The Unfortunate

Intrigue

"He said..." The blonde began, and a few people leaned forward. Dawn could hear her heart pounding in her ears, the blood rushing all throughout her body. "to trust Coco and let her go."
Dawn's heart nearly burst out in joy. She would be okay. Her back straightened, her eyes watered, and her mouth parted slightly, as if it was afraid to stretch into a smile too early. The majority seemed to agree with this decision, if not just to respect it. Even the more stubborn people did not dare argue with their leader's choice. Before anyone made the first move to shatter the silence, the second-in-command continued on. "But there are a few extra conditions."
Dawn stopped silently celebrating at that. The blonde was looking directly at her.
"You swear on your life that you will never, under any circumstances, say a word about meeting us to anyone. Is that clear?" She pointed at Dawn demandingly, and the girl nodded as quickly as she could.
"I swear on my life!" Dawn agreed, drawing an invisible cross over her chest just for extra appeal.
"Good, because that's exactly what is at stake here. If we find out you uttered a word about the Dreamers, we will hunt you down and-"
Coco interrupted, her soothing voice a stark contrast to the blonde's terrifying tone.
"I'm certain that will not be necessary. She will not tell." The confidence in Coco's expression, words, and eyes was enough for the blonde to hold off on explaining the consequences, at least for the moment.
"If you're really so sure, then I won't bother explaining what'll happen. You get the picture, right deary?" The blonde glanced at Dawn in acknowledgement, and she seemed for a split-second amused at how rigid the girl had gone from her harsh threats. The scared girl nodded weakly. "Good! Other than that, we'll need to escort you out and all the way back to your school so that we know exactly where you live. Just for future reference." The blonde chirped in a happy tone. "Me and Giuseppe will walk back with you."
"Giuseppe and I," The black haired girl corrected her from beside Dawn.
The blonde glared behind her shoulder. "Quiet, fucker!" In one quick motion she whipped off her hoodie and removed her mask, carelessly tossing them on the table. The group collectively gasped at this. The blonde was confused for a second. "What? You three-year-olds never heard a curse before?"
"No...." Someone stepped forward. "Why are you taking your mask off?!"
The blonde looked down at the clothes and then back at their horrified expression.
"There's no point in hiding my face any longer. The girl has seen it already. Plus, if I'm walking in public then the mask will only draw suspicion." She fluffed her golden hair. "Also it totally cramps my style." There were a few groans. "Giuseppe, we're leaving in five minutes." The blonde commanded, and with that she sauntered off through the door, going who knows where.
"Alright." The boy didn't waste a second taking off his mask; he seemed excited. Dawn found her eyes gravitating towards his sleek build. He had tan skin, even darker than the blonde's, and short black hair. His eyes were dark and admittedly very pretty, graced with long eyelashes. There was a mole on his right cheek, adding a touch of originality to his face. Giuseppe was about as tall as Dawn, so height was not exactly one of his powerful attributes. He was obviously Italian, which explained the name and the faint accent. Dawn pretended not to notice when he flirtatiously winked in her direction. It was interesting to meet a person of a different origin, but his cheap tactics weren't impressing anyone.
"What was your name again?" A different boy startled Dawn from her thoughts. He was tall, with hair so blonde it looked white underneath the artificial light. The mask was still on, but it didn't leave much up for imagination. He had pale skin, cheeks dotted with freckles, and a warm smile.
"Dawn." The girl answered, flustered. "Um....you?" She asked, and then regretted it right afterwards. "O-oh, actually, never mind." She looked up at the boy through a wince, expecting him to have a harsh comeback, but instead he was laughing.
"It's cool. I'm Ezra." He introduced himself, and then a second later leaned forward to whisper in Dawn's ear, "This is strange for all of us, even if we don't admit it, so don't be so nervous." Dawn felt a small blush creep in from the close proximity, but she focused on his words and tried using them for encouragement fuel instead. Maybe they weren't as alien as she thought they were. Maybe they were just being wary because she was an outsider. That truth certainly made her feel a bit better.
"Oh. That's good." Dawn answered dumbly, unsure of what else to say. Luckily she didn't have to decide, because Giuseppe had just strolled up, looking awfully determined.
