Crossing Over

Three

Nails on wood, that was the sound that woke her up. Dae sat up slowly and grumbled as she looked around her room to try to find the source of the noise. "I swear if there are rats," she whispered. A flash of brown hair caught her eye. She leaned over to reach for the switch to turn on her lamp and almost fell out of bed. All of her stuffed animals were propped up against the wall in a line. She hadn't even opened that box yet. 

Dae looked around the room again before walking out into the hallway. Both of her brothers' doors were shut. If they were trying to scare her she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing that it had worked. She shook her head and headed back to bed to find her oldest stuffed bear moved to the edge of the bed as though it was going to jump. "Oh no you don't. We sleep together, remember?" she smiled and pulled the bear into her arms before rolling over to face the wall. 

"Dae! Dae, wake up! You're going to be late!" 

She blinked her eyes open slowly to see Jin leaning over her with her blanket in his hands. 

"Give it back," she groaned and reached for the blanket. 

"Not a chance. Get up. Joon said he is leaving in fifteen minutes with or without you. Honestly, you're normally better prepared than this. What happened to your alarm? Did you not set it?" He dropped the blanket at the foot of the bed and stepped back to look around for her missing alarm clock. 

"I switched to using my phone after Joon dropped the alarm down the stairs at the last place. I guess I forgot to adjust the volume though." Dae sat up and fished her phone from under her pillow. The alarm had been turned off but she didn't remember unlocking her phone to do so. She sighed dramatically at Jin and swung her feet off the bed. 

Something soft tumbled over when her foot made contact. Her stuffed bear that most certainly did not belong in the floor was face down. She quickly grabbed it and hugged it to her. "If you're going to take my blanket at least make sure not to disturb Sir Benji. He lives a hard enough life as it is," she glared up at Jin. 

He scoffed and threw his hands up. "As if I would mess with your dumb bear," he replied as he walked out, "now get ready for school." 

"You're not a dumb bear. Don't listen to him," she cooed at the stuffed toy and sat it against her pillows. The late night events were a blur that she had written off as a dream until her eyes landed on the line of toys still against the wall. 

She pulled her jeans and tee shirt on before joining the guys downstairs for breakfast. 

"Did you come into my room last night?" Joon asked through a mouthful of toast. 

"No. Why would I come into your room? Or are you asking because of your little prank?" She fired back. 

"I already told you I didn't do that," he shook his head. 

"Not talking about the charger. One of you arranged my stuffed animals." 

Jin and Namjoon looked at each other and shook their heads no. "I didn't," Jin said. 

"Me either," Joon agreed, "But one of you scratched up three of my records last night and shattered another one. Those are not cheap and I don't appreciate it." 

"Why would I mess with your records? I like my hands." Dae rolled her eyes and pulled a piece of toast from the toaster. "Besides, you probably just jostled them around while moving." 

"Sure, and your stuffed animals decided to hold a midnight seance," he stuck his tongue out and finished his breakfast. "Either way, my room is off limits and you both know that." He slung his backpack over one shoulder and grabbed his keys. "Eat in the car or else we're going to be late." 

Jin kissed Dae quickly on top of the head and held her bag up for her. "Have a nice first day, take plenty of notes, and don't talk to boys," he smiled. 

She returned the smile while walking backwards out of the room. "Yes, mom!"