There is chatter all around us, rising and falling like the tides. My own laughter rings out into the air, sounding foreign to my ears. I don't even know what I'm laughing at, but its definitely funny. I'm pretty sure Chase told the corny jokes he's known for, and I may be the only one laughing. I don't care; it was hilarious. 

"What is Julia laughing at?" Bree asks, sliding into the seat next to me. She bumps my shoulder with hers, giving me a grin. "Did Chase embarrass himself yet again?"

"Hey!" Chase says, frowning. He leans forward, catching my eye with his. He gives me a quick wink. "She was laughing at a joke of mine, thank you very much." 

Bree goes still next to me, making my heart thud against my chest. There is a reason why I found his jokes funny, but I didn't want anyone to find out about it. Bree is my best friend, so she might guess that I like Chase, but she can be dense sometimes. 

Before Bree can say anything else, I say, "Where's Leo and Adam?"

"They were taking forever to get their food, so I left them." Bree looks over at me, holding an apple in her hand. She takes a bite and quickly eats it. "How do you think he's funny? Sure, he's funny looking, but that's about it."

"I like corny jokes," I say, sniffing. Chase makes a strangled noise, so I say, "No offense."

"Whenever someone says no offense, the thing they are saying is very offensive," Chase says, rolling his eyes. He pushes his tray away from him, taking a sip from his water bottle. "I'm going to think of another joke, and if you laugh, Bree, you get to buy me something I want."

"Go ahead. I know I'll win."

Chase taps his chin, and as he thinks, I lean back in my chair. My lunch lay in front of me, discarded. I didn't eat much because I wasn't very hungry, partly because I am flustered whenever I'm around Chase. Honestly, I don't know how Leo, Adam, and Bree didn't know about my crush on Chase. I always snuck glances of him, laughed at his jokes, tried to sit next to him where ever we went. For as long as I've known them, I liked Chase. There was something about him that caught my eye and from then on, he's been the only guy I liked.

"Ah, I got one!" Chase happily grins, saying, "What is the derivative of Amazon?" He waits a heartbeat, looking between Bree and me. "Amazon Prime!"

"Oh my gosh, that's good," I say, giggling. The laughter bubbles out of my mouth, and I close my eyes, shaking my head. "Wow, great job, Chase." My eyes flash open and I see that Chase is holding his hand up. I high five him, and sparks shoot up and down my arm. I draw my hand back to my lap, averting my gaze from him. 

"That wasn't funny," Bree deadpans, nudging me again. "Julz, let's go to the bathroom."

"Why do I have to go with you?"

"Girl code." She looks at me with her deep brown eyes, and I know she knows. "Let's go."

"Yes, ma'am." Bree stands up and I follow her lead. I notice Leo and Adam heading our way, so I wave at them. That is the only thing I can do because Bree pulls me away from them, dragging me far away. "Hey!"

She doesn't stop until we're out of sight of the boys. She looks around at the fake plants around us before leaning in, whispering, "Do you like Chase?"

"Yes." Bree lets out a disgusted groan, throwing her head back. My cheeks are red, I can tell they are, so I'm glad she isn't looking at me. "I've always liked him, I think. I didn't want anyone to know because it's embarrassing that I like my friend, and I knew that you wouldn't be very happy with me, and Adam would be confused why I like Chase and not him -"

"Okay, slow down," Bree says, looking at me. "Why did you think I'd be mad with you for liking Chase?"

"Because . . . I don't know," I say, covering my face with my hands. I let out a sigh, brushing my black hair out of my eyes. "I don't want him to know."

"Why?" Suddenly, Bree's face breaks out in a grin. She sings, "I know something you don't!"

"What? What do you know?" She shakes her head, making me frown. My frown deepens when I see a dark haired guy appear at Bree's shoulder. He quickly rushes forward, so I say, "Bree, there's someone behind you."

She doesn't have enough time to turn around because the guy is right behind her. Bree gasps when the guy places a hand on her shoulder, a grin on his ugly face. He spins Bree around and I gasp when I see strange handcuffs around Bree's wrists. "Marcus!"

The guy in front of me -- Marcus -- is holding Bree against his chest. His dark eyes shift over to me, and he says, "You're coming with me. Don't run. Don't talk. Just walk." His shoots his hand out, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. His grip is iron tight, allowing my anxiety to flare up. 

