Top Gun: Phantom

Chapter 7.

31 May 2024

       I woke up hearing whispers between Maverick, Amelia, and Penny. They were trying their best to be quiet for my sake, but they were failing. By the comfiness of my position, I must have been on the couch rather than the floor. By the location of their voices, Dad was sitting at the end of the couch near my feet while Amelia and Penny were on the other couch.

       "Pete, I have never seen her react like that," Penny whispered.

       "She hasn't reacted that badly since she was in the wheelchair. There was only one time she had reacted worse and that was at Ice's house" He sighed, "They were watching Pearl Harbor, and out of nowhere she began to freak out. They had to rush her to the hospital because she was panicking so bad she couldn't breathe."

      "Addisyns been through too much. From all her childhood trauma to the accident. She needs her best friend, Pete." I could hear her taking a sip of her coffee, "She was always the happiest with Bradley. Both of us know that."

        "Rooster really did love her. When he started hanging around us he admitted it to me, I couldn't say anything because of the oath." Amelia admitted. Did he love me? As a sister or as a lover?

        Dad laughed, "Ice used to say they would be married by the time they were 18 and 20. If I didn't pull Roosters papers it would more likely have happened if they both got past their obliviousness of the situation."

         The room remained silent, I could just feel all of their eyes on me. That was until dad sighed once again.

       "I just can't understand what could have triggered it. She has watched and seen many scenarios close to this before I started to allow her to fly my Cherokee to make sure she wouldn't have a flashback. Why did this bother her? That's what I'm not getting."

       "It could've been anything, Mav." Amelia sighed as well.

       "Rooster said that she zoned out multiple times as well." He took a sip of his coffee, "you could hear the fear in her voice."

         "Maverick, if your blaming yourself stop. She wouldn't want you to do that and you know it." Amelia sternly mumbled. She spoke the truth. I wouldn't let him do so.

        Suddenly, a knock followed by the front door being opened. I heard a few footsteps before I heard the unknown person speak.

       "Hey," Rooster stated then froze, "Is everything alright here?"

       "Yeah, just a long night. AJ has PTSD from an incident that happened years ago and she came here last night having a panic attack." Amelia blabbed.

         "Oh, shit." he started to stutter, "um, well, I, well is she alright? I mean I know we're not really on speaking terms but is she okay?"

       "Yeah," Penny muttered, "You know it's alright to love her. I know you love Addisyn, but she would want you to move on. She would want you to be happy."

          "Nothing was going on between Addisyn and me, we were just good friends. Plus, I don't think I will ever be able to move on from her. She was my best friend since I was 8."

         "I know, but just keep that in mind," Penny whispered. At that moment I began to shift my body and groan. Pretending to be waking up. I slowly opened my eyes and rubbed them, turning myself from laying on the side to laying on my back.

         "What the hell happened?" I mumbled, pretending to not know anything that was just said.

         "You had a panic attack from a flashback. Pete moved you from the floor onto the couch." Penny answered.