Top Gun: Phantom

Chapter 5.

29 May 2024

       Today was the day I was gonna go to the beach for "team bonding" which meant some game my dad made up that will somehow connect back to flying. I quietly left Amelia's room to take a shower and change out of the clothes from dinner.

      Upon stumbling down the stairs and heading to the kitchen, I saw a man sleeping on the couch. I snuck closer to him to see that it was Rooster. I began to look at his peaceful face when my dad walked in.

      "Watching people sleep is creepy." He whispered. I jumped out of my skin when he spoke. Not expecting him to be up.

      "I was just seeing who he was and why didn't he sleep in his room?" I asked. He had a room just across from mine but it was usually used as a guest room since Rooster was in Virginia most of the time.

     "He was afraid that he would disturb you girls studying." That was sweet of Rooster.

     "Is Penny already at work?" Dad just nodded while sipping his coffee.

     "I recommend you wake him up so he can have time to take a shower if he wants to take one," I suggested.

    "Then wake him, he doesn't bite." I rolled my eyes at his comment. I walked over to Rooster shaking him gently.

     "Hey, Rooster. It's time to wake up." I shook him again. He squinted his eyes at me.

      "Addie, go back to bed." He groaned. Man, his morning voice is hot. I'm hating the fact that I have to hide my identity from him.

     "Rooster, It's AJ. Not Addie." He opened one eye and groaned.

       "Sorry about that." He whispered. Putting his arm over his eyes to keep the sun peaking through the curtains from getting in his eyes.

      "It's fine. I'll go make you a cup of coffee." He muttered thanks as I walked to the kitchen. From there I heard Maverick and Rooster's conversation which just utterly broke my heart.

      "She reminds me so much of Addie, Mav. She even looks like her." I heard Rooster say.

       "I know kid. I think that's why Amelia likes her so much. She reminds her of Addie." I hope he is convincing because my father is terrible at lying. That's the reason why Amelia and Penny know about me.

      I finished fixing Rooster's coffee and I even made it how he used to like it. Which was two shots of vanilla creamer. Though he would drink straight black coffee if he had to. He liked coffee the same way I did.

       I walked back into the room to see Rooster sitting up rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair. I just noticed that he had been shirtless underneath the blanket. A soft blush rose to my cheeks. He definitely glowed up since high school.

     "Here you go." He smiled.

     "Thank you." He took a drink and his eyes lit up, "How do you know how I take my coffee?"

       "You ordered it at the diner." His mouth made an 'o' shape before he continued drinking his coffee.

      "Well, I'm gonna wake Amelia up before she is late for her class." I quickly left the awkward looks and silence and went to Amelia's room.

     "Amelia, it's time to wake up. You're going to be late for your calculus class." I shook her while trying to clean up the mess already in her room and bed.

     "Addisyn, please just shut up. I don't care about calculus." She curled up in bed even more.

     "What if I tell you there is a shirtless man downstairs waiting for you." She shot up and ran down the stairs. A few seconds later I hear her yelling.