"The name's Giuseppe. Hot, I know." The Italian smoothed his gelled hair back, and Dawn got a pleasant whiff of cologne. "Almost as hot as you." Even if he did smell really good, Dawn wasn't the type to be swooned by flattery.
"Thanks." She said, feeling a small burst of confidence and grinning slyly. "But life isn't all about appearances. Instead of trying to get girls by your looks, try to just talk to them first." She gently pushed his arm off of her. "Use your personality."
Ezra chortled at that, and Giuseppe's face turned a little red.
"Oh, okay," he smiled along playfully, stuffing his hands into his front pockets. "I get it. You're right. I have so much personality, I was just afraid you'd be blown away by it. Cause it's really great and overwhelming and stuff." The brunette rambled, and Ezra seemed to laugh harder. "If you wanna talk, then..."
"I don't think she likes you." Ezra commented, and Giuseppe glared up at him.
"I don't think she likes you!" He retorted, although truthfully he had no evidence to back that claim up.
Dawn giggled, despite herself. These two reminded her of the boys at Havencrest: Immature yet amusing.
"I'm sorry if I seemed rude." She apologized. "I actually think you're kinda..." Dawn went quiet for a second, wondering if she was being too daring. "charming, in an original way..."
"Aww," Giuseppe flipped his hair bashfully. "Thanks." He looked at Ezra in satisfaction, wanting to gloat over his victory, but the blonde had more teasing in mind.
"'Original,'" Ezra said after a moment, using his fingers as quotes, and then he broke back into chuckles again. Dawn felt a smile tug at her lips as they bickered back and forth. Someone tapped her back and she turned, preparing for the worst.
It was the second-in-command. The blonde strutted, wearing designer sunglasses, a tight low-cut shirt, those same shameless shorts, high black heels, and a big fur coat.
"Okay, I'm ready now." She announced, grinning. The girl looked more fit for a night at the club than a ten minute walk through the city. Giuseppe whistled, and Dawn would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't so afraid of the girl. "I know, I know. I'm having a fantastic hair day today, what luck!"
She was surprisingly full of herself. Even Dawn, who normally tried to see the best in people and ignore their flaws, could not ignore her boastfulness. She was very attractive, no one could deny that, but goodness gracious! Why was she even wearing those sunglasses anyways, wasn't it still nighttime?
"Okay let's get a move-" The blonde was distracted by someone behind Dawn. Dawn looked over her shoulder to see a girl with two thin braids dramatically waving her hands. She was doing some sort of sign language, begging for something... The blonde sighed. "You can talk now...I guess."
The struggling girl let out a delightful squeak and rushed over.
"Thank you, thank you, thank youuuuu!" She clung to the blonde, giggling. "That was the hardest thirty minutes of my life. I literally need to talk, it's like my oxygen! Well, my second oxygen. Kinda like I have two lungs, one for oxygen and one for talking. Or maybe three lungs, two for oxygen and one extra for talking. Cause if I only had one for oxygen then I'd be out of breath all the time, and I read somewhere that oxygen helps your brain-"
"Oh my god, shut up!" The blonde said, placing her hands on the talkative one's shoulders. "You see how much of a blabbermouth you are? If you said something personal to her," she gestured to Dawn. "then we'd all be in danger!"
The thinner girl was silent. Now that her movements were much less erratic, Dawn could observe her face a little better. Dozens of small freckles emerged out from underneath her mask, just like Ezra, but her hair was a dark brown. The braids were clearly not professional, as there were many sections where clumps of hair poked out. The ends of her wispy locks were decorated with two different colored bows. The girl had stopped talking because she had just then remembered Dawn's existence, although Dawn only noticed it when she felt a bony grip on her hand.
"Hi! I'm Rosalea!" The spontaneous girl shouted, stars dancing in the eyes behind the mask. Rosalea shook Dawn's hand violently, and the girl had to steady her feet so that she wouldn't fall over because of it. For someone so thin, she had surprising strength. Dawn politely wrenched her hand from the iron grip, smiling nervously.
"I'm-"
"Dawn! I know." Rosalea interrupted her. "I stared at you while you were unconscious! Oh, and I went through your phone earlier, so I learned all sorts of neat things about you! Like your friends, your interests, your bra size, your-"
"M-My What?!" Dawn stammered, incredulous, and she shook her head. "Wait. You went though my phone?!"
