she would do. Ellie didn't like listening to adults anyway.

"Her room." She mumbled, shaking out of her thoughts. Surely, Ellie was hiding out. Maeve hoped that was the case, otherwise, she thought she was going to have a stroke.

From the main building, which was used as the school, Maeve hurried to the next building adjacent to it. It looked the same as the school building, only taller with four floors. It was used as a dormitory. It was closest to the street and kissed a vacant building on the other side of the fence. Because there were an odd number of girls and boys, some of the dorms were overcrowded with three to a room. She was one of the lucky ones to only have one roommate.

She found the stairs and began climbing to the girls' floor. She and a girl named Olive shared a room on the third floor. Ellie's room was on the fourth.

'I fucking hope Ellie isn't gone', Maeve pleaded with whatever remaining God that was out there. She bit her lip, evading a pair of boys in the stairwell. Her sneakers thumped against the tiled floors, squeaking a little at her quickened pace. She eyed the doors, counting like she always did when she visited Ellie. 'Third door on the left at the end of the corridor...yes!' She rushed for the door, clamping her hand on the knob, and finding it unlocked. Ellie always locked her door. She said she liked her privacy and hated the feeling of people being free to open the door while she slept.

"Ellie?" She called, entering the room. It was dark, except for the light coming from the window. Her bed was unmade, the wardrobe open, some clothes falling out. She left in a hurry, it seemed. She didn't even take her Savage Starlight comic.

The bed on the other side of the room was stripped to the mattress. That bed was Riley's. Riley was Ellie's best friend. She disappeared two months ago after receiving what she would do after graduating from the FEDRA school.

Thinking of her, it only worsened the feeling in Maeve's chest. A powerful cold entered her. The air seeped from her lungs, and she felt as if Coach Mann had body-slammed her. Her vision spun and she hurried to sit on Ellie's bed. Her fingers grew cold from her shock and growing anxiety, becoming clammier as the seconds passed. She was going to be sick. Hot liquid brimmed her eyes, stinging her tear ducts.

It was true. Ellie was...She pressed her palm to her chest, sucking in a sharp breath. The attack came on quickly and she found herself hyperventilating and crying uncontrollably.

Images of Ellie being hurt, or dead flashed through her anxiety-filled mind. It worsened her episode. She leaned forward, curling to fold against her legs. Her fingers sank into her hair, nails grazing her scalp.

She sat on Ellie's bed for a couple of minutes, trying to collect herself.

'Okay, doofus, breathe!' The voice inside her head yelled at her. She needed to calm down otherwise she'd be there for a while. Three weeks was a long time to be missing - as much as she hated to think about it. Ellie had to be somewhere in Boston. Probably chilling with adults who took pity on her for being a homeless kid.

Maeve wiped her face with her shirt and tried steadying her breathing. It took longer than she wanted it to, but when she finally calmed down, she wiped the fresh tears away. And then she grabbed the Savage Starlight comic and left Ellie's room. She figured if she did run into her sister, she could beat her with it for scaring the shit out of her.

It wasn't hard avoiding others on her way to her room on the third floor. She received odd looks, but no one was brave enough to ask. Good. She didn't have the energy to have meaningless chit chat.

Her roommate Olive wasn't inside when she got there. She thought that it'd give her enough time to get ready. Maeve quietly closed the door behind her, beelining to her side of the room. Like everyone, she and Olive had boundaries. Neither she nor her roommate wanted their space to be invaded without permission. Well, there was that one time, but that's a different story and completely irrelevant.

Maeve kneeled beside her bed, leaning down to reach under it. She felt around for her bag. She hadn't used it in a while. Her last escapade was a date with her boyfriend Jordan. He was a Firefly. She hadn't seen him in a month. Her teeth pinched the inside of her cheek as she thought of reaching out to him - maybe she could ask him for help. She remembered he had friends, well, contacts, all over the QZ. He'd probably help if she asked.

She pulled the bag out from under the bed, opening it, and checking its containments. Flashlight. Pocketknife. Journal. A couple of tampons in a plastic baggy. Stray hair-ties. Jordan's jacket that he lent her that she never gave back. It would have to be night before she could sneak out. She gnawed her lip, glancing around the room, debating on whether she needed something more or not. She wouldn't need a whole lot.

She paused. She was leaving the school. Leaving FEDRA. "No, don't think about that." She shook her head. If she started thinking about the consequences, she'd never leave. She bit her lip again, deciding firmly.

She hoped wherever Ellie was, she was still in the QZ.

Just as she was pulling herself off the floor, the door opened.

"Oh, hey," It was Olive. "I didn't think you'd be hiding here after classes. Where were you during Geography?"

