"You know I never learned your name. I mean if we are going to be partners it's only fair for me to know," I point out. 

 

He sets down his bag of chips and looks me in the eye. "Kai." 

 

Kai. I like it. It suits him. 

 

"What about you? I don't know you're name either you know." 

 

"Kora." 

 

"Kora…" Kai sits and ponders my name, "…I like it." 

 

A silence falls over us. It's a comfortable silence. None of us have to talk and it doesn't get awkward. My mind becomes occupied with a loose string on my shirt. Soon my eyes start to feel heavy. 

 

"Kora." Kai calls out. "You should sleep."

 

"I'm fine, Kai." 

 

"No you aren't. I need you to be awake for the rest of the night." 

 

I am tired. I could sleep. What if this is all his plan though? I go to sleep and he kills me. No thanks. I'll take my chances. 

 

Kai sighs. "I'm not going to kill you in your sleep. You can take my bag with my weapons if you don't believe me." 

 

"No. I believe you," I reply. Lies. I don't believe him but I'm not going to tell him that. 

 

I lie down on the ground and close my eyes. I figure if I fake sleeping I can see his motives and attack him if necessary.  

 

"Kora." 

 

"Mm?"

 

"Look at me." 

 

I roll onto my side and Kai walks over and sits beside me. He takes my hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze. Kai's eyes full sincerity, "Kora, I swear on my life that I will not hurt you in your sleep. I want you to be comfortable around me and every time I try to prove to you how serious I am about earning your trust, you shut me off. It hurts me because you make me feel like I'm not trustable. I want you to sleep, I want you to feel safe around me and I want you to feel like we are friends. Even though we may not be now I want your friendship. So please sleep. I won't hurt you…I'm not a monster." 

 

I widen my eyes at his request and start to feel guilty. I remove my hand from his grasp and close my eyes so I can sleep. After a minute I peak open my eyes and see Kai looking at me with tender eyes. I smile at him before dozing off to sleep. 

 

---

 

"You can't run princess. No one can save you now." 

 

I'm in a closed off room. No windows. No doors. Just him and I. I hear his laugh and my spine tingles. I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist and throw me to the ground. I shut my eyes trying to drown out this moment. 

 

"I'm going to show you what happens to girls who don't listen."

 

It hurts. My cries aren't heard. I look out and now everyone is in the room, surrounding me watching—amused. They are pointing, laughing at my misery. My mom and dad won't help me. Kai won't help me. I can't stand to try to defend myself. I'm crying; I'm slowly dying. Emotionally and physically. My body is weak and he won't stop. I'm lying there when I see him pull out a gun, but he hands it over to someone. 

 

Kai. 

 

Kai slowly moves the gun to my direction. My breath quickens. He pulls the trigger—

 

"No!" I jump up and look around me. It finally registers that I'm with Kai. I jump again when I feel Kai's hand on my shoulder. 

 

He looks at me with anxious eyes. "Nightmare?" 

 

I nod. I don't want to talk about it and I'm relieved when he doesn't ask me. "Kai you can sleep now. I don't feel tired anymore." His hand drops from my shoulder and he crawls over to a corner. 

 

I wait until he's asleep to start crying. I don't want Kai to see me cry because I hate it. Mother would always scold me if I cried, so I just don't. Crying scares me though because it makes me feel like I'm not in control. I cry for my mom and dad; I miss them. I cry because I know that there is still more danger out there that can find Kai and I. At any given moment we could die. 

 

"Kora." 

 

I snap my head to over the lump on the ground that is Kai. I wipe my eyes and nose before I reply. "You're awake?" 

 

He ignores me question. "Kora, it's okay to be scared. Just please don't be afraid to be scared alone."

 

I've never thought about it that way. My fear isn't shared with someone but its just me. Alone I am drowning, I'm vulnerable and my fears are eating me alive. If I was to share that with someone does this mean we could be scared together? Would I be less scared because someone else can take the weight? Or would I not be scared at all because I'd have a shield that protects me from the things I'm afraid of facing? In Kai's sense he wants me to be able to be comfortable with him, to be able to tell him and accept his help. He wants me to know that I can cry and his shoulder will be the one there for me. I look at Kai and smile. He has been here for me and I really want to thank him for that. I could be dead one thousand times, but thanks to him I'm still alive. 

 

I hesitate, "Kai?" 

 

No answer. He must be asleep. An opportunity passed. I sigh and settle back into my thoughts. 