Rosalea nodded proudly.
"Most of us did!"
"What?!" Dawn looked around at Ezra and Giuseppe for confirmation, but they both avoided eye contact. Coco suddenly appeared in the circle, just in time to hear Dawn cry, "How did you know my passcode?!"
"We have our ways." The blonde gave a mysterious smile, much to Dawn's dismay.
"Well can I please have my phone back?" Dawn furrowed her eyebrows. "You've already disrespected my privacy, there's nothing left for you!" Coco frowned slightly at that. "I want my entire bag back, with my money."
"Okay, okay! Don't get your panties in a twist." The blonde chastised, reaching into her coat and pulling something out. "I got it all right here. I'll give it back to you once we get to your school, just in case you get any ideas about taking photos of us." The handbag disappeared back into the thick jacket, and Dawn watched it go with eager eyes.
"Then lets-" Dawn's stomach suddenly let out a ferocious growl, and she was reminded of how long it'd been since her last meal. Her face reddened at the onslaught of amused stares.
"Oh, poor thing! She's starving!" Rosalea examined, smushing the side of her face to Dawn's cheek uncomfortably. "Can't we give her something to eat, before she goes?" She pouted at the blonde, her big eyes being the only bargaining tool. Giuseppe and Ezra didn't seem all too reluctant about the idea either, and Coco looked pleased. "It'll be like an apology for being so rude!" The blonde looked like she was about to refuse, but as she glanced from the four pleading expressions to Dawn's hopeful face, some unseen force compelled her to nod.
"Fine, but I'm not waiting more than ten minutes. And you all better watch her." She gave in, reluctantly walking away and allowing them all the time to get poor Dawn some food. She muttered something along the lines of, "Like I'm babysitting a bunch of damn toddlers," on her way out.
"We have some leftover pizza, that's right!" Rosalea shouted after a few seconds of deep thinking. She grabbed Dawn's wrist and dragged the girl out of the room and into the next. Dawn barely had time to see the room before they disappeared into yet another doorway and flew down a door-studded hallway.
How big is this place?!
Eventually, they stopped in a blue-carpeted room. To the right was two small tables with chairs, a box of playing cards sitting idly on one and an empty mug on the other. Directly in front of the doorway was a long red sofa, and on the wall to the left of the doorway was a flatscreen television, connected to a gaming console. Spanning across the entire left side of the room was a bar\kitchen area, blocked off by a marble counter and equipped with a fridge, stove, and other major household appliances. Just above the counter was a cupboard overhang, abundant in wine bottles and empty glasses. Also, hanging above the luxurious couch, there was a beautiful painting of a glowing crescent moon, surrounded by a brilliant night sky and pictured above hills of deep green.
On the counter there was three boxes of pizza, two empty and the last with three slices left.
The room was the perfect mix of modern styling and simplicity, with a touch of that comfy home feeling.
"This is the Dreamers official first lounge," Rosalea's arm made a wide sweeping gesture. She grinned in pride from the way that Dawn marveled at it. "the second one is the one we went through earlier. It's cool too, but this one is better just cause of the TV." Giuseppe nodded in agreement, having followed the two. "Here's the pizza I promised." She went behind the bar and rummaged around in a cupboard, pulling out a paper plate, handing it to Dawn. "Bon appétit."
Although she was extremely grateful for her hospitality, a small part of her felt wary of the food. Was accepting this from a stranger really a good idea on her part? She was really hungry, but even then, was it worth the risk?
"Don't worry," Rosalea crossed her fingers. "It ain't poisoned." She promised, seeming truthful.
"Yes it is, it's got pineapple." Giuseppe whispered to Dawn, and she cracked a smile.
"I don't want to get criticism from a guy that eats seaweed as a snack." Rosalea fired back.
"It's not as bad as you think!" The Italian defended himself. "It's got sea salt sprinkled-"
"Eeewww!"
