"Well, I should probably get going," Evie said after a moment of us grinning stupidly at one another.

I glanced around. Outside of the fire's warm circle, it was completely dark.

"Why don't you stay here for the night?" I suggested. "You might not have realized this, but this isn't the safest part of town."

Evie chuckled. "I guess I could..." she decided hesitantly.

"Great!" I beckoned for her to follow me as I started home.

Sarah was asleep on the couch, her face buried in the sheets. I wondered if they still smelled like Nik.

In the bedroom, Charlie had dragged my blankets into the corner of the room and was curled into himself, looking far smaller than usual. My heart melted just looking at him.

"Where should I sleep?" Evie asked, whispering so as not to disturb my brother, and I realized that there was only the bed left.

"You can sleep in the bed," I offered immediately. "I'll figure something out."

She nodded uncertainly and glanced down at herself. "I don't have anything to change into."

I crossed the room to the dresser, pulling out a baggy shirt and pants. "Here."

She accepted them and I directed her to the bathroom. While she was gone, I quickly changed into pajamas as well, still wondering where I could sleep. Sarah and I weren't that close and Charlie was using all of the extra blankets...maybe the now-useless virtual reality room? But there was nothing in there for me to lie on...

Evie returned. The clothing I had given her was large even for me, so I wasn't surprised to find her practically swimming in the fabric. For some reason, a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

Slowly, as if not sure if she was still welcome, Evie slid into bed. Taking my cue, I crossed the room to the door.

"Goodnight, Evie."

"Goodnight, Claire."

The light wasn't on - I didn't even know if the electricity was working - so I swung the door shut behind me until only a thin line of light penetrated the shadowy bedroom.

I stood in the hallway for a moment, unsure of where to go but feeling lethargy tugging at my eyelids.

Sighing, I moved to the living room. Sitting on my knees in front of the window, I softly slid it open, rested my arms on the sill, and peered up at the multitudes of stars.

Before the Uprising, there had been a strict curfew that involved all the lights in Horizon being turned off. It had resulted in the heavens coming alive with thousands of pinpricks of distant light.

Now, even if there was still a technical curfew, it wasn't enforced. Light pollution had dulled the night sky.

I still found the stars beautiful, though.

I stayed there, staring up at the sky, for only a few more minutes until a small sound made me turn around.

Evie stood there, her eyelids heavy with sleep as she stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. "There's nowhere for you to sleep," she pointed out drowsily. "We can just share the bed."

It was innocent enough, but my heart still sped up as I followed her shuffling form down the hallway. We climbed into bed. Evie lay on her back and turned her head away from me. I did the same, not wanting to appear either too rude or too forward.

And in this way, we drifted off to sleep.

*

I was, for the first time in my memory, the last person to rise. I was woken by Charlie's best attempt at a quiet voice and immediately glanced over, remembering the night before.

Evie was gone, her side of the bed neatly made.

I was strangely disappointed by this, but hurried out of the bedroom, hoping she would be waiting for me in the living room.

A grin spread over my face when I found that this was the case.

She was still dressed in my pajamas, seated on one of the chairs at the counter and chatting with Sarah. Charlie was quietly struggling through a book beside her, and every so often, she would lean over and offer assistance.

I stood there, watching the peaceful scene for a few more seconds, a strange tranquility settling over me. Then Sarah noticed me and beckoned me over, making the other two turn around.

I walked over to the counter, placing my forearms upon it and leaning forward. "Hey," I greeted everyone.

They all murmured greetings back to me. Charlie returned to his book. Evie stood and walked a few feet away, gesturing for me to follow.

She glanced furtively over her shoulder before she began speaking in a careful whisper. "I've got to go, but I wanted to wait for you to get up so I could tell you the guard schedule."

I must have looked confused because she clarified, "At headquarters."

I listened intently as she rattled off a few times. "I'd comm them to you, but it's too risky," she murmured, and I nodded in understanding.

"Thank you for letting me sleep over," she called over her shoulder as she climbed out of the window. We all wished her farewell and she was gone.

I began pacing back and forth, murmuring the times during which I could sneak into headquarters under my breath.

"Everything okay?" Sarah asked, confusion lacing her voice. I just nodded.

"I'm going to go visit Nik," I suddenly decided. "How do you get to the jail?"

Sarah had paled slightly at the mention of her boyfriend but gave me the instructions.

"Can I come?" Charlie asked plaintively.

I hesitated. How could I best explain jail to him? It wasn't an experience I wanted my brother to have so young.

"Maybe next time," I told him instead, hurrying out of the window before he could ask further questions.

I counted the rooftops carefully, as Sarah had instructed. Once I was fairly certain I had the correct building, I started down.

Sarah had said that Nik was at the left corner window below the fire escape. I dropped softly to the ground, crouching to avoid being seen by other prisoners as I made my way to my best friend's cell.

Even once there, I didn't straighten up, remaining on alert. "Nik?" I whispered. When I got no reply, I repeated myself louder: "Nik!"

Rustling and a stranger's voice, too low for me to understand it, came from within the cell. Then, Nik's face was suddenly peering out between the window's bars.

Seeing him just served to reinforce how much I missed him. It was like a punch to the gut. I scanned his face, every detail of it, drinking in the familiar sight.

I couldn't, however, ignore the bags under his eyes that spoke of exhaustion, or his pallid complexion.

"Claire?" he breathed, as if he couldn't trust what he was seeing.

As if that was my cue, I flew to my feet and wrapped my hands around the bars, encasing his calloused fingers in mine.

"How did they catch you?" I asked desperately.

"I raided a house and found some alcohol," he replied. "And...I got drunk and went to ground level. That's where they found me."

"Oh, Nik." Alcohol was a sweet treat that all residents of Rooftop savored, even more so because of how illegal it was.

"I'm so sorry," I muttered thickly, the words hindered by my rising tears. "I'm sorry I made you mad. This is all my fault."

His brow furrowed with surprise. "What? No! Claire, no. Maybe our argument was what made me run off, but I only have myself to blame for the beer and going to ground." I felt his knuckles protrude beneath my hands as he gripped the bars even tighter. "Claire, this isn't your fault."

Until he uttered them, I had had no idea how badly I wanted to hear those words. Tears began streaming down my face and a few dripped over my best friend's cheekbones as well.

Once we had finally regained some semblance of self-control, Nik asked, not unkindly, "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to visit you," I replied. "To see how you were."

Nik blew out a long breath and glanced over his shoulder. Turning back to me, he lowered his voice. "To be honest, Claire, it's awful in here. Most of us were arrested for stupid little things like I was, not real crimes, but there are a few who are...bad. It's like locking wolves in the sheep's pasture."

I shivered.

"And the guards have checked out. They hate us, we hate them..." His eyes were glazed over with some strange emotion, and my brow furrowed with worry. Something was very wrong with my friend, and the change had happened in a matter of days.

A whistle blew from inside the prison and Nik instinctively released my hands. Without his heat, they felt uncomfortably cold.

"I have to go," he murmured.

I stared intently into his eyes, resolve hardening. "I promise I will get you out," I swore.

Out of this jail.

Out of this life.

Nik smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. There was no hope in his expression. He turned away without so much as a farewell and was gone.

I knew that I should have gotten back on the roof, that it was dangerous on the ground, but I couldn't. I moved out of sight of Nik's cell, curled against the rough brick of the jail wall, and tried to control my shaking.