Becoming Defiant •• OneRepublic {3}

Video 2

Video 2 - Drew

5/18: 1:06 a.m.

On the outskirts of Salt Lake City, the group of renegades took shelter in an abandoned house blanketed with moonlight and graffiti.

While everyone else was sound asleep after a tiresome day, Drew Brown was kept awake by the ghosts of guilt, scraping at his mind every time he closed his eyes. So Drew slammed his glasses back on instead and decided to sit in front of the video camera in the cool, empty garage.

"It's all my fault," He shook his head, face buried in his rough palms, "It's all my fault we were almost caught."

His hands finally fell from his face, and where his glasses had been pushed up to his forehead, they lazily fell back down. When Drew's face was again revealed, it was also evident he'd been unable to sleep. From the exhausted frown to the huge bags under his eyes, he looked like he was at least fifty years older.

"I was an idiot. I was identified. My dumbass couldn't even keep a paper hidden, and I also had to go and trip on some rack. We could've been killed. Police shot at us. Other people attacked us. If Zach hadn't been there to help me, I would've been stabbed before the cops were even there!"

Drew laughed, but not out of happiness. It was a bitter and cold laugh, it was scared and guilty. In fact, the tears in his eyes shone just as bright as the reflection of his glasses.

"Not only that, but...I'm starting to realize what I have to pay for this rebellion...this run thing we're doing. Don't get me wrong, I love it. It's what I've been wanting to do for months. But I miss my family...my sister. I haven't talked to them much lately either way, but it can't help but hurt. I can't help but wonder what they think of me now, too. My parents seeing their son - the one in that big band - becoming a rebel to the national government." Drew said sadly.

Then he shook his head again, and gave another icy, sad laugh.

"You know, I am understanding Zach now. I don't like his solutions, but I understand where his feelings come from. All he has is Lynn now, aside from us. But even the band is split, so Lynn's all he has on his side. He wants to protect her. I get that. And then here I am, unable to talk to my family. You take things for granted until they're gone. I think Zach's understood that from the start."

There was a pause. Drew still looked unhappy, but he was better at controlling his feelings. He took a deep breath and continued. His voice was, however, smaller.

"But nonetheless, I know the risks and I know the cost. So I may not be able to talk to my family, but by participating in this rebellion, maybe I can help save them."

Drew stopped with this. He looked long into the camera with the next pause, as if he had more to say, but eventually decided against it. He shut the camera off before anyone could know any more.

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1) Happy Valentine's Day!!! Hope you got a boo (it doesn't have to be a person either, it can be a cat, or chocolate...or something else that is self-serving, if you know what I mean)

2) I'm sorry this is short! Then again, expect the video chapters to be short. There's obviously not that much action in them, and despite their bad length, it still offers that new perspective I consistently mention! I also had a pretty bad day and I'm so emotionally drained right now, so I need to get to bed.

3) The next five chapters are in Ryan's P.O.V.. I thought I'd warn you. I'm not sure if you like or dislike this, but I personally don't like having more than three chapters in the same P.O.V., except for one part towards the end of this book for various reasons. Actually, originally, the third of the next five chapters was in Mark's P.O.V. but I soon saw better fit for Ryan's.

Ah, anyways. Goodnight, peeps. Hope you had a good day because I did not. I also hope you enjoyed this, as usual. Also, since I usually put a question or two at the end of chapters, here's this: Do you think the "cost" of this rebellion will eventually have a negative (or positive, depending on which side you're on) impact on Drew? Do you think he'll be losing his rebellious spark and agreeing with Zach's nonviolent views?

(Update Saturday, as usual. You also have one of those "pop-ups" I mentioned coming up... *wink wink*)