Dawn took initiative and helped herself to a pizza slice as the two quarreled. The piece was mostly cold, but at least it wasn't stale. She didn't hesitate to take the first bite. After all, she had come this far, and if the Dreamers had wanted to kill her then they would have surely done it by now. Dawn sank down onto the corner of the sofa, enjoying the comfortable way the cushions supported her. She took another bite, tasting the pineapple topping. It was an unfamiliar flavor, but not necessarily terrible. (Although, Dawn was hungry enough to pass anything as edible, so she shouldn't trust her taste buds just yet.) She found herself staring at the painting behind her, studying all the minuscule details thoughtfully put into every section. Whoever painted it was clearly passionate about art. Their love and attention bled through every stroke, every dust, and every blend of contrasting colors, resulting in the birth of a soulful masterpiece.
"Oh, that's my painting." Rosalea said, sitting beside Dawn. "You like it?" She didn't take her eyes off the picture, a mixture of pride and sadness in her face.
"I do. It's beautiful. You're an amazing artist." Dawn praised her, hoping that her words could chase away whatever negative emotion Rosalea was expressing. It worked, and the freckled girl grinned from beneath her mask.
"Thanks, sweetie pie!" She fluttered her eyelashes bashfully. "I'm actually the official Dreamers artist. All those moons popping up around the city..."
Dawn gasped. "That was you?!"
"Sure was!"
"Wow, it's so cool to be next to someone who created something so famous! Did you come up with it by yourself, too?" Dawn gushed, her eyes sparkling. Giuseppe crossed his arms jealously at Rosalea's attention.
"It is pretty iconic, isn't it." She beamed. "Oh, no, I could never have come up with that by myself. Our leader had a bunch of ideas, and we all voted on which one we liked the best. There's a whole bunch of symbolism in it, actually. It feels so good to be making it again, I just get this rush when I see the finished product. The public is going crazy about it too, from what I've heard."
"That's right. It's all over the internet." Dawn recollected, chewing another mouthful of pizza. "Why did you all suddenly stop a year ago? What happened?" Rosalea's smile slipped and fell from her face. Giuseppe looked uncomfortable.
"Um, well..." She looked to the boy for words, but he had none. "That's..." She frowned deeply, almost upset.
It was clear that Dawn had overstepped her boundary. If they were this reluctant to share, then she would not push them any further.
"Nevermind." Dawn quickly chimed, hoping to change the subject. "I'm more interested in the handprints anyways. Did you all put them? And if so, does that mean there are more Dreamers that aren't here?" Rosalea looked back up, her eyes clearing up a bit.
"No, I did them all." Her smile returned. "It's actually just a way to trick the public into thinking we're larger than we actually are. We planted that idea in a news interview to get the ball rolling."
Dawn looked intrigued. "Really? I heard that interview, though. It was just a random girl that came up with the theory..."
Giuseppe shook his head, speaking up for the first time since Dawn had asked the other question.
"Nope, she's with us. Everything she said was completely scripted, along with her name and age. We call her Techie, because she's also really good with technology."
"So she doesn't actually work at that coffee shop, then." Dawn murmured, glad that now she finally had clarity.
"Actually, that part was true. The owner of the Coffee Bean is Olive. He's a Dreamer too. You might have seen him earlier, tall, black, doesn't talk much, never takes off his hoodie or mask...He's nice when you get used to his silence; I think he's just bad with people." Rosalea described him, and Dawn couldn't say that she remembered seeing him particularly. There were a lot of people, and all of their faces were partially hidden, so it was hard to put anybody's face to a name, really. "I work at the shop with Ezra, Techie, and our leader, actually. That's why it was so easy for me to create the Dreamers symbol without getting caught. It's also good to work at the shop because I get free lattes and muffins." Rosalea practically drooled at the thought of sugary treats. "You should come sometime, it's really yummy and well priced. Even better than Starbucks!"
Dawn listened politely. "Maybe I will stop by one day. Who would've guessed that a group like the Dreamers also runs a sweet little coffee shop." She giggled a little, and so did the other two.
"Nobody. That's why it's perfect for secrecy." A new voice said from the doorway. Dawn looked up to see the blonde second-in-command. "Unlike you two, who have already told her half of our identities." Rosalea and Giuseppe smiled sheepishly, and the blonde shook her head dismissively. "Dawn. Are you done eating yet?"
The girl froze, looking down at the crust still in her hand. She stuffed it all into her mouth and gave a nod, making the other snort.
