Towards the end of seventh period, Simon was called back into the nurse’s office. When he got there, he saw nothing wrong. The nurse was still sitting in the chair reading a magazine.
“You called?” Simon asked.
“Yeah Pasliee woke up, screaming for you. She was crying and I couldn’t calm her down, I’m guessing she had a nightmare” the nurse informed him. Simon went into the other room where Pasliee was in. She was curled up on a bed, quietly sobbing.
“Pasliee?” Simon asked. Pasliee jumped off the bed and ran over to Simon, tightly hugging him.
“Simon!” Pasliee exclaimed.
“Pasliee, are you okay?’ Simon asked.
“I am now” Pasliee answered.
“Do you still see only darkness?” Simon asked.
“Now when I’m around you” Pasliee answered. She looked around.
“Where are the others?” Pasliee answered.
“Oh, they woke up around lunch and just left” Simon answered.
“What did they say?” Pasliee asked.
“Nothing yet” Simon answered.
“Where are they?” Pasliee asked. Simon didn’t answer and looked down. Pasliee’s smile disappeared.
“Where are they?” Pasliee asked. Simon sighed.
“They’re waiting for us” Simon answered.
“They’re waiting for us? Stacy, Tracy, Dylan and Zack?” Pasliee asked.
“And Victoria” Simon added and Pasliee smiled.
“Why Victoria?” Pasliee asked.
“I thought that you liked her” Simon said.
“Of course I do, I love her but I thought you hated her” Pasliee remembered.
“Of course I do but if she makes you happy” Simon said.
“You make me happy” Pasliee said.
“That’s all I want, you to be happy” Simon said. Pasliee’s smile disappears.
“Wait, you said all of us?” Pasliee said.
“Yeah” Simon said.
“Stacy and Tracy won’t want to walk with me” Pasliee knew.
“They have to” Simon said.
“They have to?” Pasliee asked.
“If they want to walk with me” Simon said.
“You’re going to walk me home?” Pasliee asked.
“And spend the night with you” Simon informed her and Pasliee’s smile returned.
“Stacy, Tracy and my friendship still fully depends on your happiness. If you don’t want to be friends with them, I don’t have to” Simon reminded her.
“I’ll remember that” Pasliee said. Pasliee and Simon stopped hugging but Simon wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked out to the front of the school. Just as Simon had said, the group was out there waiting for them. When they got to the Leighton’s house, Pasliee turned around to face Stacy and Tracy.
“What is your problem?” Pasliee asked.
“We don’t have a problem” Stacy lied.
“But we did have a weird dream” Tracy remembered.
“Do you think I had something to do with that?” Pasliee asked.
“Well, you were in that dream” Stacy answered.
“So was Dylan and Zack” Tracy added.
“Weird” Pasliee muttered with a smile, an idea forming.
“What exactly happened?” Pasliee asked. Simon glared at Pasliee, warning her.
“Your eyes vibrated” Tracy remembered.
“Like this?” Pasliee asked. Her eyes vibrated for a few seconds and then she blinked twice. Stacy and Tracy’s eyes widened and they stepped away. Dylan and Zack looked down at the grass.
“Cool” Victoria said.
“Simon can do it to” Pasliee said.
“Pasliee” Simon muttered.
“Show them” Pasliee said.
“No” Simon said.
“Do it!” Pasliee ordered.
“Fine” Simon agreed. His eyes vibrated for a few seconds.
“You did that in the dream to!” Tracy exclaimed with a gasp.
“Oh, really? Weird” Simon said.
“Simon taught me” Pasliee said.
“You said that in the dream” Dylan remembered.
“Oh, really?” Pasliee asked with a sweet smile.
“Freak!” Stacy muttered.
“Our friendship still fully depends on Pasliee’s happiness” Simon reminded them.
“Fully depends?” Stacy asked.
“Yep” Simon answered.
“Well since Pasliee is happy…” Stacy grabbed Simon’s hand.
“Maybe we could go to Pizza Heaven” Tracy suggested, grabbing his other hand.
“I promised Pasliee I would spent the day with her” Simon remembered.
“Free tonight?” Stacy asked.
“And the night” Simon added, freeing one of his hands.
“Pasliee doesn’t need all that special attention from you!” Tracy sweetly disagreed.
“Why don’t you share some of that attention with us?” Stacy started to pull him away. Pasliee grabbed Simon’s other hand.
“I want him!” Pasliee pulled him back.
“Well so do we!” Stacy tried to pull Simon but Pasliee effortlessly kept Simon by his side.
“Let go, Pasliee!” Tracy ordered.
“He’s my brother!” Pasliee snapped at them.
“He’s our friend!” Stacy shot back after almost a minute of silence.
“Depending on Pasliee’s happiness” Simon reminded them and Stacy and Pasliee let go of his hands. Stacy and Tracy’s smiles were quickly thinning away.
“Why does everything depend on Pasliee’s happiness?” Stacy almost screamed.
“Because Pasliee is my little sister and I love her!” Simon answered. Stacy stepped over to Pasliee.
“Oh, well, Pasliee…” Stacy lunged for her.
