Everyone (minus Ashlyn) -as she was upstairs in her room getting ready to leave for her ballet practice. While she was dealing with herself Aiden, Ben, and Mrs. and Mr. Banner were playing cards. As they played with cards, Y/N was seated on the other couch, scrolling through her phone while peacefully waiting for Ashlyn to arrive.

She then raised her head, staring at the ceiling with a bored expression while with a blank state of mind. Lowering her head she let her eyes wonder itself to ease herself from her boredom. But then, a figure slowly started emerging down and it caught Y/N's interest. She looked in the direction of the staircase and saw a familiar figure, revealing Ashlyn and her loose hair, her locks practically being the center of the H/C-haired girl's attention.

Despite her trance, she noticed her wearing a black sleeveless shirt with short jeans matching the color of her eyes. "I'm ready Mom. Can you do my hair?" Asked Ashlyn as she looked up slightly.

Emma-Ashlyn's mother looked over her shoulder, seeing her daughter and acknowledging her request she answered, "Sure!"

'Snap out of it, snap out it-' Y/N kept repeating this phrase in her head as her eyes were glued to the lovely color of her loose, curly hair.

After a while, Ashlyn caught sight of Y/N in her trance state, and by calling out to her she snapped out of her spaced-out state. "Y/N?"

Y/N had to blink a couple of times to process what just happened, looking at the redhead she responded, "Sorry, yeah?" As looked at the redhead with her functioning mind she glanced around the room seeing Aiden and Ben staring at her.

Ashlyn then made her way into the living. Once she made her way into the room she walked near Y/N, standing by the couch she then lowered her head slightly and stared at the H/C girl with a confused look.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" She looked up at the redhead with reassurance in her eyes.

"You were doing it again."

"O-Oh, sorry. Thanks." Embarrassed, the H/C-haired girl then looked away from her emerald eyes, lowering her head to not further draw more attention toward herself.

After a few minutes of watching Emma do Ashlyn's hair, it was then done in two cornrows while being pulled back into a back bun. With that finished they all set off for the ballet studio. The drive went on for another few minutes, and in the meantime of this the H/C- girl was playing a game to bypass the time. Soon, the car made a stop upon arriving at Ashlyn's destination.

"Alright, we're here," Emma said as she and Mike glanced back at the four sitting in their seats while Y/N was seen at the trunk due to the lack of space.

Aiden was in the middle seat, sitting between Ben and Ashlyn. Ben was sitting on the right side beside his cousin with his head leaning on the side of the car with both of his arms crossed while with his seatbelt as he was currently sleeping. Ashlyn was seated on the left side beside Aiden as she two had her seatbelt while staring out the window with a abit of a displeased look.

"So, this is the place? Cool." Aiden leaned his body forward slightly to get a better view of the place as he stared through the window. He looked to be fascinated by its big structure.

Ashlyn began unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car she then lowered her head slightly as she stared back at Aiden, "Satisfied?"



"Yep!" He enthusiastically replied while giving her a closed eye smile and as he did he made a short pause. "Actually, can I come in-"

"No," Ashlyn said in a stern tone, slamming the door in his face before he could finish his very obvious and unsaid sentence.

The H/C- girl sat up slightly, looking at Aiden as she spoke, "Well, now that that's over with, can I go home now?"

As requested she was then dropped home by Ashlyn's parents. Stepping out of the vehicle, Y/N waved her goodbyes while giving them her thanks for the ride. Aiden stared at her with a smile while waving at her.

"See you later tonight!"

'Why does he sound excited about it?' She shivered, not wanting to know she didn't question it further.

Once inside, Y/N trudged up the stairs to her bedroom, feeling exhausted from the long day. As soon as she entered her room, her eyes landed on her bed and she couldn't resist the urge to flop down on it. A smile spread across her face as she sank into the soft, fluffy mattress. It was the most comfortable feeling she had experienced all day, and it instantly made her feel relaxed and at ease.

As she was lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice someone passing by her room. Her familiar figure was lying on the bed, completely absorbed in her own world. Just as she was about to drift off into a peaceful sleep, her father suddenly entered the room.

"Ah, I see you're finally home." Recognizing her state he added, "You must be tired since you are here. I came to inform you that we're leaving in 40 minutes, but I'll let you get some rest." He then made his way out of the room while making sure to close the door behind him.

'I can't catch a break…' At the moment, Y/N felt completely exhausted and needed to rest before getting ready for an appointment. She set a timer for 30 minutes and took a quick nap to recharge her energy.

★

When the timer went off, she knew it was time for her appointment. She had just taken a short nap and was feeling a bit better. After a warm bath, she got dressed, did her hair, and headed downstairs. "Okay Dad, I'm ready..." she called out as she made her way down the steps.

As she descended the stairs, she could hear her dad talking to someone. She decided to sneak closer to listen in. When she peeked into the living room, she saw her dad and grandparents deep in conversation. Her dad had his back to her, but she could see the worried expressions on her grandparents' faces. "Dad?" she called out, unsure of what was going on.

