New Normal: A MyStreet FanFic

Part 4.1

Travis stirred his cup of coffee mindlessly on the table. He stared out at the sea as the sun slowly rose from the hill. The rays made the scene more orangey. He felt the wind consistently cooling his skin.

He stopped stirring and drank a small sip of coffee. He could feel it enter his body and into his stomach. He relaxed.

"Dad," he mumbled. "if you were here with me, we would have so much fun together." Travis stared dreamily as he continued stirring the coffee. "I know you weren't always the greatest at times. I know that we had our fights, our disagreements."

He turned to the sun. "But I just want to thank you for saving me and being there for me. I can't thank you enough." He chuckled. "You're the best dad I could ever ask for."

"Who are you talking to?" a new voice cut in, making Travis' heart jump in surprise.

He tensed and instantly relaxed when he saw who it was. "Oh. Hey, Katelyn."

She smiled as she moved to sit on the chair next to him. "What a surprise. You're up early."

He leaned back on his chair. "I couldn't sleep."

Her face became a look of concern. "You didn't sleep?" She elbowed him. "You gotta get some shut-eye, buddy."

Travis rubbed the part where she elbowed. "Ow."

She stifled a laugh. But when he wasn't laughing with her, she stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's. . .it's fine." He lifted his cup and drank some more. "I'm just. . .it's about my father. He's sacrificed so much for me to be here. And now that he's gone. . ." He looked down on the table.

"Your dad did us a favor," Katelyn said. "And it's time to pay it forward. How about when we get home, we'll make a grave for him in out backyard. So that every day, you can visit him."

Travis glanced at her. His face lit up. "You'd really do that? For me?!"

Before Katelyn could object, he tackled her in a hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthank you!"

"Calm down! Geez." She laughed. He hugged her harder. "Uh, you can let go now."

He did. When they both locked eyes, Travis' eyes were glistening with tears. She stood up from her seat. "I'm gonna cook us some food. Wanna help?"

"Sure, sure." Travis stood up and wiped his tears. He kissed Katelyn on the cheek. "Thanks, babe."

She blushed and brushed him off, rolling her eyes playfully. "Whatever. Come on." Then they both entered the lodge once more.

•

Aaron found himself holding a guitar and playing a song in an unknown enclosed space. There were several musical instruments in the room. What surprised him was that somehow he could see everything clearly.

He looked at his fingers as they played a tune as if he had known and mastered the song. But Aaron didn't know what song he was playing. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by his own abilities.

He looked around the room again. Aaron couldn't remember any of this happening.

Then he heard a girl crying behind the door he was leaning on. It was soft and subtle. He bit his lip. He needed to do something.

He stopped playing the guitar. "Uh, hello?"

The girl stopped crying. "Huh? Why. . .why did the music stop? I liked it."

"But you were crying." He placed his guitar beside him and placed his ear beside the door. "Are—are you okay?"

"I. . .I don't know," she replied. "I've been having a hard time lately. So many things happened. And. . ."

"I don't know what's going on with you, but I hope you're okay." Aaron smiled to himself. "Don't hurt yourself."

She snorted. "I will." Then Aaron heard footsteps receding onto silence. He sighed to himself, satisfied with what he said. Then, Aaron picked up the guitar and continued playing the melody, the scene fading away. . .

•

He opened his eyes. Immediately, he sat up and checked his surroundings. Aaron wasn't in a smaller box, along with numerous instruments. He sighed in relief.

"Aaron," Melissa cut in, interrupting his train of thought. He turned to where t came from. "You're finally awake."

"Uh, what's the time?" he asked.

"It's morning," she replied. Aaron watched as her blurry form move closer to him. She must be sitting down. "Katelyn already prepared breakfast for all of us. I could bring you down."

He thought about it for a second. "I think I'll use the cane today."

"Are—are you sure?!" she yelped in fear. "The last few times you used it, you almost injured yourself. Are you sure you still want to use it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

"Um. . .okay," she managed to say. She stood up. "But I'll be here to help you, just in case. . .Anyways, I'll get the cane and—"

"Wait." He partially raised his hand. "I—I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

He told her about the dream he had. She said nothing for a while, but Aaron assumed she was making emotions with her face.

After a while, Melissa sighed. "It is. . .an interesting dream. Do you know who the girl crying is?"

"N--no," Aaron responded.

Then someone else yawned. It came from Aaron's right. He turned and saw another blurry form rising from what he knew was the bed.

Melissa stood up. "Aphmau?"

"Hey," she mumbled, yawning again.

"How was your sleep?"

"Great."

Aaron stopped moving for a while.

"Aaron?" His sister's sudden sharp tone interrupted his train of thought. "I'll go get his cane." Then she walked across the room, her footsteps becoming silent as soon as he heard the door close.

"Did--did you have a dream last night?" he asked Aphmau without glancing at her.

She was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I found myself in. . .in a school. I was walking in the hallway when I heard a familiar song. I followed it to a corridor where there was a door--"

"I'm back!" Melissa announced, her voice a bit far away. She must be at the door. She carried a clunky thing with her. It was a thin black blur. Aaron assumed that it was the walking cane. He moved to the side of the bed as Melissa assisted in letting him hold the stick.

"Ready?" she asked him.

Aaron stood up and let the other edge of the walking stick touch the floor. He navigated through the room, occasionally (almost) bumping into things.

He felt Melissa's hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm--I'm fine," he responded gruffly. "Is the door open?"

"Yeah," she replied.

Aaron led himself out of the room.

Once he was outside, he could hear Melissa saying, "Aphmau, I'll bring you some breakfast after I bring Aaron down. Stay there, okay?"

"I will," Aphmau answered. "Since, well. . ."

Melissa chuckled.

He laughed softly to himself. Oddly enough, her "I will" sounded like the girl in his dreams.