I look over at Bree, my eyes wide. She has a furious look on her face, and she blows her side bangs out of her eyes. Marcus pulls me along, heading toward the back of the mall. This side is much darker than the front of the mall, and there aren't many shops back here. I've never been back here on my own, and this is the reason why. I was always afraid of getting mugged by the people who lurk here. 

We head down some stairs, and I can see the doors in front of us. Through the small window, I can see a man leaning against a parked car, staring straight at us. Instead of feeling hopeful spreading through me, terror did. This guy was staring at Marcus, a grin on his older face. His dark hair shifts in the window, and Marcus pushes the door open. The man pushes himself off of the car, and Bree whispers, "It's Douglas."

I realize that the man -- Douglas? -- is holding something in his hands. The next view I get is of the inside of a fabric bag. The darkness surrounds me, but there is a faint light below me. I can see the sidewalk and some feet, but that's about it. Someone ties my hands up behind me with some string.

Suddenly, I'm shoved into the car. Surprisingly, my fabric bag doesn't fall off of my head. The guys must have tied it around my neck, though it isn't very tight. I try to get upright, but I can't seem to do it. 

The car starts with a loud roar and begins to move. My heart is thudding against my chest. Why would someone want to kidnap me and Bree? And how did Bree know their names? Does she know these people? I thought I knew everything about her, but I obviously don't know this part about her. Why wouldn't she tell me?

I wish I could tell where we are going, but I can't. I know we take some turns here and there, but that's about it. I can feel Bree pressed up against me, and she's swaying back and forth. I start to worry about her, but then her fingers brush against mine. Her fingers are a little rough, and they give me the strength to get through this. Even with her confidence, I'm still a little scared. What if something goes wrong? They could hurt us, and no one would know where to find us. 

The breath leaves my body at my last thought. No one knows where we are. We told Chase that we were going to the bathroom, but that was it. Leo and Adam saw us walk away. They obviously can't check the women's bathroom for Bree and me. Would they even notice that we are gone? Maybe Chase might. Maybe he won't. I don't know, and that terrifies me.

Soon enough, the car rolls to a stop. During the whole ride, no one spoke a word. But now, shouts fill the air as the two guys argue with each other. It sounds like the older man is trying to force the teenager to go inside and get something. I don't really know what they're talking about because my heart is beating so loudly in my ears. The door next to me groans open, and there are hands on my shoulders. Apparently they stopped fighting and now they want to us to get inside wherever they brought us. 

I step out of the car and stumble over someone's feet. They grab at my shoulders yet again, guiding me forward. I can tell that I'm walking over grass, but it soon changes to pavement. I must be on the sidewalk heading toward a house. At least, I think we are heading to a house. Most kidnappings that happen on TV, the kidnappers and the person that is kidnapped usually head to a house, though I could be wrong. 

No, I'm right. The person that is pushing me forward held my shoulders, making me stop moving. I hear the hinges of the door creak as the door swings open, and I'm pushed inside. The guys leads me down a flight of stairs, and finally the bag is ripped off my head. I look around the place I am at, and my nervousness gets worse. Bree and I are in a metal cage that is buzzing with a weird blue light. Bree looks mad, but she doesn't say anything yet. 

Beyond the cage is a huge room filled to the brim with gadgets just like Mr. Davenport has around his house. Marcus is standing in front of the cage, one of his eyebrows cocked. "I hope Adam and Chase show up to get you two," he says, grinning. "That way, Dad and I can get Chase's intelligence."

"That's the whole reason why you kidnapped me?" Bree asks, rushing forward. She doesn't touch the blue bars, which is weird. It doesn't look like it can hurt me, so I reach out and touch it. I am right yet again. "He was in the mall with us, and this was the best you could do?"

"You don't get it," Marcus says, pointing toward me. I frown when he says, "We specifically kidnapped her to get to Chase."

"Me? Why me?" I ask, giggling nervously. "Is it because I'm that good looking?"

"Gross," Douglas, the older guy, says, rolling his eyes. "No, it's because Chase likes you." A gasp leaves my lips when I hear what he says. "We weren't sure if he would come fast if we only kidnapped Bree, so we had to get you two together just to make sure Chase comes."

"You don't think he'd come for me? He's my brother!"

"Technically," Marcus says, "so am I."

Bree shudders, her wrists rubbing against the handcuffs. My own wrists are sore from the rope that is tied around them, but I don't want to do anything to irritate them. Nor do I want to irritate Marcus and Douglas. I'm afraid of them.

"She's only trying to get you angry," Douglas says to Marcus, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I need you to come with me now. We need to wait for Chase to come."