Hearing his daughters voice caused him to jolt, turning around he saw her already dressed and ready to go. "Oh, okay Hun, let's go in the car..." He excused himself from the living room however stopped once heard Y/N call out to him, glancing over his shoulder with a small smile, "Yes?"

"Um, Is something wrong or at least something I should know about?" Y/N asked.

"U-Um, no sweetie," he stuttered. "Everything is alright, just me and your grandparents had to talk about something. No need to worry." He smiled as he then went to grab the keys, "Alright, let's go. We don't want to be late for the appointment."

Y/N was feeling a bit confused and worried as she noticed something strange happening. She wanted to ask her grandparents about it, but when she saw the worried look on their faces, she decided not to. She left the house with a sense of concern lingering in her mind.

Y/N and her dad got into the car, both sitting in the front seat and buckling up. The engine started, and they began to head off to her appointment.

★

They soon arrived at the office building for her appointment. Her dad went to check in while Y/N found a seat in the waiting area. They sat in silence, waiting for their turn.

After a few minutes, a woman with tan skin and dark hair called out for Y/N. Getting up, Y/N walked towards the woman and followed her to where their session was supposed to start. She was then led to the lady's office, stopping in front of a door with the name "Tirana Smith" engraved on it. Entering the room, Y/N was amazed by the beautiful decor - potted plants, elegant furniture, and a desk by a window. There were two gray chairs facing each other and a couch on the other side. Y/N sat in one of the chairs as Tirana prepared for the appointment.

Hey there! I'm Tirana, nice to meet you," Tirana said warmly as she took a seat. "Before we officially start, how was your day today?

"Um, it was fine," Y/N yawned, "but more generally I'm exhausted."

Tirana chuckled, "I see. I understand that it can be tiring at times, but I'm glad you decided to come see me today. So, can you tell me what's been on your mind frequently?"

"A lot," Y/N said blankly.

Tirana nodded, "Hm well, can you maybe perhaps describe it?"

Y/N took a breath, "Um... I'm not sure how I would explain it, it's kind of a lot to even process."

"It's okay, just try your best to explain, and I'll try my best to piece together what you say, okay?"

She nods, "Yeah. Well, a lot has been going on ever since me and my- A pause was made as she realized as she was mistakenly about to call them her friends.

It had never dawned on her until just now, that even though they worked together in the phantom dimension they weren't really friends with eachother, just classmates. They only worked together and had eachother back—but isn't that what friendship is. However, she didn't want to get to ahead of herself. A short silence stayed in the room, confusing Tirana but despite this, she waited for her to speak up once again. After a moment of silence, Y/N took a deep breath before she then continued.

"-my group mates, myself, as well as the rest of my class were taking part in a school trip to Savannah, and since then I- myself and my group mates had started...Seeing things..."

Tirana's interest peaked, "So what you're saying is you, including your classmates are seeing the same thing?"

"Uh-Yes."

"That's quite a strange phenomenon," Tirana said, adjusting her glasses. "Well, have you told anyone of this, your family?"

"No... I can't and never wish to do so," Y/N quickly shut down the topic.

"You know, you eventually have to try and tell someone in your family about this," Tirana said. "I understand that you don't want to burden them, but at least let them know how you're doing, such as your mental health."

Y/N looked down, "Yes..."

Tirana sighed, "Okay, I see you don't have much to say so we will just move on. So, can you tell me exactly how did this field trip play out?"

Y/N prepared herself, taking a deep and making eye contact she could tell that Tirana was looking at her as she was already listening intently. "It all started on that field trip-"

★

Y/N had just finished a 45-minute appointment that seemed to fly by. She was so focused on what was happening that time flew by. It was finally over and she and her dad headed home. While on their way home, Y/N started feeling tired because of the calming atmosphere, causing her to feel sleepy. They arrived home at 5:44 pm. Getting out of the car, they went inside. Her dad went to the living room to see her grandparents, while Y/N headed upstairs to her room.

As she made her way upstairs, she suddenly heard her grandma calling out to her. She then retraced her steps and walked back downstairs into the living room.

"Yes?" she said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Y/N, dear," her grandma said, her voice softening. "I know you're tired, but your father would like to have a word with you."

Y/N was suspicious and asked, "Um, so... what exactly did you want to talk about?" but her grandparents just exchanged looks and left the room, leaving her alone with her dad.

Once they were alone it was silent. She could tell that something serious was going on. Her dad was avoiding eye contact abit and seemed nervous as he cleared his throat.

"Y/N, as your father I'm obliged to for you." He said, "I know you went to therapy, but I feel that didn't resolve what has been happening."

It was a difficult conversation, but Y/N knew that her dad cared about her and wanted to help. She listened carefully as he expressed his concerns and tried to offer support.

Breathing in softly, he spoke earnestly. "I've noticed over the past two weeks that you have been acting quite... different. Different from how you've usually been. It's just... Ever since that field trip you took to Savannah, you've had quite a bit of change in your behavior lately and I've noticed it for a while now."

