• |DREAMS TO REALITY| • [SCHOOLBUSGRAVEYARD X READER]

CHAPTER 29 - Improvement on the Field

"Oh- um... right." Y/N could see from Ashlyn's expression and the way she was speaking now, she was feeling unsure.

It's normal to feel nervous when meeting someone's parents, and it seemed like Ashlyn was struggling to find the right words to explain something that might be hard to believe. Telling her parents about this requires a lot of courage, confidence, focus, and deep breaths. It might be a shock to them to find out, especially if they believe us.

"...we uh-" Ashlyn hesitated for a while, lost in her thoughts. Instead of speaking, she decided to take action. She took a deep breath and walked over to the lamp near the wall on the other side of the couch. 

"Do you…" As she moved, her hair cast a shadow on the wall, revealing a cut in her hair that wasn't visible in real life, "... notice anything werid about my shadow?"

Y/N waited eagerly, their heart racing as they anticipated a response. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for, but the two adults appeared confused and unsure of how to react.

'Are they not noticing the shadow?' Y/N wondered, feeling curious and anxious as they clenched their fist to stay composed. The answer they were seeking was expected, yet still somewhat surprising.

"Well- not uh... Not particularly, no?" Replied Mike as her stared at the wall with confusion.

SULLEN...

The teenagers were feeling down. They had some hope, but it was all in vain since something as simple as that couldn't solve their problem. It seemed like something so obvious wouldn't have been noticed by anyone who hadn't encountered the phantom. However, it was somewhat helpful because now they knew that others could see things that affected them in both the phantom world and the real one, which were just shadows. They also realized it was for the best.

Despite that, they had managed well on their own under Ashlyn's leadership, who had helped them stay afloat by providing information, new knowledge, and improving their skills. However, deep down, they were just kids struggling and fighting for their lives, too scared to involve others. That's how Y/N felt. She wanted to vent about her problems but doubted anyone would believe her. She wished she could confide in her dad, do better, spend time with her family, and make everything stop. She knew it was selfish to keep wishing for so much.

If only they understood the pain and suffering they have to endure every day.

'Based on their reaction, it's clear that they can't see it. This could be because they're not connected to the phantom dimension like we are.' Y/N thought, slightly disappointed that they couldn't see it. It would have been much easier for her to explain to her dad what has been happening to her for the past few days.

"Are we supposed to notice something?" Emma asked. She was unsure what her daughter was referring to, since from their point of view they're just seeing is a normal shadow.

"Ah- no, nevermind. Forget about it. But we do need your help" Ashlyn said calmly, cutting to the chase. "The thing is... Logan has been getting bullied. That's how he got the bruise on his cheek. I told him that you guys could probably teach him some self defense but, he's a little anxious to learn on his own, so we offered to learn with him. If you don't mind, could you teach them the basics?"

"...I mean , I don't mind-" said Mike, looking at his wife with confirmation.

"Me neither... sound pretty fun actually."

"-but are all do your parents okay with that?"

"Uhhh..."