A fierce look of hate appears on Marcus's face, but he walked out of this lab thing with Douglas. I whirl around to face Bree and ask, "How do you know these two? And why did they kidnap us?"

"Like you heard, they want Chase," Bree says with a sigh. A look passes across her face, but she nods quickly. "I need to tell you something, okay? When I tell you, please don't be afraid about who I am and who Chase and Adam are."

I frown at her. "What are you talking about?"

Bree sucks in a deep breath and says in a rush, "I am a bionic human, and so are Chase and Adam."

I stare at her, my eyes widening. Bionic human? Like, a robot or a humanoid? I don't want to say some things aloud because I don't want to offend her, but I just couldn't believe what she was saying. "Bionic humans," I say slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Very. Davenport and his brother, Douglas, created our bionics and inserted our chips into our necks," Bree says, her dark eyes bright even though we are imprisoned. "I can't really show you right now because of these cuffs and the cage, but I promise when we get home, I will."

"Well, what kind of bionics do you have?" I ask, playing along. 

"Superspeed." She grins, laughing. "That's why I've never run around you. I was afraid that I would accidentally show you my bionics. Chase's is easier to hide, and you heard that he has intelligence. Adam has super strength and laser eyes, among other things."

"Wow, you're really serious about this, aren't you?" I ask, frowning. Bree takes a step closer to me, but I take my own step back. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm your best friend." Bree looks wounded and I feel so bad for doubting her. However, them having bionics is so strange and so weird. "When have I ever lied to you, Julia?"

"Never."

"Okay. I didn't even lie to you about my bionics, I just hid them. You can trust me on this," she says, a pleading look on her face. "Julz, please. You have to believe me about this. I would never lie about my bionics."

The look on her face makes me cave. No matter what, Bree is my best friend. If she says she has bionics, then she has bionics. "Okay, I believe you. But you better show me everything when we get out of here."

Bree's face breaks out in a grin, and she says, "I am so ready to show you my bionics. It was so hard to keep it hidden from you."

"So, Chase likes me, huh?"

"Yeah. He told Marcus, Adam, Leo, and me when you were on vacation with your parents," Bree says, and then shudders again. "I literally cannot believe you like my brother. Ugh, that's gross."

"You know, if we make it when we're older, you and I can be sister in laws."

"Ooh, that's the only upside to this." She giggles, shaking her head. The smile drops off of her face as she gazes out behind me. I look around as well, my own smile falling from my face. "I promise you that I will get you out of here."

"How can you promise that when you are in handcuffs that I assume stop your bionics? Same with the cage, right?"

"Right. That's a little bump in the road, but I can do this." Bree glances down at her feet, but her gaze works its way up to my hands behind me. "Turn around. I'm going to take the rope off from around your wrists, alright? And then you can try to get me out of my handcuffs."

"Got it." I spin around and so does Bree. She backs up until she is right behind me. Her fingers reach and brush mine, which is a good sign. She works for a couple of minutes at untying the rope until it finally falls off. We both give a happy shout, and I spin around, throwing my arms around Bree's shoulders. "You're amazing!"

"I know," she says, laughing. "Okay, you have to find something get get these handcuffs off of me."

I let go of Bree and glance around the room. There isn't anything really close to the cage that we are in, making me frown. Marcus and Douglas did a good job of making sure that Bree and I cannot try to escape. Instead of looking outside of the cage, I look at the floor to see if there is anything for me to use. Maybe the rope could come in handy. 

Dropping to my knees, picking the discarded rope up from the ground. The ends of it are slightly frayed, making me smile. What would Chase do if he were here with us? I know for sure that I would pull at the frayed ends of the rope, to see if I could use the bits of it to open the handcuffs. That's exactly what I do. Small parts of the string come out in my hands, but they aren't big enough to do something in the handcuffs. I let out a frustrated groan right when the door to the room bangs out. 

My head snaps up and I'm surprised to see Chase running toward Bree and me, wearing . . . a weird looking outfit. He slides to a stop in front of the cage, looking down at me. "Are you alright?" he asks, making my heart flutter in my chest. 

"I'm okay," I say, nodding. "They didn't hurt us at all."

"Good." Chase glances up and says, "How are you doing, Bree? Does she know?"

"Yeah," Bree says, grinning. I stand up, moving next to her. "She knows about everything."

"Good," he repeats, nodding. He must not realize that I know that he likes me. I'm not sure if I ever want to tell him because I'm afraid of talking about our feelings. He moves over to the computer and starts plucking away at the keys. "I'm going to get this cage down and then we can go home."