Y/N had a feeling that this topic was going to be brought up sooner or later. Regardless, she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. She feared the worst if she did.

"-And, I didn't know how to bring it up because I just had a feeling you'd brushed it off. The situation must be a lot to bare and looked serious for me to just simply bypass. You look pale every day since then, and it just seems to get worse. You never eat breakfast like how you used to or barely come downstairs. It only makes me suspect something's going on." He looked at her with worry, "Is there something going on?"

Y/N stood there, feeling the weight of her secret. She wanted to tell her dad the truth, but it was hard. She felt like crying, knowing it wouldn't be easy to explain everything. It was clear to her dad that something was going on, but Y/N struggled to find the right words to explain. She trusted her dad, but the truth was hard to share.

He stared at her, awaiting her response nervously as he stood there watching her figure not responding. She let out a soft shaky deep breath, raising her head she looked at him with a slight smile.

"Everything's fine. It's just work from school that's made me this way and it's also the reason I don't come downstairs because I'm so occupied with assignments I have to do."

He was a bit surprised by her response, looking at her he still didn't look convinced since he felt that there was more to it. Even so, he kept that to himself, and as he looked at her he still couldn't help but be worried. "Alright," He then walked towards her, grabbing her cheek and loving caressing it with a small smile. "Don't overwork or stress yourself too much. Remember, I'm here to help with anything you need."

"But, if something is bothering you. You can tell me. I promise and will never judge you for it." Y/N nodded, making him feel relieved. He then removed his hand from her cheek and before leaving the living room, he gave a gentle kiss on her forehead as he said in a soft tone: "I love you, Y/N."

Y/N's heart sank as she replayed his words in her mind. She stood still, trying to process what had just been said to her. After a few minutes of thinking, she decided to go to her room. This was all part of her original plan as she headed upstairs to her room for some space.

Upon entering her room, she closed the door behind her. She couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. She leaned against her door, sliding down slowly until she reached the floor. With both arms covering her face, a clear, wet substance started to slowly descend from her cheek onto the floor. The feeling in her chest grew heavier, causing her to start sobbing.

'I'm sorry, Dad...'

She tried really hard to keep her emotions in check, but it was getting harder and harder. When she found out about her mother's passing at a young age, she didn't know how to express how she felt. It was the most painful experience she had ever gone through, feeling a level of pain she rarely experienced. She wished she could make the pain go away, but deep down she knew she couldn't just ignore those feelings. No matter how much she tried, the feelings wouldn't just disappear like she hoped.

A few years ago, when she was younger, she had felt this same overwhelming emotion before. She didn't like it, but she had to come to terms with the fact that it was a natural part of being human. That's one of the reasons she barely expresses her emotions - she feared that if she did, she would feel that same pain again. Even so, she knew that there was a way to deal with this feeling and that with the help of someone's comfort. However, this time she knew that there wasn't anyone by her side to comfort her.

After an hour of crying and letting some steam off her chest, she then got up, grabbed her towel, and started heading into the shower. Once she was done she got on some PJs and sat on her bed while a sigh escaped her lip.

It was almost midnight when she decided to take a quick nap. She ended up sleeping for 6 hours and woke up at 11:44 pm, almost midnight. She grabbed her phone and checked her contacts, finding nothing in the group chat. But then she saw Ashlyn's number, someone she could always talk to.

Feeling bored, she clicked on Ashlyn's number. She was excited to start a conversation and see what her friend was up to. As she typed out a message, she couldn't wait to see Ashlyn's response.

Flipping through her short list of contacts, she spotted Ashlyn's number. (Someone she could always chat with about anything) Feeling a bit bored and with nothing exciting to do, she decided to tap on her number.

========================

You -

Hey Ash, are you busy?

Ashlyn -

Hey Y/N, no I'm not busy. Is there something wrong?

You -

No, I'm just bored. And I feel like talking to you.

Ashlyn -

Alright 👍

You -

Btw, I noticed that no one texted the group chat.

I thought by now they would be spamming by now.

Ashlyn -

Yeah, just been checking the chat.

You -

Ready for tonight?

Ashlyn -

I don't know...

You -

I feel you but about the discussion in the cafeteria... about Savannah.

Ashlyn -

I don't know. It could be possible if we could plan ahead and not rush things, we don't know what could be out there.

But I understand how Tyler feels.

You -

Yeah, I know...

Ashlyn -

Hey Y/N

You -

Yeah?

Ashlyn -

I don't mean to change the topic but I feel like we're forgetting something.

You -

Like what?

Ashlyn -

I don't know, but that's what I'm trying to figure out.

After that message, Ashlyn didn't text anything further. Y/N checked the time and saw it was 11:58 pm. The time was getting near as it was currently 11:59 pm on her phone making her anxious as she waited for her text to arrive. Just then she got a text from Ashlyn.

========================

Ashlyn -

THE BUS!

You -

What do you mean?

Ashlyn -

THE PHANTOM!

This message confused her. However, after finally clicking two of them together she instantly knew then. Though before she could get to react it had already hit midnight, making reality no more.