"Okay then, let's get a move on." She turned and walked away, and Giuseppe and Dawn both stood up to follow her. Dawn was a bit disappointed because she didn't get to eat the second slice of pizza, but at least her stomach would stay quiet with what it had now.
"Bye-bye Dawn," Rosalea gave a friendly wave, and Dawn returned it shyly. "Hope to see you again soon. And don't forget about the Coffee Bean!" Her cheery voice called, but by that time they were already in the hallway. Several unknown doors lined the hall, none of which were open.
The three passed through the second lounge, and Dawn had more time to look around. It didn't have a kitchen, but it did have a smaller bar, full of all sorts of drinks and set next to a mini fridge. This room had a TV too, just smaller than the flatscreen, and on the other side of the room there was a red couch and a ping pong table. A few people were milling around that room, including Ezra, a girl absorbed in her phone, and the raven girl from much earlier, the one that held Dawn still while the second-in-command knocked Dawn out. She was, strangely, sweeping the floor, almost robotically.
The girl's eyes bore holes into Dawn as she passed through, and when she had the courage to meet her stare, the raven scoffed and turned away. The girl on her phone was quickly back to holding it an inch from her face, apparently finding whatever she was looking at more interesting than Dawn. Ezra simply raised an eyebrow.
"Now that I think about it..." The blonde said, abruptly halting and almost causing Dawn to bump into her. "Ezra, Techie, you guys come with me. We'll get Olive to open up shop now that the issue has been resolved."
The two obediently stood up, and Dawn realized that the girl on her phone was Techie.
The group of five went through the door into the empty room which Dawn had been interrogated in. Coco was waiting inside, along with two tall boys. One of them, with pale skin, was glaring coldly at Dawn, and even when she met his eyes he did not falter. The other had dark skin and was sitting peacefully, silent and unblinking.
"Olive, come set up shop while Giuseppe and I escort Dawn back to her school." The blonde said, not bothering to slow her pace. She reached the locked door that Dawn had struggled opening with Coco, and Dawn payed close attention to see where the key was hidden.
The blonde reached for the handle and effortlessly pulled the door open, much to Dawn's confusion. It took her a few seconds to understand that she had been tricked by Coco again, and so easily at that. The door was never locked; it was just supposed to be pulled to open!
No wonder all that damn pushing wasn't working!
Dawn gave Coco the most unamused expression she could muster, whereas the self proclaimed mystic seemed on the brink of laughter. She grinned wider and tapped her head silently, and Dawn knew what she was thinking.
"It's all in the mind." Coco's smooth voice echoed in her head, sly as ever.
"Goodbye, Dawn." The dark skinned girl said, her smile more friendly than amused. "Till next time."
Coco's warmth and the fair boy's icy glare were shut out when the door closed behind the group. Dawn, Giuseppe, Ezra, Techie, Olive, and the unnamed blonde were now faced with a very long and very dark tunnel. The blonde picked up a lantern sitting by and turned it on, and the light illuminated her face with an orange hue.
"Single file line, everyone." She said, and it was done, with Dawn directly behind her and Olive trailing as the rear. "No loud noises, Dawn, and try not to touch the walls too much. Wouldn't want the tunnel to collapse." The blonde grinned sadistically as Dawn's face paled. "I'm just kiddin'. Lighten up, kid." She hummed a little as they walked on and on, her sultry voice echoing around them all. There was the occasional clink of the lantern swinging from the blonde's hand, but besides that her humming was the only sound. They walked straight for awhile, and then there would come a turn, and Dawn would almost run into the wall because they all looked exactly the same, and this process was repeated almost four times. The Dreamers knew these tunnels well; all except for Dawn. No one said anything for many minutes, and Dawn was beginning to wonder if the tunnel would ever end when a flight of stairs came into view. The blonde ascended them without hesitation, and the others followed until there was a door directly on the ceiling. The blonde pushed it open and crawled up, disappearing from Dawn's view. Dawn followed suit.
Where are we? She wondered.
Dawn crawled onto white tiles, and she stood up and gazed around as the others came up behind her. They were in a small storage room, with shelves lining every wall full of cardboard boxes and jars of spices. She heard an unlocking sound and turned just in time to see the blonde pushing open the door and walking away. Dawn hurried to stay behind her, not wanting to get lost.
