Chan is pacing back and forth while quietly speaking with Woojin, they aren't very good at whispering so of course the rest of us can obviously hear them; plus I'm peering in their tiny room.

     "The Strays are not safe for us to just frolic around in, Chan." Woojin interprets as Chan sighs, still pacing back and forth.

     "I know, I know. But we either go to the Strays together or we wait here to see what they have planned for us. You saw what happened to the other Districts, Woojin, do you want that to happen to us?" Woojin put his face in his hands and furrows his eyebrows.

     "Haven't you heard about the Strays, Chan? It's dangerous and we should not go!"

     Chan and Woojin start to raise their voices, not trying to be quiet anymore. An example of this is when Chan starts yelling as if he wants everyone to hear him, "In here, we move according to our own rules! This is a team, not a one man deal. When one does something alone, we pitch in and help." Chan's Australian accent creeps up on him as he speaks the last sentence in English.

     Woojin just shakes his head and leans forward to stand up, "Fine. But before we leave, all of us are discussing this." Chan and Woojin have a thirty second staring contest before Chan finally starts walking out; which means I gotta zoom outta the doorway. My slightly shorter legs move as fast as they can to the broken down couch where Changbin & Seungmin relax.  The youngest boy scoots closer to me and whispers in my ear right as Chan and Woojin step in the room, 

     "So, d'ya hear anything?" I nod my head forward and he looks at the two oldest members that are waiting to gain everyone's attention without speaking.

     "You're about to hear everything I did."

     Minho kicks Hyunjin's side playfully as he lies on the ground with an arm over his face to steal his attention, which the sassy male does not like.

    "What the f..." he suddenly becomes aware of the eldest males in the room staring at him in amusement, " ...udge."

     "Woojin and myself have decided that we'll all speak our thoughts before actually managing to drop outta' this dump. So, if anyone would like to, voice your opinions."

     Hyunjin sits up and exhales softly, he rubs his eyes before looking around the room and back at Woojin, "It's not as dangerous out there as it is here." At the most likely wrong statement Woojin chuckles, obviously getting frustrated with everyone disagreeing with him. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it as if what he's about to say will offend us, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did; he keeps his frustration in and it's scary when he lets it out. To be honest, I don't even know why I suggested to leave the only home I've ever known, we've ever known. Now that I think of it, I was being a narrow-minded teenager. As Woojin opens his mouth again, I interrupt him,

     "Maybe... Maybe Woojin is right. What if we just stay here? It's the only home we've ever known, we know nothing of what's out there. What if we die in a world none of us have ever known of instead of perishing in a community we've spent our lives in?" 

     "That's not what you were going on about yesterday, Lix." Minho renders quietly.

     "Yes, I know, but we have no idea what's out there. Yesterday, I... I didn't know what I was discussing, I was thinking about myself. Not you guys." 

     "But," everyone's attention is directed to the still growing male on the couch, "what if some of us want to go? What if some of us want the excitement we've been missing out on?" Hyunjin, Changbin, and Minho look at me and I look at Chan, who noticeably doesn't know what to say.

     He sighs louder than necessary & looks at everyone in the room after spinning in a small circle of dissatisfaction, "Why don't we just stay for one more day and see how it all plays out? If they're suspecting something from us then we gotta' keep it on the down low, make them think we aren't up to anything. Do as they say, when they say it." Our small group of seven look at each other stupidly prior to agreeing with the second oldest boy in the room.

     "I still have my doubts, Chan." Woojin puts his hand on Chan's shoulder and shakes his head proceeding to the room the two were in not long ago.

     ═════ ∘◦ ミ⛧ ◦∘ ═════

     The following day had nothing set up. No Districts getting in line & being taken away, no needles being stuck into random people and making then pass out, no screaming, kicking, or crying. Nothing happened. It's almost as if the ers controlling this place knew what we were talking about the previous night. Slipping into my pearly, white jeans and slightly off white shoes, I walk out of the enclosed box as well as moving forward to the even smaller cafeteria. I spot the boy from two days ago, Taeho, sitting alone staring at the table with slightly red eyes. It's as if he'd been crying since the day his friend sacrificed himself for Taeho; Hell, I knew I would've. My extremities move closer to the darkening table he's seated at, hoping to cheer him up a bit.

     "This seat taken?" He looks surprised to say the least, his small jump and widening eyes looking up at me. Before things get more awkward then they already are, he shakes his head side to side and looks back down at his hands which are settled in his lap.

    "No. No it's not taken, have a seat." I see Taeho's eyes glance at me as I position myself on the small, circular seat. I mumble a short 'Thank you' & we both hold an assembly of silence for what seems like a whole eternity. Taeho fidgets with his white hemmed shirt as I breathe slowly, afraid that if I breathe any faster I'll disrupt what silence is left in the air.

     "You know," his voice quiets for a short moment after looking me in the eyes, "you don't have to pity me. I'll be fine without him, I'm sure."

     "No, you miss that guy very much. That I see and I won't ignore the hurt you must be feeling. He must've been your best friend, hm?" Taeho nods at the true comment almost guiltily. 

     "Oh yes, forever will be, but he's a very strong, nice man. He'll get through it all and Jeup will come back looking just the same as he did when he got taken away from me. Jeup won't look at me with trauma stuck in his eyes, but happiness when he sees us. All of us waiting for him in the front room." I see a wave of tears start to flow silently out of Taeho's dark brown, almost black, eyes. Taeho cracks his lips apart to speak again but lets out a choked sob instead of the desired words wanting to be said.

     "He must be in so much pain... so, so much pain. And I feel like such a pathetic person knowing that I can't help him. I should've pushed him away and went to die instead of Jeup; it's my fault he got put into whatever place they take those innocent people to decay."

     My arm rubs circles over the wrinkles on the back of Taeho's shirt, "I'm sure if he, Jeup,  got chosen instead of you, he would've done the same for you. Just know that it isn't your fault, okay? He'll come back to you soon enough and you'll all be able to celebrate, yeah? He won't die & he won't be hurt; Jeup will be perfectly fine. Alright?" Taeho wipes every tear that escaped past his eyelids and nods. After talking with the older male and getting to know more about the interesting person, we both walk back to our gray-haired homes.

     Maybe staying in this community everyone hates so much isn't a bad idea. But what if what I said to Taeho isn't true and his friend never comes back? What if something like that happens to me & my friends? Maybe staying here one more day will help solve the problem of us hanging around or not. 

     Whether we stay or not, this is our district; District Nine.