Hello! I'm still alive! I have been extremely sick for the past few weeks so I hope that some of my lovely readers are still hanging on. As always, I'm loving the reviews and begging for more! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: the selection belongs to Kiera Cass.

2 months have passed. Maxon is still in danger. I am officially the worst spy ever.

Was I getting distracted? Were my new friends distracting me? I mean, I've already been on dozens of missions, why was this particular mission taking me so long? Ugghh! I rolled off my bed and came face to face with the soft carpet. I remember how Georgia told me she had the exact same one at her house and...Georgia! She's the only one who can help me!

Jumping up, I power walked my way to Georgia's office, "Georgia! I have a dilemma!"

"Ok...thank you very much...I'll call you later," she placed the phone back on her desk and started to fill in some paperwork, "this better be important, you just interrupted my conversation with the headmaster of an elite New Asian school."

"Depends on your point of view, in my case, it's red alert. Why is my mission taking so long? I've never worked on an assignment for more than around 2 months!" I twisted my red hair impatiently and watched as Georgia leaned back in her chair.

"Maybe it's because this time you actually have friends, America. August was informing on the amount of friendships you've had so far, honestly, it's unbelievable." She took a sip of her tea and watched me over the rim of her cup.

"I have so had friends!" I have...sort of.

"Please enlighten me."

"...I have friends...their names are Oscar and Gerome!" I think?

"Oliver and Jeremy. Their names are Oliver and Jeremy; they are the janitors that mop the floors of SINGER HQ. I'm sure you will make brilliant friends with Derek; he's the school's janitor. You can locate him on level 4 of building G."

"Very funny," I said, narrowing my eyes at her. If only she knew...

"I'm not joking! But seriously, August and I wanted this mission to be yours. We didn't let any other agent have it because it was perfect for you. We knew it would take a while, but even though it was a risk, it was so worth it. You have changed so much America! Friends are brilliant things! They are no accident and the unexpected ones are the best."

I mulled over the thought. This whole mission was intended for me; it wasn't one of those stray missions that were randomly handed out to agents. It was for me to meet new people! Something I never thought would happen.

"But, Maxon and I like each other! We've already been on 4 dates! What's going to happen when I catch the bad guy? I just disappear? Because that's not going to happen! I really like Maxon!" Georgia looked worried.

"August and I...did not think that far. We just thought you two would be like...besties!"

I scoffed, "because our relationship right now is similar to a 'lets-wear-best-friend-necklaces-and-dance-under-the-rainbow!' What. Am I going to have to fake my own death to wrap up this mission?" I laughed without humor at the very idea. They would be beyond crushed. Our group was like peanut and butter and jelly. Close knit. Unbreakable. Frickin' titanium.

"Actually..." Georgia trailed off, grimacing at the thought of my answer.

"Are you kidding me? Are you seriously kidding me? No. No!" I stormed out of her office. Unbelievable.

"America!" I heard her voice behind me.

I thundered down the hallway like a woman possessed. Was August crazy? What, he wanted me to make friends then break off just like that? Running back to my room, I quickly tossed on some leggings and a shirt, before heading outside to jog. There was a bushland type area behind the Academy, similar to the one at HQ. It had a trail which led me through the most beautiful plants and fauna.

Pushing myself harder, I tore through the first quarter of the trail. Sticks and leaves crunched under my feet as I tried to calm my busy mind.

Halfway through the trail, I slowed down, breathing in the fresh, clean air. This was my home. Not the HQ where everything smelt like Oliver and Jeremy's cleaning sprays.

I was nearing the end of the trail, the Academy tower's peaking out from behind the trees. I wasn't going back anytime soon. Lying down on a big, flat rock, I watched as the clouds slowly crawled across the sky. Huge, fluffy balls that resembled white swans gliding across the blue water.

I remembered my first time taking a jog, it was with my father. I was only 5; a year before I started training.

"Daddy look at me! I'm faster than you!" I cried, my red plaits bobbing in the air. My father slowly ran behind, pretending to be out of breath. His eyes were twinkling and his smile could have brightened up the whole world.

"Yes, you are Kitten! Let's see if I can beat you to that tree over there!" he teased.

"Which tree Daddy?" I asked, gazing up at him with innocent blue eyes.

"That tree," he said, taking his eyes off me, "the tree with the pink flowers and..."

I was already there, "I WIN!" I cheered. He threw his head back and laughed.

"You're going to be a sneaky thief when you're older I tell you!" he chuckled, pinching my flushed cheeks. I just smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Wait till I tell Mommy! She's going to give me ice cream and you're gonna be stuck with all the peas!" I squealed as he picked me up, placing me on his shoulders.

"Not if the tickle monster gets you first!" I don't think I laughed so hard in my life. Little did I know, it was one of the last times I would have laughed in the next 12 years.

"I've found her!" A panicked voice snapped me out my dream. I jumped up, hands on my pocket knife. Multiple arms were thrown across my neck and I tried to fight them off.

"Get off me! HELP!" I screeched, my hand on the handle of my weapon.

"Calm down! It's me! Us. Aspen, Lucy, Marlee and Eadlyn!" Aspen's emerald eyes fell into my vision and I sighed in relief.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AMERICA! WE WERE DYING OF WORRY! HOW COULD YOU? DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? YOU'VE BEEN GONE FOR FOUR HOURS BAE!" Marlee yelled, checking me over for any injuries.

Woah. Had it really been that long?

"I'm sorry! It's been a really bad day, I got called into Geor-Vice Principal Whitakers office for a family emergency. I didn't keep watch on the time!"

Their livid expressions softened into pity and I turned away, I couldn't handle pity. Not right now. Not after knowing what I was going to do.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Eadlyn asked in a gentle voice.

"No. It's not important," Lucy gave me a curious look but I brushed it off.

"If you say so," my friends gave each other looks before shrugging their shoulders.

After receiving a lecture from Georgia about how safety was important, I trudged back to my dorm. As soon as I shut the door, firm arms grabbed me by the waist and locked me in an iron grip. The intruder's hands covered my mouth as I thrashed around. Can people stop grabbing me!

"Ames, calm down! It's me, Max!" He hissed, flicking on the light. I shoved him off me and jumped away.

"Are you kidding me! Don't do that!" I hissed, checking to see if the weapons were hidden. Locked. Phew.

"Don't yell at me! What were you thinking, I was going out of my mind! My father had me locked in his office, demanding that I write a report for the Minister of Bonita when suddenly, I get a text from Aspen saying that you have disappeared! How do you think I felt? I was going insane, America!" His brown eyes were scorching and his blond hair was a mess.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking down. Arms wrapped around me again, more gentle this time.

"What happened, darling?" he sighed, burying his nose in my hair.

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered, nestling myself into his chest. Forget about the woods, this man smelt like heaven!

"Ok, but when you're ready, I'm always here."

I looked up and realized how close our lips were. Our eyes met and a silent conversation passed, his brown eyes held a question, my blue eyes held an answer. Slowly, he lowered his head and placed a kiss as light as a feather on my lips. Warmth filled my heart as he raised his head, his eyes sparkling with joy and his face radiating happiness. I wanted to stay in this moment forever. To bottle it all up and lock it in a secure place so I could come back to it. Over and over again. Then it clicked, the world stopped spinning and I held in a gasp. I loved Maxon.

FINALLY! I hope I didn't make their relationship too fast! But anyways. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and see you soon! Favorite, follow, review or shoot me a PM! Those things make my heart glow! BYEEEEE!