For Now | Dreaming Trilogy | Book 1 (HEAVY CONSTRUCTION)

Phoenix | Dreamers and Promises

I jolted awake. I was somewhere.... Computers everywhere... Who was holding me and why was I on a bed? Ugh... I had a major headache. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. I almost panicked. People, creatures bustled about me, and there was some blonde kid standing next to my bed. I felt dizzy as I looked around. Black haired girl, blonde haired girl... Tiny girls? A pile of floating leaves?

No. No, wait.The blonde haired boy was Shane. He was my friend.

The black haired girl was Jael. She was suspicious, but my friend.

The blonde haired girl was Shyanne. Friend.

Tiny girls? Two blonde sisters, Jacki and Joie. Brown haired tiny girl was Piper. Friends.

Pile of floating leaves was, well, a pile of floating leaves, but they had formed back into Jake. Really awkward friend.

"Phoenix?" Shyanne asked.

"Phoenix, you okay? You've been out cold for, like, two hours." Shane said, looking extremely concerned.

I looked around as Shane helped me sit up. "Wh-what time is it...?" I asked sleepily.

Shane laughed a bit. "It's about 7:00 pm."

"No, what time exactly?" I asked, getting more and more nervous.

Shyanne's smile dropped.

"Why must you always know the exact time?" Jael asked.

"I'll tell you once I know the time. Please." I begged. I was sure I sounded insane, getting so frantic over something like the time.

"7:17." Jacki said, sitting on the edge of my bed a little hesitantly, like she was afraid.

"Now, tell us," A darker voice spoke from behind me. Erza appeared from a shadow in front of me. "Why are you so time-obsessed?"

I looked around nervously. I still wasn't so used to so many people, nevermind all of them looking at me and asking me questions. "U-uh... My sister, Mackenzie... We had a game, where whenever someone said our name, we had to say the time, s-so I always had to know it to win. I always had to know the exact time, that way I could beat my big sister at something."

Joie looked confused. "Why play when she's not around?"

My eyes widened. Could I tell them? I didn't even tell my foster siblings... I leaned behind Shane's shoulder a little. I wanted to shrink away, just stop existing for a bit.

"You okay? You gonna faint again?" Shane asked, turning to face me.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, thanks. About the game..." I looked down. "I do it in her memory..." I whispered.

"Oh, my god!" Shyanne said, her eyes full of concern. "Not again. Did I seriously just do that again? I'm so sorry."

I cracked a small smile. "It's alright, Shyanne." I'd scared her enough earlier. "You didn't know."

Shyanne sighed, relieved. "I thought you'd yell at me again, or..." She trailed off and everyone tensed.

I looked around. Why were they all so scared? I wasn't that bad, right? "What?" All their faces looked like they were afraid I'd slice and dice them at any moment. "What happened?"

"You scared them all off, and butchered two." Shane said.

"Wow, Shane, that clears this all up." I said sarcastically.

No one laughed at my joke.

"Your eyes..." Piper started, looking at me, as if checking that it was still me.