 

---

 

I'm greeted by darkness. I must have fallen asleep again. I look over to the corner for Kai and he's still over there. I mentally scold myself, I have failed to stay awake and if someone came in to kill us both it would be my fault. What Kai doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Kai wakes up a little later. I can see him in the moonlight when he stretches. His shirt rides up a little revealing his stomach, he looks at me and I focus my eyes elsewhere. 

 

"Did you sleep well?" I ask. 

 

"Did you?" He asks back. 

 

I think about my dream and shutter. "No…"

 

"Me either." 

 

I nod in agreement. It is hard to get a good nights sleep when killers are out there and you aren't in a nice warm bed. 

 

"Kora don't you find it funny that we are partners but don't know anything about each other?" 

 

"Yes, I suppose so."

 

"Want to play a game?"

 

Game? "Like what?"

 

Kai smiles, "Twenty questions."

 

"Alright, you first."

 

Kai sits there and thinks for a moment. It's like he's trying to find the perfect question. 

 

"Yah, hurry up. You're taking to long. I'm going to be old by the time you get the first question out," I tease. 

 

Kai throws me a look before starting. "Okay, okay. Um, what is your favorite color?"

 

Easy. In the Government we are limited to colors. The only colors we allow are white and purple, shades of white and purple are allowed also. Purple is a sense of royalty while white is polished. In our home we have purple walls accompanied by white furniture. "Purple." 

 

"Purple? Alright now you ask me."

 

"Kai, what is your favorite color?" I couldn't think of a good one so I stole his. 

 

Kai puts his head down and laughs, "I didn't mean the same question, whatever. Red."

 

Red? Interesting. I've seen red from flowers and red foods, but mostly I've learned about red from our school books. 

 

"Kora, what is your best friends name?"

 

"I don't have one." 

 

My answer shocks Kai. "What do you mean you don't have one?" He asks dumbfounded. 

 

"Simple. I don't have a best friend. I have friends, I suppose, but I never hang out with them outside of school. Even inside school all they are useful for is supplying the empty seats at the lunch table. I don't get along well with the kids at my school because they act to good for everyone else. Plus, my mom tells me that my personality pushes people away from me; I'm not a warm inviting person. I don't mind though, I like being alone…most of the time," I whisper the last part. 

 

Kai just stares at me. He shakes his head an motions for me to carry on the game. 

 

"What is your favorite food?"

 

"Steak."

 

"I too enjoy steak," I add. 

 

"Do you have any pets?"

 

"No."

 

"Do you have any siblings?"

 

I must have stricken a cord. Kai's expression becomes dark and I know he is no longer present. A minute passes before Kai replies. "Yeah." He closes his eyes and pinches the bride of his nose. "A brother." 

 

"What about you? Do you have a brother or sister?"

 

"No, I'm an only child. Summit made a law that the Government civilians are allowed two children." I inform. 

 

"Why?"

 

"Actually it's my turn to ask the question Kai." I don't know what to ask next. "When is your birthday?

 

"January 14, now why?" 

 

I sigh. "Government civilians are only allowed to have two children after the accident," I see him make a move to ask so I explain, "The accident was when an Amiss killed a family. The family was high in power and there were 5 kids. Ever since then the government locked down, and you are allowed two kids. I guess the government figures if one died then you could have another. 

 

I close my eyes and breath. I'm a liar. I'm the other child. My mom and dad had a kid before me he died though. Suddenly stricken with pneumonia. My brothers' name was Kwan. Though I was only three when he died I know he was special to the government community. He was a political major,like father, and was very good looking. My father was proud of his son, he loved his son. My mother was also proud of her son, he was nice, smart, respectful, and had a great future ahead of him. I know why my dad doesn't love me; I'm not Kwan. I never will be Kwan and he can't accept that. I feel pressured by them to be like Kwan, I make outstanding grades because all I do is study and I try to be like Kwan. No matter how hard I try my father won't ever appreciate me. It kills me. It pains me to see his face when I tell him how amazing I did on something—better than Kwan even, but my dad still looks at me with disappointment. So what's the use in trying? 

 

We continue our game and I learn that Kai and his parents have a tricky relationship, he loves chicken and pizza, likes to dance, watch movies, and play games. I learned that if he could go back in time he would change a grade he got on a test. He only has three best friends. He likes to laugh, joke around, and eat. 

 

I bring my attention to Kai when he stops laughing. "What?"

 

"Nothing. It's just…never mind."

 

"Oh no, you can't just bring something up and not tell me."

 

"It's nothing Kora."

 

"But Kai," I whine and attempt to but on my puppy dog face. 

 

"Fine!" Kai starts awkwardly rubbing his neck and clears his throat more than enough times. "Kora, have you ever dated anyone?"