Chapter 16 (Braden)


    *Braden''s POV*


    Phoenix.


    The girl from nowhere.


    The details of how she ended up in my life were still fuzzy, but one thing I knew is that I wanted to


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    protect her. She seemed like a lost and scared puppy. When I mom first brought her home, I thought it


    was a joke, but she really didn''t know anything. I could see how my mom would feel sympathetic


    towards her. She was kind of cute, lost, and pitiful, but she still tried to act tough. When the kids at


    school were picking on her, I couldn''t help myself. For someone already as helpless as Phoenix, she


    was too easy of a target. I knew I made things awkward when I kissed her at lunch, but I didn''t care. If


    one peck was all it took to make people leave her alone, I would do it.


    When dodgeball popped up as out activity in gym, I dreaded it. It was almost like giving these kids a


    free pass to pelt whoever they didn''t like, and I knew Phoenix was at the top of a lot of people''s lists.


    Unfortunately, we were on different teams. No matter how hard I tried to switch teams, it didn''t work. I


    kept an eye on her during the game. She was doing okay, before something weird started happening. It


    looked like she went almost transparent. I could see straight through her as she bent over. You wouldn''t


    notice if you weren''t really looking. For a second, I thought it was a figment of my imagination. I started


    making my way to her when a ball whizzed past me and hit her in the head. Her eyes closed as she


    crumbled. I ran over and shook her gently.


    "Phoenix. Phoenix, wake up!" I said. I couldn''t help it. I was worried. The coach stopped the game as I


    cradled her in my arms.


    "I''m going to take her to the nurse," I said quickly before running through the halls to the nurses office.


    By the time I got her on a bed in the office, she had broken out in a cold sweat. I covered her with a


    nket as the nurse put a coldpress on her head before she left. All I could do was watch and


    wait. Phoenix looked troubled as she tossed and turned.


    "Dad," she muttered in her sleep. She went transparent again before she disappearedpletely for a


    millisecond. It had to be my eyes ying tricks on me, but when I looked again, she was on top of the


    she winced. She muttered something about going back. She looked confused. I was confused too. But


    whatever was happening to her, it didn''t go unnoticed that she was trying hard to hide it. For now, I


    didn''t even know what was happening, so I decided not to mention it.


    "Phoenix, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly as I touched her arm gently. She seemed to still be in one


    piece at the moment. She looked at me before sighing andying back down. She almost looked


    disappointed as she realized where she was.


    "I''m fine, just feeling a little faint," she replied.


    "You passed out while we were ying dodgeball. A ball hit you in the head while you were taking a


    break, but it looked like you were going to go down before then," I exined, still watching her carefully.


    She nodded before closing her eyes. After the nurse checked her again, we were free to go back to


    ss. When she stood, the coldpress and nket were stillying on the bed. She really did


    disappear for a moment. But where did she go? I couldn''t stop thinking about it as I went through my


    sses. It didn''t make sense for a whole person to just disappear into thin air. Phoenix was mysterious


    from the start, but this was insane. If I tried asking anyone, I would be sent to a mental institution.


    After my mom dropped us off at the house, I changed into morefortable clothes. Now would be a


    good time to try and pick Phoenix''s brain while we were alone. I went to her room and found the door


    wide open. I was about to alert her to my presence when I saw what she was doing. Her shirt was


    raised to expose her bruises. She was almostpletely ck and blue. It looked painful. And it


    certainly looked like it wasn''t getting any better. Maybe it happened when she briefly disappeared.


    "Shit, when did that happen?" I asked before I could stop myself. She blushed and dropped her shirt


    quickly.


    "It''s nothing," She said quickly. It sure didn''t look like nothing. I walked further into her room and lifted


    her shirt slightly to look at her back.


    "How did it get worse?" I asked out loud as I tried to examine it. She lowered her shirt and backed


    away from me defensively.


    "You don''t need to concern yourself with this," she yelled. I could see she felt like I had pressed her into


    a corner. She couldn''t exin, and I was making it worse by pestering her. I sighed and gave up on an


    exnation as I grabbed her arm.


    "Come with me," I said as I dragged her out.