"We were nearly there, you now," Bree says, sniffling. "Julia was going to get me out of these cuffs, but then you distracted her."

"Sure," Chase says over his shoulder. He quickly taps away, letting out a successful holler. The bars of the cage slowly lower into the ground, and he turns to us. "I'm good, aren't I?"

"Very good," I say, running over to him. I throw my arms around him, taking a deep breath. His scent fills my nose, a sweet mix of berries and vanilla. "Ooh, you smell amazing! What are you wearing?"

"Bree's perfume," Chase says, pulling away from the hug. His nose crinkles when he says, "I ran out of deodorant and I didn't realize that we were all out at home, so I used her perfume."

"What about Leo's deodorant or Adam's?"

"Leo wears Axe body spray," he says, shaking his head. "Adam doesn't wear anything."

"Ah, that's fun," I say, laughing. Bree walks out, so I take a couple of steps away from Chase. 

"Where are Adam and Leo?"

"Distracting Douglas and Marcus." Chase looks over his shoulder and says, "We have to get out of here. Let's go." He takes my hand in his and pulls me forward, leaving Bree behind. "Keep up, Bree!"

"I could if I didn't have these handcuffs on," she snaps, falling into step with Chase and me. 

"That'll have to wait until we get home."

Bree groans, but she doesn't say anything else. Chase tugs me forward, looking at me from over his shoulder. He looks relieved to have me next to him. I stay close to him and allow myself to wonder if this is what it would feel like to be with him. It almost feels like we're running away from everything in this world if I forgot about Bree. But then everything comes back to me when I see Adam fighting both Douglas and Marcus. Leo is preoccupied with a weird looking robot that is half his size.

"Guys, I got them!" Chase shouts. "Let's go!"

The little robot shoots out in front of me, nearly making me fall down. Chase keeps me up while Bree kicks it away from us. Chase and I run through the front door, and he checks over his shoulder to see if Adam, Leo, and Bree are following. We continue running, which means that they must be behind us. 

The scenery around us is not what I pictured. We are in a nice neighborhood, and there is a lot of other houses around. How couldn't they have noticed two girls with bags on their heads get out of the car? Besides that, there are a lot of trees and bushes around. This place isn't actually that bad, so how did two maniacs end up getting a house here? 

The sound of footsteps behind me tell me that everyone else is following us. I can feel their eyes on Chase and me, so I drop his hand and slow down. My legs are lungs are hurting from the continued run, and I allow Leo, Adam, and Bree to pass me. Bree gives me a look before shoving Chase to me. He crashes into me, nearly knocking me down. 

"Thanks a lot, Bree," I say drily. 

"You're welcome!"

"Why did you slow down?" Chase asks, glancing around. "If Douglas and Marcus are behind us, they'll catch us again."

"We already got away. I don't think they'll risk running after us."

"I hope not."

I clear my throat awkwardly, looking over at him. He is staring at me, a frown on his face. "We need to talk," I say quietly. "I know . . . I know that you like me." Chase freezes for a second before moving his feet again. His cheeks are splotchy red, and I can see that the tips of his ears are also red. 

"I'm sorry. I tried not to like you, but I just couldn't stop myself." He sighs, shaking his head. "I know this'll ruin our friendship, but I'm glad you know. Just like I'm glad that you know of our bionics. I wanted to tell you about them, but Mr. Davenport said that we couldn't."

"It's alright," I say, laughing. "And you don't have to worry about your feelings ruining our friendship because I like you back." He stares at me, a smile spreading across his beautiful face. His hazel eyes are brighter now, so I say, "I'd love to go out with you sometime, Chase."

"Oh my gosh, is this really happening?" he asks, giggling like a little school girl. My own smile widens at how cute he's acting. "Wow, I never thought that you liked me like that. This is the best day of my life. Well, besides you and Bree getting kidnapped, but otherwise . . ."

"Thank you," I suddenly say, making him cock his head to the side. "Thanks for protecting me. If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what would have happened."

"You're welcome," he says, nodding quickly. "I promise that I'll protect you from now on. I can be your Bionic Protector."

I laugh, shaking my head. Chase joins me, our laughter ringing out into the street. We can't stop, but I don't mind. Even though Bree may be my best girl friend, Chase will always be my best guy friend. Now that we know our feelings for each other, things will finally be normal. I'm excited for the future with Chase by my side, protecting me with his bionics.