The door clicked open.

Juno flinched, just slightly, not really sure why. It wasn't as if the presence of Corben was unexpected, after all, this was his room. Perhaps it was his appearance, worn and tired with the black roots just barely visible beneath his white hair. Juno blinked, the realization startling for some unknown reason. Of course, it would be unnatural for any person to have naturally white hair, but the knowledge had always seemed far away, like a concept always grasped, but never remembered.

"Hi." The greeting was short, but not unfriendly. Perhaps, Juno pondered, Corben was lonely, more out of place than anyone of them here in this space. There was a beat of silence, and then Juno realized he was expected to respond. "Oh, hi." He gave him a tentative grin. "Can I come in?"

Corben stepped away from the door, a soundless invitation, and Juno accepted, walking into the room. Books had taken over most of the flat spaces, and the curtains that covered the face window were flung open, flooding the room with that artificial sunlight, displaying a scene of fields and hills that stretched on and on. Corben started grabbing stacks from the bed, piling them higher until his arms were full, and he carefully slid them onto the dresser that sat across from the foot of the bed.

"There's a spot, if you want." He gestured at the newly open place to sit, and Juno took it, awkwardness building as Corben proceeded to do everything but look at him.

Finally, Juno rolled his eyes and stood, catching Corben as he made his way to grab more books. "Dude. You need to stop. Just, sit, breathe, whatever. Quit running around like that."

Corben stiffened, and his signature hardness flared in his blue eyes, so familiar, before he sagged. "Fine." He sat on the floor, leaning against the frame of the bed, eyes closed.

Juno settled next to him, making sure not to sit too close. This person sitting beside him, so quiet, so willing to give in, seemed so unlike the Corben that Juno had known before that it was starting to make him anxious. "So..." He trailed off, searching for anything to find a way to edge into conversation. Why did small talk have to be so hard? "Read any good books lately?"

"Trying" was the only response.

Juno sighed and reached out, tentatively, before patting Corben on the shoulder. The other boy lurched at the contact, body flailing for a brief moment before he stopped, but the damage was done.

Creased eyebrows. Open mouth. Shuddering breaths, heaving chest, trembling hands. The hardness in his eyes long ago traded for the brittle fragility of someone words away from breaking. Juno's hand was still hovering in the air, and he exhaled slowly, letting it lower on to Corben's shoulder once more, not breaking eye contact, trying to press as much comfort and concern as he could into his gaze. "Corben, talk to me."

But he didn't talk to him. Corben stood up swiftly, a stiffness in his posture as he dragged his fingers through his hair, standing away from Juno. "I'm getting us out of here."

These were not the words Juno had expected. "What?" He couldn't help the disbelief in his voice.

"There has to be a way out of here. I'm getting us out of here."

Juno stood too, though significantly slower than Corben had. "Where did this come from? Like, I know this was always the goal, but why now? Why is now so important to get out."

"It was always important." Corben folded his arms. "But I can't be stuck in here any longer than I have to. I do anything to get out."

"Even if it kills you?" Juno stepped closer.

"I can live with that."

The words knocked the air out of Juno's chest, his lungs spasming as he struggled to process. I can live with that. Live with what? The option of death? Was this place truly so terrible? "You don't mean that."

Corben shrugged. "Why not?" He started to tick things off on his fingers. "Carmen hates me. I've been hiding in this room just to give her some space, because stars-forbid I live freely. I've hurt Maylea. The only way to stop hurting someone is to remove the cause, and I'm the cause. Me." He started to pace, still ticking down. "I called myself a leader and failed terribly. Someone else needs to be in charge, obviously, but no one is going to step up unless there is a true absence. And even if we do all get out, what do I really have to return to?"

He shrugged, helplessly, angrily. "A reality where my mother overdosed on pills after my sister's death? Where my father stopped viewing me as his son and instead just as someone to take over when he was done with the business life? Or my step-mother who is literally only here for the money, and can't stand me?  She's the reason I'm never home, you know." He threw up his arms in defeat. "If I can't live here and I can't go back there, then what's the big deal if I die? Who cares if it finds a way to get all of you home?"

The rant was over, and Juno did the only thing he could think to do. He grabbed Corben and wrapped him into a tight hug.

"I think you need a therapist," Juno mumbled into his shirt, feeling Corben start to loosen into Juno, the weight of his feelings seeping into the space between them. "But since we don't have one here, I guess you're stuck with me."

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Blair and Charlie stared at the wall panels in front of them, inspecting the blank whiteness.

"So you're sure that this is the spot?" Blair asked, casting a sidelong glance at Charlie.

