Joanna and the Phantoms

Hardships and Explanations

Joanna

"Don't wander too far off, Kitten." My dad called as I tottered towards the swings. I belly flopped on one of the taller swings pretending that I was superman as I swung back and forth, saving the world until I saw a butterfly, and I chased it. Everytime I came close to it, it would flutter away, out of my reach before I would try again. As a 4 year old, my priorities were food, sleep, annoying my brother, playing with my dolls, and, at the moment, chasing butterflies.
"Don't wander off too far, Kitten." A voice, that was not my father's said before I was pushed into something and spilt my head open.
I was in a dark room a second later with three boys. One of them were crying, one was panicking, and the other was pacing. I started wailing before they all stopped and looked at me.
"There's a little girl." The one that was crying said as I ran over to the one that was pacing.
"Up." I reached my hands up to him as he glanced at the other boys before picking me up and setting me on his hip.
"What's your name?"
"Kitty!" I bubbled.
"How did you get here?" The blond one asked.
"I hit my head." I started tearing up again. "Butterflies..." I mumbled before playing with the zipper on his sweater.
"What do we do now?" The other brunette asked as I laid my head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

I woke up just a moment after I had hit my head and I was in the arms of a boy with long dark hair. He was wearing a helmet on his head and his eyes were a dark brown color. I touched his hair as my eyes fluttered open. "Chor name?" I asked.
"Willie." He whispered.
"Just remember, Hayes. You. Owe. Me." A voice said before Willie lifted me up, and gave me to my dad.
"Yes. Thank you... grandfather." He mumbled under his breath before he scooped me into his arms, cradling me so delicately, as if I was the most fragile thing in the world.

As soon as our eyes met, the memory of the first time we met flooded into my mind. "I know you." I said as his eyes widened.
"Stay here, Kitten. A debt is still owed even after death." He said as my jaw dropped and they left.

I tried going to sleep but it just resulted in me tossing and turning all night until the boys finally came back.
"Wha-?" I started before Luke wrapped his arms around my waist, placing his head on my shoulder.
"I knew that we knew you." He whispered as I pulled him closer into the hug.
"Why didn't you mention it?" Alex asked.
"I didn't remember it until I saw Willie again." I breathed as my knees gave out and I crumpled into Luke's tight embrace. He scooped me up and carried me over to my bed, gently setting me down.
"Can we stay with you tonight?" Alex asked as I nodded and they all surrounded me under the covers.
"Sweet dreams boys." I whispered as Reggie and Alex snored softly.
"Sweet dreams, Joanna." Luke mumbled, wrapping his left arm underneath my neck, holding my hand, and his right, tossed over my abdomen. He was totally spooning me, but I didn't mind. He pulled my back into his chest before his whispy snores brushed over my ear.
"Good night, Luke." I breathed as Alex and Reggie snuggled closer to me. Alex was on my right side, Luke was on my left, and Reggie rested his head on my legs, his legs close to the window on my right. And with that, I finally fell into the most restful sleep I've ever had.

***

The next morning I woke up on a very hard pillow under my head, my hand behind me ,trapped in Alex's, and my legs enclosed by Reggie's arms. I slowly lifted my head glancing around until I found out why my pillow was so hard. I had been sleeping on Luke's, newly bare, chest. My heart started pounding and my face heated up as I tried to move, but Luke's grip around my waist was strong as hell. Then I realized something.

I didn't want to get up anyway.

I wanted to sleep there for an eternity if I could get away with it. So, that's what I did. I slowly laid back down, snuggling back into Luke's shoulder as his arm adjusted around my waist until he felt comfortable again, and I brought Alex's hand back into mine, before just laying there until one of them woke up.
I had just shut my eyes again when I heard a Julie's feet come up the stairs to the loft. It's funny that I now know who people are just by their footfalls.
"Oh. My. Gosh." She said as I felt all the boys wake up.
"It is not what it looks like." Reggie said.
"You all slept in the same bed as Joanna last night?" She asked.
"Ok, so it's exactly what it looks like." Luke's chest vibrated under my head.
"Is she still asleep?" She asked as I felt Luke shift underneath me.
"Seems like it." He hummed.
"Get up!" She yelled as she grabbed my foot and yanked me.
"Noooooo!" I grabbed onto the edge of the bed as she yanked again.
"We have school!" She tried.
"Mornings are for old people!" I screamed digging my nails into the mattress.
"You're older then me!"
"No!" I cried out dramatically and let go as she yanked harder and I tried clawing at the mattress. "Save me mattress! My one true love!"
"Get dressed! We have to go!" She pushed me into the bathroom.
"Until the morrow, my sweet." I cried out from the bathroom as I shoved my hair into a ponytail, and got dressed into something cute and warm, today was actually really chilly for California.