They turned the corner and came into a wide room, full of shapes that Dawn couldn't make out. The room was dark, but thankfully Olive knew exactly where to go for the light switch, and soon everything was flooded with color. The walls were a very light yellow, sprigged with light blue roses, and bordered with white baseboards. The floor was polished wood, giving the place a more down to Earth feeling, and there were four wooden fans equally spread out across the ceiling. The tables were wood painted either light yellow, light blue, or white, and the chairs had plush seats and elegant back designs. There were two large windows directly across from where they all had entered, both blocked by blue curtains. There was only one door, a white wooden one with a little bell at the top for signaling when a customer walked in. When she went further into the room, Dawn turned around to look at the wall to the left of the doorway, which had a large blackboard covered in chalks that were the main color scheme. The top of the blackboard, in big cursive letters, wrote 'MENU,' and underneath it there were countless different drinks and pastries one could order, each with the price listed beside it. Looking down from the black board, there was a counter littered with different types of coffee beans, sugar, flour, and other basic baking necessities, and in front of that another counter that had a viewing glass showing off shelves of sweets.
Dawn instantly knew where they were: The Coffee Bean. She could easily imagine Rosalea standing behind the counter, happily chatting with a costumer, or Ezra luring people in with his attractive smile.
Olive, Techie, and Ezra all walked behind the counter and disappeared into another door, presumably the kitchen, to prepare the day's products. Olive was silent, as usual, and Techie kept her eyes locked onto her phone screen, but Ezra acknowledged her with a soft smile.
Dawn smiled back, grateful for his friendliness towards her.
Perhaps someday she would visit the Coffee Bean, if not to buy something then to just show it to Estelle or Lise. It was pretty, much prettier than she'd expected, and it seemed like the perfect place to hang out and talk over a nice cup of coffee. Although, Dawn wasn't sure if she wanted to see any of the Dreamers again. Admittedly, some of them were nice, but there was still so much Dawn didn't know about them, and that unnerved her. She couldn't overlook the fact that they were still capable of dangerous things, and she didn't want to be involved with unpredictable people like that anymore than she needed to. She definitely didn't want her friends to be involved, either.
Shaking away any tension, Dawn looked back towards Giuseppe and the blonde. They were both distracted by the shop's menu, and she could practically see their drool. Dawn lightly cleared her throat, affectively regaining their attention.
"Huh? Oh, right." The blonde took the lead again and headed towards the door, her heels clicking pleasantly on the wood. She gripped the doorknob but didn't turn it. Instead, the girl sighed and looked back towards Dawn. "Before we go outside...promise me something." Dawn nodded apprehensively, surprised. "Promise me that we were right about you. That you aren't who some of us think you are." For once, that usually confident gaze was on the floor.
"I promise that I'm trustworthy. There's no reason for me to lie to you all, the only thing it'd do for me is destroy my honor." Dawn hoped that the sincerity in her heart showed in her voice and expression. "You're secret is safe with me, as long as my life is safe, too."
"Okay." The blonde whispered, satisfied with Dawn's reply. "I believe you. But don't say I didn't warn you if you get seriously hurt when you break the deal."
"I won't!" Dawn promised, eyebrows furrowed defensively, and the blonde nodded and opened the door. Dawn's vision was flooded with even more light. The blonde was lucky she had her sunglasses, because it sure was a sunny day.
Dawn halted, appalled by what she was seeing
"What's up?" Giuseppe stopped, concern in his voice, looking back at her.
"It's..." Dawn's face distorted into shock. "It's day?!"
The two stared at her blankly, before Giuseppe laughed.
"You were unconscious for awhile." He admitted, and the blonde bit her lip from the doorway, looking slightly guilty.
"Yeah, sorry about that, uh..."  She crossed her arms and coughed. "...whole knocking you out fiasco."
Dawn instinctively reached up to feel the side of her head where she was hit with the metal bat. There was a light bump, and the spot smarted uncomfortably when she applied pressure, but it wasn't terribly painful.
"It's...okay." Dawn ensured her. "Just a bruise." She still couldn't believe that it was already the next day; that girl packed quite a punch!