The younger boy shrugged. "Should be. This is the only hallway we haven't tried at this point." He tapped at his temple. "Just gotta think about it, y'know?"

Blair rolled his eyes. "Should I feel bad that we didn't invite Avery?" The question was more of a topic change than anything else.

Charlie waved it off. "Nah. I asked them earlier and they said they were going to take a nap or something boring like that." He chuckled. "They're starting to sound like Juno."

Blair pressed his lips into a thin line. "So we're actually doing this?"

Charlie flashed him a brilliant grin. "Of course! We gotta find adventure somehow in this place!" A hesitation. "Are you sure you're up for this, Blair?"

Blair let out a slow, ragged breath. "It's just... last time we messed around with this thing, it messed us up instead."

Charlie shook his head. "Nah, man. It's the crazy people running this entire circus. They're the ones who put us through that, but if we play a cards right, I think we can get this to work, and maybe even make it something fun." He stepped backwards and splayed his arms out wide, as if displaying some grand prize. "Pick a wall, any wall!"

Blair stepped forward and settled his palm on the cool white surface of the wall paneling. He pressed. Nothing happened. Blair turned back, distrust pressing on his features. "Are you sure this is the right hallway?"

Charlie's own lips twisted, and he rubbed at the back of his head as he moved to stand beside Blair. "This is the right spot, I swear." He opened his mouth to speak, then made a small sound in the back of his throat. "Huh. Must have just picked a boring normal wall." He hit at the next panel over, and there was a shift in its weight, before it clicked out. Charlie grabbed at the edge of the door, flinging it open as he peered inside.

"Drats," he muttered, sneering at the closet stacked with papers and folders. "It's just boring stuff." He swung the panel back closed. "Let's try another one."

Time passed. It could have been hours that they worked, this task that to Charlie, seemed of utmost importance. And for Blair... well, Blair was just there cause he was bored. But it wasn't hours. It was minutes passing, drawn on so long that it felt as if each lasted forever, and when it finally did reach the point on an hour, both were more than ready to move on, or give up entirely.

"One more?" Charlie's words were begging, pleading. Blair had long since given up, choosing instead to placy himself on the floor at the beginning of the hall. "One more, and we can call it quits for the day, I swear."

Blair groaned and let his head fall against the wall. "How about we just give up for the rest of life? This is literally the most boring thing I've done in my entire life. It beats out history. Nothing should ever beat out history."

Charlie made a face. "I like history."

"Then you're a weirdo."

Blair pushed himself up from the floor and lumbered over to where Charlie was standing, groaning the entire way. "Alright," he finally sighed, resting his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Last one. If this doesn't work, I swear I'm picking you up and dragging you aware from here and never coming. It's not a threat, it's a promise."

Charlie shrugged him off. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Like you could ever pick me up." He eyed Blair. "You're literally only two inches taller, and I know how to kick your butt if you ever tried anything on me." He made slicing motions through the air. "I took karate for a year when I was ten!"

Blair pressed down a smile, but the corners of his lips still twitched upwards. "Uh-huh. And that will automatically make you able to take me down." He flapped his hand at the panel in an annoyed gesture. "Just open the stupid thing so we can leave. I'm not leaving you here, but I'd rather not have to fight with you on this."

Charlie smacked his hand against the panel in response, glaring at Blair as he did it.

The panel shifted, then slid into the wall, leaving a tall opening. Blair and Charlie cast astonished looks at each other, before Charlie pumped his fist in the air. "Ha!" He exclaimed, beginning to dance around Blair. "I was right and you were wrong!" Ge stopped suddenly, then punched Blair in the shoulder. "Well, what are you waiting for? Head on in."

Blair sent him a dry look. "You're insufferable."

Charlie grinned back. "I'm not insufferable, I'm an adventurer. Now, let's go!" He grabbed Blair by the arm, and, enthusiastically, pulled them both inside.

The panel slid back into place with a click.

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Technically I'm 200 words short of my normal chapter goal, but it's 1 in the morning and i gotta get up early, and this chapter honestly just needs to be posted already

One main reason that I haven't been active on here is cause l i f e. Summer has been busy and I've been away from home a lot.

Another thing is I'm trying to write a book!! Except I suck at plotting so it has a vague, over-arching story line that seriously needs to be filled with an actual plot. I can't even say the characters are good because I haven't determined subplots and growth arcs for any of them but like... two.

So.

But, at least you guys have this new chapter! And if you want to see snippets of what I've been working on recently, check out my The System Is Breaking book!

Till next time!