stars

twenty-eight

Phoebe

My alarm buzzed. I groaned. I pushed myself up, rubbing my eyes. Brooke lay down still asleep, peaceful. I almost didn't want to wake her, but I did anyway. "Brooke," I shook her gently. "You goin' to school?" She mumbled something, then nodded. I smiled. "You should get ready now then." She groaned. I laughed, getting off the bed. I grabbed clothes out of my dresser and went to the bathroom to change. When I came back, Brooke was sitting up on the bed, her shirt hanging off her shoulder. 

"Morning," I said. 

Brooke smiled. "Mornin'" 

"You gonna get ready?" Brooke nodded. 

"I'm gonna go get a bagel while you do. Do you want one?" She hesitantly shook her head. "Okay." I walked downstairs and made some. I slipped on my shoes and waited by the door with my backpack. I tapped my foot on the ground out of habit, eating my bagel. When Brooke walked down, she had her shoes and backpack on. She looked tired.

"Ready to go?" I asked, handing her a bagel. She hesitantly took it and nodded. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." 

*

After art, Brooke and I walked out of the classroom and walked towards English class. We got inside, and the boring class started. While we were reading, Brooke grabbed a pass to go to the restroom. I didn't think anything of it until she didn't come back. I raised my hand. "May I go check on Brooke? She's been in there for a long time." The teacher looked up from her book, then nodded. I smiled and ran out of the room, going into the restroom. "Brooke?" I whispered. No response.  I repeated her name, quieter this time. Again. No response. 

I took a glance at the floor. I didn't see any feet. I walked into the hallway. Kids sat in the hallway, working on classwork in silence. I looked around. Where else could she be? Maybe the beach, but I can't exactly just leave my bag in English. I walked around the property, looking for her. I didn't see her anywhere. I decided to walk back to class. "Not in there?" The teacher asked when I sat down. Everyone looked at me. I shook my head. "Of course she skipped," I frowned. 

The class went slowly, and all we did was read a dumb article about politics. I groaned mentally, staring at the clock, wishing for the class to be over already. When the bell rang, I grabbed my bag and walked outside. Still no sight of Brooke. Maybe she'd be at lunch. I walked over to the cafeteria, sitting across Alex and Oliver. They waved. 

"Where's Brooke?" Oliver asked. I shrugged. 

"I assumed she'd be here, but I guess not." 

"It is her first day back since the... You know. Right?" Alex asked.  I nodded, realizing what Alex meant. I glanced over to Noah's seat. No sign of him. 

"If I'm not back by the time lunch is over, bring my backpack to my house after school, please." They nodded. I got up and walked towards the beach. I was thankful that teachers either stayed in the cafeteria to monitor the students or in their classrooms grading papers. I had my phone in my hoodie pocket, so if anything happened that involved magic, I could call Oliver. I walked to the beach, not trying to take my time. I didn't want to walk as slow as I could, but I don't want to seem suspicious. I could see the entrance to the beach from here, so I increased my speed. I felt the sand go in my shoes and I cringed. 

After walking around a while, I saw her. There stood Brooke with a blank expression on her face. I was about to walk over to her when I saw Noah walking around her. I could barely make out what he was saying. 

"I thought you were dead," He said. "You should be if I'm being honest." Brooke stood, letting him walk around her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder when he was beside her. He whispered something in her ear, causing her to collapse on the floor. She put her head in her hands, sitting on her knees. I wanted to run over and help her, but I had to see what Noah was doing. He knelt down, saying things in a hushed voice. It almost sounded like... singing. 

I looked around for a spot closer to them to hide. I walked behind a rock, leaning as close to them as I could without being spotted. I heard a couple more words, but now I knew what Noah was doing. He was hypnotizing her. Brooke told me of his powers. He was using a siren's call to make her do what he wants. I wish I made her stay home. He forced her up, getting up with her. His song was louder now. It didn't affect me, but it was obviously affecting Brooke.

Brooke covered her ears, trying not to hear him. He leaned in closer, taking her hands off her ears. She looked helpless. I tried to walk quietly behind Noah. I knew it wasn't quiet, but it was quieter than his dumb singing. Brooke glanced at me. As Noah was about to turn around, I grabbed him from behind. He let go of Brooke's arms out of surprise.

 I smiled. It worked. Almost. 

He elbowed me in the stomach, causing me to be thrown back. I groaned. That really hurt. Brooke stopped, looking at me. I smiled weakly, giving her a thumbs up and using my other hand to hold my stomach. She nodded. 

There was a spark of magic that shot out of her hands. I laughed, relieved. She was about to hit him with a burst of magic, then he started singing again. "Cover your ears!" I yelled. Brooke did. His words were too strong. I shouted at her, telling her to not listen. She kept attempting to hit him with her magic, but she couldn't. I saw him summon magic from his hands. Dark magic. "Brooke!" I yelled. She didn't hear. He was about to hit her with it. I couldn't let that happen. 

I jumped in front of her.

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(ugh this took forever to write and I kept deleting the chapter and rewriting it. i cant believe im an idiot lol. anyways, this book will definitely be over in no more than six chapters. if im lucky, it'll be done in four. after this, im going to have a couple other books, so i will be writing maybe three books at once after this is done. yay me. bye <3)