"Good. Wouldn't want to pay any hospital bills if I'd accidentally given you a concussion!" She laughed loudly, but for obvious reasons Dawn couldn't join in. Before she knew it the blonde was walking away again, and soon all three were smoothly cruising down the sidewalk. Both Dreamers had taken up residence on either side of Dawn, although she wasn't sure if they were protecting her or making sure she didn't run away. From a normal person's perspective, they seemed like average teenagers, which couldn't be more wrong. As Dawn padded side by side with a walking Gucci store and a heavenly-scented Italian, both of which were part of an underground gang, the girl marveled at her tendency to fall into the most unusual of situations. This one definitely took the cake. If she weren't bounded by promise to keep it all a secret, she would have thoroughly enjoyed the looks on her friends' faces as she told them her unbelievable story. Dawn hoped that, for her own and for their safety, she could manage to contain such a huge secret. She just didn't know how she'd be able to return to normal life, but she'd certainly try.
The walk to Havencrest was silent, but the combined noises of public conversations and impatient honking was more than enough to fill Dawn's ears. She just hated silence; it was deadly and choked the life out of everything. That was why she talked so often-she'd rather do anything than suffer in heavy silence.
Somehow, the blonde knew exactly where to go to get to Dawn's school. She took the right turns and Dawn didn't have to instruct her at all, which led the girl to believe that somehow the blonde had been to the school before. The walk wasn't horribly long, just about ten minutes, and all throughout it Dawn had nothing to do but awkwardly stare at the ground or at Giuseppe when he decided to randomly flirt.
Soon, the shops and buildings became less frequent and the huge campus of Havencrest came into view, with its three major buildings and park all exactly the way Dawn remembered. Once they reached the parking lot and approached the doors to the breezeway, Dawn stopped.
"Um...you can't come any further since you're not students or faculty." She pretended not to notice the irked expression on the blonde's face. "C-Can I have my bag back, please?"
"Sure, sure," The blonde took out the handbag and handed it to Dawn, who at once began searching through it to make sure all of her possessions were inside. Her wallet, phone, and even the little mints she liked to snack on, they were all there. She sighed with relief, and then gasped at the time displayed on her phone: 2:31 PM.
"Oh, but I'm gonna need your number." The blonde said, taking out her own phone from her pocket. "Unlock your phone." She commanded Dawn, and the girl had no way to refuse, even if she really, really didn't want to oblige.
The girl slipped the phone out of Dawn's hands as soon as it was unlocked, and she impressively typed on both phones at the same time. Half a minute later, Dawn's phone was given back to her, with a new name listed in her contacts.
'Christi'
It was a gentle name, not exactly something that Dawn would have guessed the girl to have. At least now she had a name to put to the face. A second later, Dawn received a text.
"Testing." She read it out loud, looking back up at Christi expectantly.
"Good thing it works. This way we can keep in touch with you if anything ever comes up, and vice versa." Christi explained, although Dawn hoped that it would never be used.
"I'm gonna need your number, too." Giuseppe stated, smirking and taking Dawn's phone before she could deny him. "Not for business or anything, just so I have your number." How bold.
Now Dawn had two new contacts. She raised an eyebrow at the name Giuseppe had typed for himself.
'Christi'
'Guppy ♥️ '
"Okay..." Dawn sighed, hurriedly putting her phone away before either of them could snatch it again. "Now can I go? I have a lot of homework..."
"Yeah, we'll letcha loose. And just so you know, you're extremely lucky that we're being so merciful." Christi crossed her arms arrogantly, narrowing her eyes. "What floor do you room on?" The unexpected question caught Dawn off guard.
"Um...the fourth. Why?"
"We need as much information as we can get about you. Obviously." The blonde said matter-of-factly. "Which side does your window face?"
"Uh, the street. It's on the other side of the dormitory." Dawn pointed at the Girl's Dormitory, gesturing to side opposite from the plaza.
"Gotcha." She looked to Giuseppe for a split second. "Now go run along. Return to your-probably-boring high school life. Ta-ta!" Christi waved as Dawn walked further and further, and when the girl was out of sight, she spoke again, smiling. "...Go meet her."
