Adopted by Dan and Phil ((completed))

23. A Dream.

  I can't lose my parents again. Not after the first time. Not after the realisation that the car was spinning. Not after hearing my mother scream as the car flipped over. Not after the bang; not after I hit my head and was knocked unconscious.
I'll never forget how a doctor walked in and bluntly told me my parents had not survived the crash.

  Stop. I think desperately. You need to get a grip.

  I hear footsteps and a knock on my door.
"Come in!" I say unenthusiastically.
  Phil walks in and closes the door behind him. He shyly heads over to my bed and perches on the end.

"So." I say. Phil exhales deeply. I reach up and start to untangle my hair from its bun, and it falls softly to rest on my collarbone.

"I guess you are my... Daughter" Phil mutters. "I wish I knew you."
"You do know me, Phil!" I say, and I wipe my eyes.
"I only remember one thing."
"What is it?"
"Dan and I taking you to school for the first time."

All those memories, gone. Permanent or temporary, I don't know. But it still hurts.
I take a glance at his eyes. Once bright blue and full of happiness, now they seem to be on the verge of grey and are cloudy with confusion.
"Speaking of school, you have to get going now,"
"Are you joking?" I ask incredulously. "You just got back from hospital! I need to stay with you!"
"The nurses told us it would be better for you to be away from home for a few hours whilst Dan and I... Talk"

   Phil walks out of the room and closes the door. With a sigh, I walk over to my wardrobe, and grab my blazer.

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  "Hey Amy!" Emily calls out as I silently stalk into class. She waves me over, and I sit down, not saying anything.
"Amy?" She asks again, and I just want her to be quiet, for the whole world to cease existing. All I want is for Phil to be back, because this imposter in his body is not him.
I stare out the window, and look at the birds soaring in the grey English sky.

  It turns out Mrs Weller is doing the register, and has said my name many times, and I've been staring out of the window.
"Amy Evans? Will you pay attention?"
The whole class is looking at me-
Turn around!
I hate all of you
I'm not speaking!
Don't laugh at me, you insignificant piece of-

"Amy, are you okay?"

My heart is pounding and I'm breathing heavily, gasping for air that won't reach my lungs. I'm gripping the desk so hard my knuckles are turning white, and people are blatantly talking about me, I see their mouths opening and closing at the same slow, taunting speed, and Emily is reaching out her hand, she's putting a hand on my shoulder, and I know it's a friendly gesture but it's still freaking me out and-

"Shut up! Please, everyone shut up!" I yell, slapping my hands over my ears and crying freely. Everyone does shut up, but they all look so bemused and are trying not to laugh, and I see a mischievous grin on one of their faces, and one looks so shocked like Phil when he saw me and Phil-

  I run out of the classroom, shoving chairs over as I frantically race for the door. Throwing it open, I rush outside and turn left in the corridor, sliding down a wall until I'm curled up, crying and crying and unable to stop panicking.