EVE's POV

"Don't you think it's a little bit late to be sneaking around?" Minho asked me real quietly. But I wasn't paying any attention to him since my head and hands are busy with the red and blue wires in the control box. Then Minho gently adds in, "Even if it's about eating some snacks at 12 in the morning?"

Finally, I got the blue wires to disconnect itself from the control box and then I faced the 16 year old boy, who is looking out for any of the guards that are still on duty. I was supposed to tell him something, but I got a bit distracted at how close our bodies are. My breathing hitched up in my throat and my heart started to beat really fast. I couldn't look away from him. All I can think about right in this moment is the fact that we are so close together... physically!

"Are you not yet done, Evie?" Minho whispers, softly.

My eyes popped open really wide and my senses came back to me. "Oh! Um, y-yeah..." I spoke up slowly and looked away when Minho turned to face me.

I can feel his warm breath and then suddenly his hand came up to face. I looked up in confusion and froze in my place. His right hand moves to the side of my face, pushing back a strand of my hair behind my left ear.

"You should have brought something to tie that hair of yours," He whispers gently as he backs away with a smile on his face.

Then I slightly took a deep breathe in again and stood back up. "Come on, let's get something to eat real quick," I told Minho rather quickly and left him kneeling on the floor.

I opened the kitchen's doors and smiled in relief when the alarm didn't go off like how it was supposed to. I can feel Minho right behind me and the same feeling of uneasiness came back when I realized at how close our bodies were a while ago. I sighed in annoyance and started walking towards the fridge, leaving Minho by the kitchen's back door.

Now, where did they place that cake?

"Um, Evie..." Minho calls out softly as I look through the fridge as thoroughly as I can. "Evie!"

"Wait for a bit, Minho, please," I whispered quite loudly. 

"'I can't! Okay!" Minho replies back and walks over to my side.

Then he closes the fridge's door and makes me face him. "The guards are down the hallway," He whispers to me as I was about to yell at him for disturbing me.

"Why can't they just go back to sleep?" I exclaimed out in irritation while the older boy in front of me chuckles as quietly as he can.

"So, what now?" He asked as he closes the doors that we went through.

"This is WICKED we are talking about, Minho," I teased as I grabbed a wooden stool near me and placed it in front of the kitchen's table. Then I looked over at the vent above us and announced softly, "Come on, let's get out of here."

I mentally sighed at the failed mission of celebrating Minho's birthday at 12 in the morning. The 16 year old will soon be turning 17. 10 years has passed, and yet, he hasn't blown any birthday candles since he was taken away from his family. Can WICKED just stop keeping their eyes off me for just a few minutes? I mean, they have watched over me since my birth... Don't they get tired?

"Here, let me help you," Minho whispers as he holds the wooden stool in place.

I smiled at his small act of kindness and got on top of the wooden stool then on the kitchen table. I pushed opened the vent upwards and looked back at Minho. "Do you think you can fit in here?" I asked, teasing a little bit.

Then I frowned after realizing that what I said was stupid. "WICKED calls me intelligent, but why do I suddenly feel so stupid?" I thought to myself as I find another way for me and Minho to get out of the kitchen without having to bump into the night duty guards.

And then Minho suddenly said, "Go."

I looked at him in confusion and asked, "What? What do you mean 'go'?"

"You're the only one who can fit through that," He states the obvious, but not in a sarcastic way. Then he adds in his plan. "I'll hide somewhere when the guards get here, and when they leave, I'll just make a run for it. Like how I always do."

"Smart plan, but not too smart," I remarked, slowly.

Minho rolls his eyes playfully and asked using his sarcasm tone, "Then, what do you want me to do? Cut myself in pieces for me to fit through the vent? I don't think that's allowed."

"Well, that's a good plan, too, but not realistic... And it's too gruesome..."

"At least, I'm coming up with the plans!"

I closed my eyes and sighed once again. "Fine," I exclaimed as I opened my eyes. "Hide somewhere where the guards won't see you."

"I will," Minho promises with a smirk and gets on top of the kitchen's table. Then he whispers to me, "Now, let's get you out of here."

-

It's around 8 am when I heard someone knocking on my bedroom door. I opened it right away, thinking it'd be Minho, but instead I saw Gally and that nose of his. 

"What's up, Gal?" I asked the 15 year old, who is rubbing his cheeks, while tying my hair up in a messy bun.

"Alby is calling for everyone into the Lounge," The dirty blonde exclaims with a tired smile.

I raised my left eyebrow in confusion and wondered why. Then I told Gally to wait for me as I grabbed one of my white shoes and a dark blue hoodie. I placed them on and ran out of my bedroom, closing the door behind me and Gally. We both walked down the dormitory's hallways and came out into one of the main hallways of the building. As we walked down the bright white walls on both of our sides, Gally started to talk about becoming an architecture one day when WICKED has already found the Cure. I smiled at the great, creative ideas coming from the boy beside me and wondered what I would be after all of these.