Dawn never thought she'd be so happy to be back at school. She couldn't stop smiling, especially when she saw the familiar face of the girl's nurse, Mrs. Claire.
"Hello Dawn!" The nurse greeted her, smiling pleasantly. "You must have sneaked past me yesterday night, I never saw you come in! Actually, I never saw you leave again either..." She squinted at Dawn, pondering something unknown. Before the woman could assume anything horrific, Dawn raced to explain.
"No, I got back. You must have missed me, it was pretty late." She lied nonchalantly. "This morning I went out again to hang out with my friend, and I was just about to go to my room. I have a lotta homework, so...I should get going. Bye!" Dawn laughed nervously and hopped into the elevator, rapidly pressing the button for the fourth floor.
"Oh, I see." Mrs. Claire said, smiling. "Good work!"
The elevator doors closed, saving Dawn from having to continue speaking. Was she really that nervous after a simple talk? The girl shook her head at herself, silently promising to do better next time. The doors opened and Dawn was let out on the fourth floor. She gravitated towards her room, knowing exactly where it was, and she unlocked it, glad to be finally home.
The sight of her room was the most welcoming thing she'd seen all day, and Dawn slammed the door and catapulted herself onto her bed, giddy with the feeling of safety. Everything about the Dreamers was now behind her. She could continue to live her simple life from now on and hopefully never have to worry like that ever again.
Something nudged Dawn's hip uncomfortably, and she reached into her pocket to pull out her student ID. It was just as she remembered, nothing new. Except, this time, there actually was something new. On the back of the card, where the surface should normally be blank, there was a tiny crescent moon drawn onto one corner with black marker. Dawn inhaled sharply at the horribly familiar sight.
"Why...?" She whispered,  rubbing the picture away with the corner of her shirt and wondering how it got there.
This wasn't here before... I know I checked earlier.
She put the ID down just as her phone buzzed twice, indicating two messages. Hesitantly, Dawn grabbed her phone and looked at the screen, her eyes widening at what she saw when she unlocked it.

Dawn texted back, asking why.
A bubble formed on the left side of the screen, meaning that Giuseppe was typing, and then it disappeared a moment later. There was a sudden loud knock on Dawn's window, and she jumped. The curtains were closed, so she crawled onto her bed and had to lift one of them up with her arm. She screamed when she was met with a face staring back at her. Giuseppe waved, his hair blowing gently in the wind.
Dawn lifted up her window in one swift motion, staring at Giuseppe in horror.
"Wh-What are you doing?!" She yelled, sticking her head out to see how he was hanging on. The boy had impressive upper arm strength, because he was supporting his entire body from just the window ledge. His legs dangled precariously, the tips of his toes just barely grazing the small ledge below.
"I forgot to say bye!" Giuseppe answered cheerfully, not an ounce of strain in his voice. Dawn breathed deeply, trying not to panic.
"Seriously? You climbed up four stories just to say goodbye to me?!" She exclaimed, fully exasperated at this point. "This is so dangerous, Giuseppe!"
"Relax, relax, I can handle-" Suddenly Giuseppe flinched violently, his arm slipping from the ledge. Dawn yelped and covered her mouth in fear, her heart working overtime. Giuseppe easily put his arm back into place, grinning mischievously. "Haha, just kidding! You should've seen the look on your-"
Dawn shut the window and pulled both curtains closed, irritated. She got off her bed and slunk to the floor. She was positively exhausted. There were a few more knocks on her window, which Dawn purposefully ignored, and then came silence, which wasn't so bad at that moment. Eventually, Giuseppe texted her again.

Dawn sighed, something she'd been doing a lot lately, and she rubbed her eyes. This really was too much for her. First she was kidnapped by a gang, then her personal life was pried into by a girl who claimed to have magical powers, her fate was decided by the leader of said gang, she ate cold pizza with a talkative stranger, she walked through a secret underground tunnel, discovered an adorable coffee shop, gave her phone number to a flirt and a model, and was finally scared out of her mind when an Italian boy climbed up to her fourth-story window just to tell her bye. She could literally only pray that the Dreamers would not have any more surprises in store for her. She wasn't sure if she could take any more excitement.
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(In the next few days to come, Dawn would conclude that her prayers went unheard.)