Dreamers

Bye-Bye Precious Palace

Lisa stared at Amanda. Amanda had just said something she never would have thought would come from her mouth.

"What?"

"Did you want to come?" She asked, her soft smile brightening slightly.

No one else in the room could read her surprise. They thought the surprise meant that she's been wanting to go and that she never thought she'd be able to. They were wrong.

Lisa didn't answer and just continued to stare at Amanda, trying to read her. If she was trying to prank her back for this morning... she wouldn't let her have her way. Everyone know that there was no rebellion. That it was just them, here, in this house. That only they got away.

Everyone thought that she was too excited to reply, yet she was surprised Jemma had brought up such a fairy tale at all.

Jhon laughed, "I think she's too excited to reply."

Lisa cleared her throat. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be excited to go to an imaginary place?" 'Go to the Fringe'? Don't be ridiculous. Pranks were her thing. Heh, as if Amanda could prank the prankster... Even if they were all in on it she wouldn't fall for it.

Amanda smiled gently as the room laughed out loud at her.

"It's not like we live in the city." Jemma looked at her as if Lisa'd lost her mind.

"Did you really think we lived alone on the fringe? Not even we are that crazy." Amanda spoke for both the sisters.

"James did tell you that I work fighting against the city, didn't he?" Jhon raised an eyebrow, looking at her from behind as she was situated at the bar and he at the table.

"I told you, I know I've told you..." James trailed off.

Lisa paused. Everything they said was true. Most of the time the sisters weren't here. This was even the first time she'd met Jhon. When James told her they worked for the resistance she thought he meant their group of five and was just waiting for Lisa to cut her city ties before she was also given jobs to do.

"We told you what our plans are, now it's your turn." Jemma said.

Lisa shook it off. Of course it was just them. She's looked into it herself. There had only been a two missing people in decades. There wasn't anyone alive who could have made up the population of a resistance. Only Jhon, who was an orphan, and the twins, who came from beyond the fringe. The only missing people was James' parents, who went missing from his home almost twelve years ago. Lisa glanced at him and thought about the paper in her pocket. She was dying to read it.

"Oh right, I was supposed to accept my title right about..." She looked at the clock, "Two hours ago."

Jemma laughed, "You go girl! You ditch that city!" Jemma and Lisa high-fived.

"What? You need to go back! If you make it by the end of the day they'll still accept you!" James panicked, "You just need a good excuse!" He hurried around the counter and started pulling her, "I'll... I'll say I kidnapped you!"

"Hey!" Jhon tried to get everyone's attention.

Jemma stared at James incredulously.

"James?" Amanda stood up from her seat.

"You've got enough injuries that they'll believe it," He tugged harder the more she resisted.

"James! That hurts!" Lisa didn't yell but spoke clearly as she tried to pry his hand from her injured arm.

James stopped pulling abruptly and turned back. His expression was confused, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just done. "I'm sorry, I..." His wrist band began to shine, alerting everyone in the room that he was getting an incoming call. "...I-I have to take this." He glanced at Lisa once more and gulped before hurrying out of the room.