Hey guys! I promise you, when school lets up on the stress and homework this weekend (which btw my birthdays on the 28th of September, really close 3!), I'll get back on with the other stories.

Enjoy 3

Important?

"Alright…" Arthur answered suspiciously, and took the liberty of sitting in the other's desk chair.

Alfred took a deep breath before speaking, "Okay, so I might know a way out of here."

"A way out of where, exactly?" Arthur interrupted.

"Out of here, the Dome!" Alfred said, watching the expression change on Arthurs face to surprised, "I've produced maps and traced routes, but it seemed too easy. I found out there was an underground system below us, that being the sewer, but it doesn't lead outside the Dome. But I know for a fact that there is an opening somewhere, because I've noticed people disappearing."

It was hard for Arthur to process all of that. A way out? People disappearing? He just realized something: people had been disappearing without him even noticing. That one kid with the tan skin and green eyes, what was his name, he couldn't remember. He only spoke with him once, and then the next week he never saw him again.

Alfred was right, but how does he know?

"This…doesn't make any sense. Why are you telling me this?" he felt like he asked that question multiple times now.

Alfred was getting restless, "Because, Arthur, I want you to run away from this place with me!" Arthur was about to speak, but he cut him off, "We barely know each other, yeah, I get that. But I know you're different from everyone. It's a lot to take in, so just think on it, okay?" His serious manner wore off, and his smile came back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get like that!"

Arthur wasn't sure what to do. "I should ah…get going…" he hurried to leave, but Alfred suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Wait! Before you go, you have to hang on to something for me, okay?" he nodded to him, making sure he wont leave just yet, and went back to his bookcase, quickly locating a certain book. Its pages were almost as bad as the rest, with duck tape and dry glue in multiple places. When he handed it to Arthur, he couldn't make out the title barely staying on the cover, except for a faded out C and a P with space for three more letters between them.

"Why should I hang on to this for you?" Arthur asked, glancing from the book to Alfred, and holding it as if it was a delicate artifact. Which, when he thought about it, it probably was.

Alfred waved his hand in an unconcerned way, "Just, read through it when you can, and next week I'll come over. I'll explain better then, okay?"

Arthur was suspicious, but agreed nonetheless. He left the room, hiding the fairly large book under his shirt clumsily, and hurried back to his home to put it in his room.

His mother was home first. "Arthur, where were you?" his mother asked him. She was sitting on the sofa, looking like she had a busy day, and just wanted to sit back and relax, which she was doing.

He shifted in place with the book under his shirt, hoping the position of his arms would hide the corners slightly poking out of his figure the shirt made. "I was…visiting a friend." He replied simply. Feeling unnecessarily guilty for hiding something possibly highly illegal in their society was not how he should be, but he does. He could be in deep trouble, since his mother was high on the society's scale of leadership.

"Really, you usually keep to yourself," he thought she was getting suspicious, and shifted once before she continued, "I'm glad you're starting to open up more and make some friends, I'm proud." She smiled tiredly, and bid him goodnight as she got up and went to bed.

How he got away with that was beyond him, and let out s sigh of relief as he went to his room, locking the door behind him with the button. Taking the book from under his shirt and laying it on his bed, he started looking for a place to hide it, where no one would look.

It took a few minutes, but he had found his old grandmothers large jewelry box. He of course didn't like jewelry, but accepted it because he cared for her. She went out like all the other old people, in the retirement home at 80.

The box was a bit larger than the book, and he was glad it fit all right in there, under the removable bottom, so that if someone opened it, it would look empty. It would just feel heavy.

"Thank goodness…" he muttered to himself as he set it gently in the back of his closet, and then changed into his nightclothes. He hadn't noticed it was getting dark until he had to turn the light on. He lay down and closed his eyes, hoping the fall asleep quickly.

The realization finally hit him: he was at Alfred's house today. He saw his room. He and Alfred had their first real conversation today. It felt strange, really, to properly speak to others and do something not school related. Strange, yes, but also a good feeling. He thought Alfred was a bit off then usual, the way he spoke and acted. It seemed like he couldn't quite get a lot of words he wanted to say out, and ended up speaking this and that, and then the book. What was he suppose to do with that book? Surely, he wouldn't have time to read any of it before next week.

Wait, next week? That is what Alfred said. He wants to go over to Arthurs next week…He reddened at the thought. Mostly out of embarrassment that his room seemed so plain compared to Alfred's. He shouldn't be concerned, though, since it won't necessarily matter.

Goodnight.

.。.:*・°

It was a dreamless night. When he woke up, his mother was shaking him, saying something about breakfast and school, like usual.

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up in bed and took a moment to breathe in deeply. He felt groggy, though he usually was since he wasn't much of a morning person, he felt a wave of exhaustion come over him. Pushing through it, he got out of bed and went to eat. Maybe if he ate something he'll feel better.

