Chapter Six— Survival Rules.
They didn't sleep.
Not really.
The night stretched thin between two glowing phone screens, messages sent and received in the quiet hours when panic refused to settle and exhaustion wasn't enough to knock fear unconscious.
Aria lay on Ava's bed, staring at a ceiling that wasn't hers, the faint hum of the house wrapping around her like something borrowed. Every few minutes, her phone lit up again. Another message. Another reminder that this wasn't a nightmare she'd wake up from.
This was real.
Across the city and far away in a luxury hotel suite, Ava lay flat on her back, phone resting against her chest, eyes wide open. The sheets were too soft. The room was too big. Everything smelled expensive and unfamiliar.
They texted in fragments at first. Short. Urgent. Messy.
Then slowly… structured.
Because panic wasn't going to save them.
Aria:
Okay. The first thing you need to know tomorrow isn't normal.
Ava:
I figured that much.
Aria:
After breakfast, you are flying out of the country. City B to City A. In the morning.
Ava's fingers paused mid-air.
Different countries.
That meant distance. Like real distance.
Ava:
So… we won't even be in the same place anymore. I might as well just freaking dig my own grave.
Aria:
That's not necessary. But this means we can't switch back anytime soon.
The words sat heavy on both screens.
Ava:
What about school?
Aria:
You won't go. Jet lag excuse. It's already expected.
But there's an engagement party the night we get back.
Ava sat up abruptly.
Ava:
The fiancé.
Aria:
Matthias. Yes. Avoid him if you can. Be polite. Reserved.
Don't argue. Don't joke. Don't get comfortable.
That part was important.
Ava swallowed.
Formal dinners. Expressionless faces. Conversations weighed down by expectation. Everything she hated.
Ava:
Got it. Cold. Distant. Respectful.
Aria:
Exactly.
A beat.
Then the roles shifted.
Ava:
Your turn. Tomorrow morning, you're on your own.
Aria stared at the message, heart picking up speed.
Ava:
You wake up early. But don't come out of your room until 7:30.
Act rushed. Like you overslept.
Aria:
That I can do.
Ava:
Avoid lingering. Avoid questions. Eat fast or don't eat at all.
And most importantly, don't suddenly become quiet. Ava talks. A lot.
Aria almost laughed.
Almost.
Aria:
School?
Ava:
You walk. Most days. Use Google Maps, I already pinned the route.
If Dad isn't home, no ride. Don't panic if you get lost. It's normal here.
Normal.
The word felt strange on Aria's tongue.
They kept going. Step by step. Habit by habit.
Clothes. Tone. Facial expressions. What to say. What not to say.
By the time the sky began to lighten behind their separate windows, neither of them remembered when fear had turned into focus.
This wasn't a plan.
It was survival.
Somewhere between the last message and the first hint of morning, Ava typed one final line.
Ava:
Rule one. Don't get caught.
Aria read it as the house around her began to stir.
Outside, a new day was already beginning.
And neither of them was ready for it.
Morning came too fast.
Aria woke before her alarm, heart already racing, the echo of last night's messages still fresh in her mind. For a few seconds, she lay still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the house.
This wasn't her home.
This wasn't her life.
But she felt very relaxed and free.
She checked the time.
6:42 a.m.
Too early.
She stayed in bed.
Just like Ava had instructed.
Aria forced herself to relax, scrolling through old messages on Ava's phone, absorbing the casual slang, the emojis, the way Ava spoke without thinking. It felt strange studying someone else's personality like a script she hadn't memorized in time.
At 7:28, she finally got up.
She changed quickly, pulling on a hoodie and jeans that felt wrong in the most ordinary way. No mirrors adjusted for posture. No staff waiting. No schedule being enforced.
She took a breath.
Then she stepped out.
"Shoot, sorry!" Aria blurted the moment she entered the living room, deliberately rushing her steps. "I overslept."
Mrs. Brooks glanced up from the stove. "You? Oversleeping? That's new."
Aria shrugged, forcing a grin. "Guess miracles do happen."
It worked.
Just like that, the tension eased.
She grabbed a piece of toast, barely taking a bite, already reaching for her bag.
"You're not eating?" Mr. Brooks asked from behind his newspaper.
"I'll eat at school," Aria said quickly. Too quickly. She corrected herself with a laugh. "Running late."
Mrs. Brooks shook her head fondly. "You always are."
Aria slipped out the door before another question could trap her.
Outside, the morning air hit her like freedom and fear wrapped together.
She pulled out her phone immediately.
Google Maps.
Blue line. Follow it.
Simple.
Except it wasn't.
She walked slower than Ava ever would, eyes darting, memorizing landmarks, pretending confidence while her chest buzzed with anxiety. Every passing student made her stiffen, terrified someone would notice.
Her posture.
Her silence.
Her careful steps.
She forced herself to relax.
Smile.
Be Ava.
*****
Across the city, Ava's morning was nothing like that.
She woke up at exactly 6:30.
Shower. Teeth. Hair.
Everything was precise.
By the time she stepped out of her room, dressed in something tasteful and uncomfortable, her expression was already carefully neutral.
Mrs. Harrison was seated at the table, a tablet in hand.
"Good morning, dear."
