(Well then. You all ready to go on a wild ride with me again?)

Part 1 — The Text

You've never seen me through my smile. My laughter. My happiness.

My fake self.

Through all of it I hide how I really am.

"What the hell?" Xin re-read the message she just received from Azyra. "What does this mean?" She showed Zap, who was eating lunch, her phone screen. He stopped eating and read her message. "From Azyra?" Xin nodded.

"Understandable. Explains why she left three days ago."

"Three days ago? Why didn't I know about this?"

"You haven't seen her around the apartment recently. Did you really think she was still here?"

"I thought she was at the college and didn't come back until late at midnight, when we're asleep!"

"I stay up until 2 in the morning. She never comes back. Plus, she left while you were out, saying that she was leaving for something."

"You didn't tell me?"

"It didn't seem important at the time."

"Zap, she's my friend! You have to tell me about these kinds of things!"

"Huh. Well, you can read this, I guess." Zap pulled out his phone and showed Xin the text message he had received from Azyra the day before.

Heading out. Don't say a word. Thanks.

"What?" Xin asked. To prove his point, Zap continued eating.

"Choosing not to respond?" Xin grabbed Zap's lunch and threw it to the kitchen floor. Still not responding, Zap silently walked away to grab a broom. Xin sighed as she sat down at the dining table and re-read the two messages, over and over.