What?

                                    

                                          
Hee hee hee hee.
                          
I have big plans.
                          
Hahaha.
                          
Jack's pov.
                          
You know that feeling you get when you trip in the hallway at school? Or when you get a bad grade on a test, or embarrass yourself infront of your crush? Or maybe when you're giving a school presentation, and you keep stuttering.
                          
Well, imagine that feeling. Then multiply it by 4000. Then add seven. That's how I felt the second my friends found out about my dad.
                          
It was, to say the least, humiliating. And embarrassing. And, if I'm being completely honest, shameful.
                          
I knew there was no reason to be feeling those emotions. After all, it was my dad that was the world class jerk. I wasn't doing anything. But, that's the thing. Emotions could be weird.
                          
I didn't text my parents that night. I felt horrid, between my *ahem* injuries, but I also felt bad about Mom. I left her at our house, alone. How could I be so stupid?
                          
I didn't know what I was thinking. In fact, I hardly remember anything. All I knew was, I had to get out. So I did. I left, hardly conscious and hardly thinking. If I had been thinking, maybe I wouldn't have left my mother there, alone, with a horrible monster that was supposedly my father.
                          
I rolled over, wincing from some pain in my back. My dad had used a belt there, and while Conner had done a good good cleaning it, some wounds need a lot more time to heal.
                          
I was laying in a bed in the Bailey's guest bedroom. I don't really remember how I got there. Just that Mrs. Bailey had promised it would all be fine in the morning.
                          
I doubted that.
                          
Y/N had somehow convinced her parents to let her stay. Don't ask me how, but she was downstairs asleep on the couch. I was shocked that her parents actually said yes.
                          
I sniffed. It was hard to act brave when it felt like my world was falling apart.
                          
What was I supposed to do? I mean, I couldn't just pretend that everything was fine. They had seen my injuries. And scars. And the bruises lining my arms. They had seen all of that. What was gonna happen now? I didn't want to go back home, but Mom was still there. And I didn't want anyone else to find out about my dad, or anything else, for that matter.
                          
A small tear traced down my cheek as the events of the day finally caught up with me. I wanted to curl into a little ball and never move again.
                          
Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering to myself, "I'm fine, you're fine, it's okay. Stop being a baby. You need to be strong."
                          
I repeated that until the tears left my eyes. Then I took a deep breath and climbed out of bed, wincing as my foot touched the floor. 
                          
I knew I should've probably stayed in bed. I was hurt, after all, and desperately needed rest. In fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I had slept. But I was getting too restless. I didn't want to stay in the room for a another second, surrounded by darkness, with nothing but my empty thoughts to keep me company.
                          
I rushed out of the bedroom, my heart hammering against my chest.
                          
I didn't know what time it was, or if anybody was up, but I didn't really care. I just tiptoed down the stairs, trying to be quiet. I had to do something. Maybe get a drink of water, or walk around, or....
                          
I stopped dead in my tracks. I heard voices.
                          
It was easy to identify them, after the shock wore off. Conner and Y/N. And I was sure I could guess what they were talking about: me.
                          
But as I stalked closer, I found out I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
                          
"So," Y/N was saying. Her voice was cloaked in unease. "You're saying that when I was almost hit by a car, someone enchanted me?"
                          
I pressed my lips together, furrowing my eyebrows. What?  
                          
I didn't want to eavesdrop, but I found myself leaning forward. This could get interesting, especially if the conversation was completely crazy. Like this one.
                          
Conner sounded slightly panicked as he replied, "Yes. I know, it sounds crazy, but I think it's true. What else would explain your headaches?"
                          
Y/N was silent for a minute. Then she let out a harsh, quiet laugh that died almost as soon as it started. "Okay, so, you're crazy, and-"
                          
"I can prove it!" Conner interrupted, frantic. 
                          
Y/N sounded stunned. "What?"
                          
Conner sighed. "I can prove it," he repeated wearily.
                          
I almost laughed out loud. What the actual what was going on?
                          
Even though I couldn't see Y/N, I could imagine her placing her hands on her hips and smirking. "How?" She asked, her voice dripping with sass.
                          
Conner was silent for a moment. Then he said, "The mirror. In the hallway. It's actually a device that connects to The Land of Stories."
                          
I blinked. The what?
                          
Y/N laughed again. "Sure. Conner, I think you should get some sleep..."
                          
"Ugh," Conner grumbled. "Why is this so difficult? Y/N, I promise I'm not lying. This isn't a prank."
                          
I couldn't contain myself. Maybe I should've waited until I had more information, or maybe I should've just stayed out of sight, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "What are you guys talking about?"
                          
As I stepped into their line of view, I saw that Y/N had jumped about a mile.
                          
"Jeez!" She exclaimed, breathing hard. "Don't ever do that again!"
                          
Despite everything, I grinned a little. "Sorry."
                          
Conner ran a hand through his hair. His eyes looked worried as he studied me. "How much did you hear?" He asked, nervously shifting.
                          
I tried to play mysterious. "Enough. What do you mean by 'The Land of Stories'?" I did air quotes.
                          
If it was possible, Conner's face became paler. "Great," he muttered. "Mom's gonna kill me."
                          
Y/N raised an eyebrow. 
                          
Conner looked up and sighed, as if remembering a bad dream. "So, uh, basically....fairy tales are real. All the character, Cinderella, Goldilocks, they all exist. Just in a different world. One that I've been to. The Land of Stories."
                          
I blinked, shocked. I turned to Y/N, who looked just as dumbfounded. She caught my gaze, and that was all it took for us to burst into quiet laughter.
                          
Mine, like usual, was slightly forced. I hadn't forgotten about the problems hanging over my head, even if Conner seemed to ve making new ones.
                          
"Okay, Mr. Insane," I said, trying to act myself. "Might wanna, like, dial back the crazy."
                          
Y/N giggled. "Conner, you can stop joking. We get it. Ha ha ha. Very funny."
                          
"I'm not joking!" Conner sounded frantic, and I was surprised to find his face dead serious. "I promise, I cross my heart, I am not lying about this."
                          
"He's not," a new voice said before I could respond, causing me to and Conner to flinch in surprise.
                          
Y/N jumped again, clutching her heart. "Seriously, you guys have got to stop doing that!"
                          
But she stopped talking when she noticed the girl that was standing there. The girl that wasn't supposed to be there. The girl that was supposed to be in Vermont.
                          
Alex smiled sadly. "Hello."
                          
Guys! Guys!! GUYS!! GUYS!!!!
                          
Hi.
                          
I published a new chapter! Aren't you proud of me?
                          
You better be.
                          
Lol, love you!