"Are you going to finish that...?"

"Hey -- Leon!"

"Huh?" I turned to Miche reluctantly.

"What is it?" I queried.

"Are you going to finish that?" he asked.

"Oh --- Uh, help yourself."

He grins slightly and pulls out his right arm to grab the piece of bread in front of me, but Daniel beats him to it.

A mockery of laughter followed as Daniel buried the whole thing in his mouth.

I felt sorry for the guy, but it didn't stop me from laughing. We all knew how Miche was and that was the reason for our laughter. He had some kind of unique relationship with foo-- No, let me just be blunt. Miche was practically possessed by an evil spirit with a massive gluttony problem. The guy sometimes acted like a mad lion when it came to food sharing – the reason why our group members are given their pieces individually, but the other groups are made to share their own thing. A contributing fact to why our group was named the "inutile" group. And, honestly, we were all shocked that Miche didn't kill Daniel for the stunt he pulled. He glared wildly at Daniel for a while though and then nodded slightly.

A tap distracted me; I was just about to resume my daydream.

I sighed and turned my eyes to him.

He was still chewing on the piece of bread he overtook Miche for.

I raised my brows as our eyes met.

"What is it?"

"You've been spacing out since we got here… And you decided not to eat, even though you know today is a one-meal day."

"I do know… but I'm not hungry"

"And I believe you, but also believe something is up with you, Leon."

I lower my brows and shake my head slightly. "Something like what?"

"That's the problem… How would I know if you don't tell me?"

"But there's nothing to tell...!"

Honestly, there was—something.

But I couldn't tell him, even though I was dying to.

The doctor had made me promise not to disclose what happened to anyone… not even to Daniel; "Especially him."

I agreed, knowing very well I was on my way to tell Daniel everything. But he wouldn't have believed me though… at least not the first time he hears it. But he eventually will because he'd know I have no reason to lie; then he would go crazy, and his head would explode.

"You really kissed Doctor Harley…? Like, you actually did?"

I will nod with a sheepish smile.

"And she really kissed you back…? Like, she actually did?"

I will nod again with a more sheepish smile.

"I'm so proud of you, bro… We need to celebrate!"

Wouldn't that be great? Not the kiss – that was more than great; but having to share my first happiest moment in this awful facility with my closest friend, would have been great. I would have described how extremely soft Doctor Harley's lips were, and brag about how hard and fast I felt her heart beat for me when I grabbed her, how we both got lost in each other's eyes… how we passionately kissed and held on and pressed our bodies against each other.

But unfortunately, I couldn't tell him… because I valued the deal, I had had with Doctor Harley more than just sharing secrets because we were friends.

Doctor Harley had given me two choices.

First, I could keep what happened between us to ourselves and continue it in secret – doing everything and anything for as long as it gets,

OR

I could tell my friends and risk the higher-ups finding out about it and then it would never happen again.

"They will probably swap me with another Doctor, that is if I'm lucky. If I'm not, then I'll definitely end up in the pool."

Well, I wouldn't that for my first love – Sorry, Daniel, I can't tell you anything about this, or the other.

Apart from keeping what had happened between the Doctor and me, I was instructed to… No, "warned" describes it better. I was warned not to tell my colleagues about the project Noire; not yet anyway. After using a dozen other candidates as lab scapegoats, they finally had their breakthrough with me. I was the first candidate who successfully bonded with it – with him. And instead of announcing it a billion years ago, they hadn't. Just taking my blood sample, making me do this, and that, and this, and that, but I can't complain. I get to be with the Doctor during and after the session.

"I feel it Leon – You're hiding something from me. You've been spacing out every day for over a week now, and besides that, they take you right after breakfast and bring you back far later in the day."

"Yeah – so?"

"If you won't tell me what's on your mind, then at least tell me what they do to you." Daniel cried.

I sighed, almost silently.

The thought of telling Daniel raced into my head; Just to get him off my neck. I mean I'd rather he knew about project Noire over my affair with the Doctor.

Hmm—

"Well Dan, there—actually is something… You can't tell the others."

"Ha- I knew it! Spill!" He ordered.

"Listen, I'm dead serious. You can't tell anybody."

"I won't. I won't. You know me, man, damn."