Maeve swallowed. "Something came up."

Olive's silver eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

Crap. She recoiled with a nervous grin. "Uh, it's nothing. You were looking for me?"

"Not really. Just noticed you weren't in class."

"Oh."

Olive looked at Maeve and then the bag in her hands, a grin appearing on her pale face. "Wow. Look at you, skipping school to meet your mystery boyfriend," she laughed and tossed her bag onto her bed, "You know, there are tons of dudes here that eat literal dirt if you told them to."

Maeve dropped her attention to the ground. Would it be better for Olive to think she was sneaking off to see Jordan? Her assumptions weren't wrong, not entirely, anyway.

"Well, I wouldn't try sneaking out now, if I were you," Olive then glided to her wardrobe. It was the same as Maeve's but with cat stickers on the doors. "One of the sergeants or commanders has some bug up their ass. I've already seen a few younger kids get themselves chewed like gum for 'improper' and 'untidy' uniforms."

"Olive," Maeve finally spoke, causing the girl to pause what she was doing. "I'm leaving."

"Okay?" She turned back to her clothes. "You know I'm not a snitch."

"No, I mean, I'm leaving."

"Does this have to do with him?"

Jordan, again. Fuck it. "Yeah."

"He's a Firefly, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

Olive stood unmoving for a long time. It was the longest Maeve had seen her be so still. "Well, be careful. I hear we're about to get real aggressive against the Fireflies."

"Thanks." Maeve got up and moved around her side of the room, gathering small things. Perhaps they were more sentimental ornaments and weren't very useful to her. She tucked a few Polaroid pictures and the Savage Starlight comic into her bag; her hairbrush, another pair of underwear, her Walkman with the tapes, and a small quilt (after she took out Jordan's jacket). She didn't need the quilt, but it belonged to her mom. She neatly folded it so it would fit and still have some room left.

"Jeremy and I snuck out plenty of times," Olive suddenly said. "I can show you where -"

"No," Maeve stopped her. "I don't want you getting caught or held responsible. Just wait a couple of days and when they start asking, say you don't know. Between our class schedules and ROTC, the heat won't be on you long."

"At least let me help you out," Olive pleaded with her colorless eyes. "You're my friend even if we didn't along the majority of the time."

Maeve thought for a second and grinned weakly. "You just want me to move in Thalia, don't you?"

Olive snorted. "Yeah, that's why I want you gone," her expression became serious, "but seriously, you're a good person. I do not want to hear or see you at any execution sites, got it?"

"I will do my utmost best to avoid those."

"You better."

It was quiet for a little bit. And then Maeve asked, "Where's this place you snuck out of?"

"It's by the burn pile."

That narrowed it down. Note the sarcasm. There were tons of burn piles around the QZ. "Which burn pile? The one for trash or the one for the infected bodies?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not."

"Then get dressed," said Olive. "We can have an awkwardly silent walk with no goodbyes because goodbyes are overrated."

Maeve hurriedly changed from her shorts to her favorite jeans. She tossed on Jordan's jacket and backpack, and then she and Olive left the room. She followed her roommate to the end of the campus, to the garbage disposal areas, which had a six-foot chain-link fence separating the burn pile and the school It was supposed to be a high-traffic area, but she supposed at this time of day, most workers and soldiers got a short break from the body burning. The school faculty should've been paying more attention.

"This is it," Olive shuffled toward a part of the fence that an ash-covered tarp draped over it. She grabbed it, moving it to reveal some of the fence was bent and broken. "Probably not the most popular escape route, but it'll do."

"Thank you." Maeve took her bag off.

"Hey, before you run off for good..." Olive bit her lip. "I know I said goodbyes are overrated, but you were a good roommate and friend."

If Maeve didn't know any better, she'd think Olive was getting emotional. Maeve grabbed Olive into a short embrace. "Thanks for this. Take care of yourself."

Olive was shocked for a second but bobbed her head. Her platinum hair shone in the sun. "Y-yeah. T-take care."

Maeve crouched to grab the corner of the ruined fence, pushing her bag to the other side. She'd have to belly crawl, much to her dismay. Olive helped by grabbing the fence corner and pulling it as much as it would allow her. There was just barely enough room, but Maeve was able to squeeze through. Once on her feet again, she patted the dirt off her clothes.

On the other side, despite having tears dribbling down her face, Olive pulled the tarp to conceal the ruined fence again. It did hurt to see Olive hurting. The reality of it crashed down on Maeve hard. She was doing this. But she wouldn't let the hurt stop her. Olive helped her leave, to find Ellie.

"Okay," she breathed, "I'm off." With her bag back on her shoulders, she hurried away from the burn site.