After breakfast, he hurried off with his Notepad and managed to get to the speed-train right when it came. Sitting down in the seat he commonly sat in, he went to looking out the window.

"Hey," Alfred said casually to him when he got on, sitting in the seat across from him. Arthur only glanced to him, then back to the window. He was too tired to speak, and those damn dark blue outfits surrounding him were starting to give him a headache. Alfred waited a few seconds before waving a hand in front of the others face, "Are you okay? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine." Arthur said simply, not looking away from the window. He was trying to wake himself up, not knowing why he was suddenly more sluggish than usual. His eyes focused on a tree for a moment, before it passed in a blur as the speed-train sped past it, before stopping at its next station. He closed his eyes for a moment, but then opened him when he felt himself drift in and out of consciousness. Leaning back in the seat, finally facing forward, he rubbed his eyes furiously. Wake up, Arthur, you have school!

Alfred just silently watched him, not knowing what to do. Arthur met his eyes, "Alright, I'm not completely fine. I'm just tired."

"Didn't you sleep?" he asked.

"Of course I slept." Arthur replied.

The other than leaned back into his seat as well, arms crossed, and shrugged in an 'I don't know how to help you' way. Arthur understood and sighed, moving his head back and rubbing his eyes once more.

Today was going to be hard for him. He just knew it, by the way he almost fell getting off the train at the school building. Alfred nearly had to catch him.

.。.:*・°

It was during class. He closed his eyes for a second and suddenly was asleep. It felt like bliss, for him to feel detached from his body, like he was drifting away in a sea of comfort. He saw Alfred, sitting under a tree with that faded out book he gave him. But something way wrong, there was a fire beside him, and it looked like the wood was actually other books. He had a sad, sunken face, like he was disappointed and betrayed, looking at the old book. Arthur realized he was going to burn it like the others. He started to run, but his limbs were heavy, and everything went in slow motion. Just before reaching him, he looked up, and smiled a bright, happy smile.

Then he opened his eyes.

He saw Alfred again, except real this time, peering over him. Arthur must be lying down.

"Are you okay?" Alfred asked, "You fell asleep in class, and when the teacher tried to wake you, you fell over. It looked as if you died, Arthur!" he sounded concerned.

"What'd you mean?" Arthur slurred sleepily. "What're you doing out of your class? You aren't even in my subject…" he questioned.

"A teacher sent me with a note for your teacher, and that's when you fell over. She let my teacher know I took you here." Alfred answered. Arthur sat up slowly, looking at his surroundings. It was the infirmary. This room was almost useless, except for when people from the subject that deal with chemicals had accidents. The school had to be safe than sorry, and had this room just incase. There was one bed and one chair, and a desk with metal bar cabinets filled with bandages and a small amount of medicine.

Arthur furiously rubbed his eyes, "I must have overworked myself last week. I knew I was tired, but not this tired." He said, almost to himself, but to reassure the one sitting in the chair, looking concerned for his health. "I need to get back to class. How long was I asleep?"

"Eh, maybe twenty, thirty minutes? It felt like an hour." Alfred said unsurely.

Arthur groaned, "I missed my class…this isn't good at all. I only have fifteen minutes to get the notes from today and then get on the train." He sighed, and put his head in his hands.

"I'll stay with you, if that's okay. I already have the notes from my own subject, but I won't get on the train without you. Does that help?" he said with a smile.

He had to admit, the boy was kind to him. "I guess…" he muttered, then got off the bed, "let's hurry, then."

They both went back to Arthur's class, Alfred waiting outside of it, and him getting his notes quickly downloaded. He thanked his teacher and left. They had three minutes. No running in the halls, as he had been told before, but they both nearly sprinted to the train, barely making it. Slumping into seats next to each other, they tried to catch their breaths.

Arthur ran a hand through his air as Alfred spoke, "That was," he paused to breathe, "really close." He nodded, showing that he heard him.

They sat in silence, not needing to speak as the train sped through different neighborhoods, until they were at their stop.

"I'll go to bed early tonight," Arthur assured Alfred when he saw his face when they reached Arthur's house, which was closer.

Alfred nodded in understanding, "Alright, well, see you later." He smiled and kept walking on to his own house.

.。.:*・°

It was an hour or so later, and Arthur finished reading through the notes he missed and downloaded. He had nothing to do now, and thought he'd just go to bed.

Opening his closet to get his nightclothes, he spotted in the corner the box where the book was. He eyed it for a minute, then picked it up, keeping his eyes on it when he one handedly took his nightclothes down and threw them on his bed. He set the box down and got dressed, then opened the box, then the removable bottom, and then the book.

Lying down in his bed, he turned his lamp on and started reading.

End of chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading! Finished this around 3 A.M., goodness okay goodnight or morning then haha.