Ava nodded once. "Good morning, Mother."
Her voice came out softer than she felt.
Breakfast was quiet. Too quiet.
Ava mirrored Aria's posture from memory, straight back, minimal movement, small bites. She answered questions briefly, respectfully, never first.
She survived it.
Barely.
When it was over, she retreated to her room, shutting the door with controlled relief. Her phone buzzed immediately.
Aria:
I made it out. I think no one noticed.
Ava exhaled for the first time that morning.
Ava:
Good. Breakfast here was terrifying.
They didn't say anything else.
They didn't have time.
Because Aria had just reached the school gates…
And Ava's phone lit up with a calendar reminder she hadn't noticed before.
ENGAGEMENT PARTY — TONIGHT.
Ava stared at the screen.
So did Aria, miles away, as someone called her name from behind.
The first day wasn't even halfway over.
And everything was already starting to crack. They both secretly prayed that this would end well.
*****
Aria had just stepped through the school gates when a familiar voice cut through the morning noise.
"Ava!"
Her spine locked.
She knew that voice.
Slowly…Too slowly…Aria turned around.
Zack stood a few steps behind her, backpack slung over one shoulder, brows pulled together in concern. He looked relieved… and confused.
"You left without waiting," he said. "I thought something was wrong."
Aria's mind went blank.
This was it.
She forced herself to breathe, to remember the rules. Relax. Casual. Ava wouldn't panic.
"Oh yeah," she said, letting out a small laugh. "I was late. You know me."
Zack studied her, eyes narrowing just a little. Not suspicious, yet. Just… attentive.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "But you're walking with me today."
It wasn't a question.
Aria felt her stomach drop. She had no choice then.
Ava's hoodie felt heavier on Aria as she walked beside Zack, her hands shoved into the pockets. Every step echoed in her chest. The hallways were occupied, students buzzing in a chaotic harmony she didn't belong to.
"About… that thing," Zack said, glancing sideways at her. "Forget it. The stupid confession thing."
Her chest tightened. Confession. Right. She nodded quickly, words sticking in her throat. "Yeah… forget it."
Zack's eyes lingered, as if he could read more than she intended. Then, almost casually, he added, "And don't forget what we agreed on about the science project."
Aria froze mid-step. Science project?
Her mind scrambled, flipping through every detail Ava had told her, every "memory" she was supposed to have. Nothing. Absolutely nothing about a science project, or any agreement with Zack.
"Uh…" she muttered, throat dry, searching for a way out.
Zack's brow furrowed. "You forgot?"
The hallway felt narrower suddenly. Students surged past, laughing, oblivious to the storm in her chest. Aria forced a shaky smile and nodded, pretending confidence, but inside, her mind raced. What did I just forget?
The bell rang, slicing through the tension. Zack stepped back, eyes fixed on her, he looked at her intently with a hint of disbelief in his eyes.
She screamed inwardly.
She really had no idea how bad this could get.
*****
At the same time, in a quiet hotel suite across the city…
Ava jumped when a sharp knock hit the door.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She glanced at her phone instinctively, then at the door.
Another knock.
"Aria?" a voice called from outside. "We're ready to leave."
Leave.
Now?
Ava's pulse spiked. She rushed to the door and opened it just enough to peek out.
Mrs. Harrison stood there, already dressed, calm and composed.
"The car is waiting," she said. "We'll head to the airport now."
Now.
Ava forced her face into neutrality, the way Aria would. No panic. No hesitation.
"Yes, Mother," she said.
The door closed behind her room with a soft click.
She took some things she needed and then rushed out the door.
She met Mrs Harrison already standing at the door.
"Let's go honey," she said.
As Ava followed her down the hallway, her phone buzzed once in her hand.
Aria:
Zack just found me.
Ava stopped walking for half a second—just long enough for fear to bloom.
Then she moved again.
The trip had started.
And the distance between them was about to become impossible.
Three hours later…
Ava's suitcase rolled unevenly over the tiled floor as she followed her "mother" through the bustling terminal. Her stomach fluttered, half nerves, half exhaustion. Every announcement over the loudspeaker made her jump, each step pulling her closer to the unknown.
Mrs Harrison glanced at her with a small, satisfied smile. "You'll be sitting in the same car with him," she said casually, dropping the bombshell like it was nothing.
Ava froze mid-step. Him? Her mind raced, scrambling to picture who "him" could be.
The terminal seemed to blur around her as she caught sight of the first man in line. Dark hair, sharp jawline, that confident posture… Matthias.
Her heart stuttered. Of course it's Matthias.
She stumbled slightly, grabbing her "mother's" arm for balance, but her pulse betrayed her calm exterior. A thousand thoughts collided at once—how was she supposed to act? What if he noticed she wasn't herself? How was she going to survive hours trapped in a car with someone she was supposed to avoid at all costs?
Her mother squeezed her hand and smiled again. "Don't worry, dear. Just remember your manners."
Ava forced a small nod, though her mind was already spinning ahead, every possible scenario, every awkward interaction. She had to play this perfectly. She had to.
And then, just as they approached the boarding gate, Matthias looked up and their eyes met. A flash of recognition or was it suspicion? flickered in his gaze, and Ava's chest tightened.
This isn't going to be easy.