Me... Eve? A girl with no last name... Hmm... Who would I be in years from now?

Then Gally opens the door to the Lounge and I walked inside, but not as I thought I would... Because the next thing that I know, party poppers are being opened and then the small, colored papers in them came out, falling down from up in the air and onto the floor. Then I see everyone coming out from their hiding spots with happy, excited smiles one their faces. I see Clint and Jeff laughing their asses off as they placed the party poppers away on a table. Then I looked around and saw Gally walking up towards Zart and Ben, who are drinking near a buffet table. Newt and Alby are quietly talking to themselves as they both looked at me... weirdly. Then I finally spotted Thomas with Teresa sitting on some chairs near the glass window. 

Those two are always keeping to themselves nowadays. I swear they're a match made in heaven... Not! More like made in WICKED. Better...

"Did you sleep properly last night?" Someone whispers near my ear behind me.

I quickly turned around in surprise and saw Minho smirking, like the usual. "What's with the sudden surprise?" I asked him, changing the topic.

"Changing topics, huh?"  He jokes with a wink. Then he suddenly became serious and asks, "What was the real reason behind the midnight snack hunt last night?"

My eyebrows furrows in total confusion again and then Minho continues on, "...You knew that it was my birthday. Didn't you?"

And here we go again with my stupid girl crush. 

"I've known since 10 years ago, Minho," I replied back, gently.

Minho chuckles and moves closer towards me. "Oh, really?" 

"Yes, really," I pushed on.

"Alright, I'll believe you this time."

I mentally sighed in relief and wiped my sweaty palms on my white pants while Minho went to talk to Newt, who walked away from Alby. I noticed that the 18 year old isn't by the buffet table anymore, but right behind me.

"Good morning, Eve," Alby greets... weirdly.

"Can you and Newt be even more... weird ?" I asked while getting an off feeling from the eldest of Group A.

Alby chuckles and pats my head softly. "Me? And Newt? Weird?"

I rolled my eyes at him and pushed his hand off my head. "Okay, what is it, Al?"

Then he asked right away, "Hmm... Do you for any chance like Minho?"

My eyes went wide at his question. My heart started to beat rapidly again. My lips parted as I try to speak up.

But I couldn't lie about this.

Then I whispered hurriedly, "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone! Especially, Minho!"

"Got it."

"Okay... Um... I li-"

But I was cut off when the Lounge's door opens. Chancellor Paige and Dr. Karen walks inside with the white clipboards.

"Everyone is here?" Dr. Karen asked in surprise.

Then she and Chancellor Paige looks around the Lounge with a small smile on their faces. "This will be the last time you'll be celebrating for something," The Chancellor announces as she stands beside me, making Alby back away due to the sudden authority in the room. Then Newt spoke up, "Dr. Karen, why are the both of you here?"

Dr. Karen looks at me first before looking back at everyone else, especially at Thomas and Teresa. Then she explains, "We'll be starting the Maze Trials in two months. The last lab tests that you all will be doing is going to happen in three days. So, be prepared and make us proud."

Two months?

I looked over at Thomas and Teresa, who already has their eyes on me. 

They must have known this while time.

But why didn't they tell me?

Then I looked over Newt and Minho. My two best friends, who I know will always be there for me in my good and bad days. They both looked away from each other in surprise and then their eyes landed on mine. Both of their faces holds the same emotion. Worry and sadness. But they know that this is needed. We need to find the Cure.

I faked a quick smile at them and looked over at the others. The next person I see is Gally. As always, he is keepinh a straight face.

He must be telling himself to be strong.

Next are the two partners-in-crime, Clint and Jeff. They both are trying not to look too scared after hearing about the first Trial, so the two had their hands inside the bowl of iced cubes to calm themselves down.

I had to mentally scold myself for almost laughing out loud. Thank God, I faked a quiet, short laugh.

Then my eyes landed on Zart and Ben.

These two were the most recent boys who WICKED found and saved 9 months ago, along with a cute, chubby, 10 year old boy, who I decided to call, Chuck.

Don't ask why. I just suddenly did, and that nickname got stuck.

As I remember each one of the boys in Group A, I have come to realize that I will really miss them as they help WICKED in finding the Cure.

Especially, when their memories would be swiped, making them forget everything that had happened in the 15, 16 and 17 years of their lives.

If only there was another way...

"Evie?"

I looked up and saw Minho standing in front of me once again... in worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked, softly while placing his right hand on one of my cheeks.

Then he adds in, "You kind of zoned out."

I slowly looked around the Lounge and noticed that Dr. Karen and Chancellor Paige had already left. Then I faced Minho again and smiled gently.

"...I'm fine, Minho."

But it's a lie.

I'll miss you a lot...

-

End of Chapter 1.

[ not yet edited - 11/15/18 ]