"Alright. So, a week ago— I was given…"

"The two of you whispering in secret; Let me guess, Leon is bothering you with Doctor Harley?"

My heart skipped a major beat immediately after she mentioned the doctor.

What she said before making mention of Doctor Harley didn't actually matter to me; as a matter of fact, I didn't even hear anything aside from "Doctor Harley."

"What--?" I queried hesitantly. I don't know why I thought she'd found out, but I did.

"Nothing like Micah," Daniel answered.

"Well, that's disappointing, isn't it? Is he over her already?" Micah chuckled.

"He's not." I clarified.

I had quickly recovered from my almost breakdown. I wasn't far from messing up. Just the mention of Doctor Harley almost threw me off the bus, and my heart raced like crazy. And it was only Micah— only Micah… What if it were someone else…? What if it were –

I shook my head in disappointment with myself.

"Chill, Leon – chill. No one is going to find out unless you do tell them." I reassured myself.

I had begun to tell Daniel about the project Noire when Micah interrupted, making me rethink and reconsider my decision.

"How do you manage to come up with new ways to annoy me every time?"

Micah responded by putting me in a headlock, trying to mess up my pretty hair.

"T-A-L-E-N-T…" She spelled it out.

Micah sat in between Daniel and me.

She draws her face closer to the side of my side.

"Leon – What happened between you and Doctor Harley?" She whispered into my ear.

What the Hell! Was I so easy to read?

Daniel found out I was hiding something… Micah too, who hadn't even been here more than a minute had already figured me out.

Am I that obvious…? I don't think so. So, just, how did they – hmm; Anyhow, suspecting something doesn't mean you know it, right?

I rolled my eyes and sighed hard, pushing her face away from mine.

A strong mysterious kick landed on my shin. The pain racked my body To and FRO as if I had stepped into a pool of water exposed to naked electrical wires. For a second, I was puzzled as to why a felt that kind of pain all of a sudden, but my memories came rushing back when my eyes met Miche's… and the other guys in the group. It had been three years, maybe four, and they were finally ready. I stopped myself from getting irritated following the damage Miche made on my shin, but I must say, it was necessary. If he hadn't, I would have forgotten – I had forgotten.

"Micah…!" I started.

I saw Miche's eyes sparkle briefly.

I smiled and shook my head slightly.

"Uh – so yeah… This' Miche… that's Remy, Martin, Cole, and Trevor."

Micah nodded slightly and took an unnatural look at each of their faces, puzzled about why I'd made the weird introduction.

"What about us?" Aaliyah and Emily queried simultaneously.

"What about you…?" Remy set his wild gaze on the two. He might have thought they were set to destroy the moment he waited years for. He'd fallen head over heels for Micah since we were first brought to the facility; Not only him, the enter guys in my group were madly in love with her. With the exception of Daniel, maybe. Yet, none of them had the courage to approach her, or even say a random "hi" to her. But me being a good Samaritan, took it upon myself to introduce them. I told them about it, and they were happy and agreed to it quickly. That was almost four months ago - they needed four months to Prep their courage.

"Hi..." They sing simultaneously, smiling sheepishly with their eyes set on Micah.

"Hi..." She replied awkwardly.

The boys kept staring at her with their grins.

"Well, that's... kinda weird --" Daniel's mouth.

I realized how uncomfortable Micah looked and laughed hard. I could feel her regret from a mile away. I'm sure she thought it better to have stayed with her group than come to annoy her brother; I bet she'd learned a lesson though.

The sound of the heavy door opening startled everyone in the dining room, and our eyes traveled right in that direction. Lieutenant Ackermann walked in, and the room immediately went totally quiet like a graveyard.

The only thing we could hear was the sound of his heels hitting the floor as he walked. Lieutenant Ackermann didn't reveal himself to us often. The number of times we'd met him for the four years we'd stayed in the facility could be counted with just the fingers of one hand. He only showed up when it was necessary... for him anyways.

"I hope all of you enjoyed your meal...?" He started as soon as he got to the front.

None of us answered.

He smirked slightly. Evidently enjoying the fear he'd just brought into our souls.

"Well, Get ready, it will be the last meal for you; Some - of you."