TITLE: Sweet Dreams
AUTHOR: JackPhillipsGirl
DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are owned by Disney / So Weird... except Jack, who is owned by me. =) This is my first fanfic so please R/R!
Chapter One
"Hey Carey, what do you think I should get Annie for her birthday?" Jack inquired.
"I don't know, man... I'd go with something musical. Or jewelry. Guess you can't go wrong with giving girls jewelry, right?"
Jack frowned. "Can't you think of something more specific than that? Or cheaper?"
Carey raised his eyebrows. "Cheaper, Jack? As if Annie doesn't already know how much you hate her?"
"Okay, okay, but even if I do go with your jewelry idea, how will I ever be able to pick out the perfect - Carey, you're a genius!"
"Thanks... why?"
"I just remembered this ring I saw the other day. It had a musical note on it studded with diamonds. Well, fake ones. I bet she'd like it."
Carey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, Jack. A ring? She has a lot of those. How about a necklace or bracelet?"
"See, Carey, I've already got this all figured out," Jack began. Carey rolled his eyes. "If she doesn't want to wear the ring, she can put it on a chain and instant necklace. Um, you wouldn't happen to know what size rings Annie wears, would you?"
Carey shrugged. "It's after midnight, so she might be asleep. Why don't you go into her room and see if you can find one of her rings?"
"Okay," Jack agreed. He opened the door to Annie's room and silently walked to her nightstand. Squinting to see in the darkness, he felt around until his fingers touched a ring. Picking it up carefully, he quietly walked back into the community room where Carey was. "Mission accomplished," he reported. Now that he could see again, he realized he had taken the ring that Fi had given to Annie. He placed it on the table and stared at it.
"What's the problem now?" Carey asked.
"I have no idea how to figure out what size that is," Jack admitted.
"So try it on," Carey said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You'll know which one of your fingers the ring fits on, and then you'll be able to try on any ring and know if it fits Annie."
"Again, I'm impressed," Jack responded, and slipped the ring onto his ring finger. "Hmm, it's a bit tight," he said, and started to pull it off. The ring didn't budge. "Carey, it's stuck!" Jack whispered in exasperation. Trying not to laugh, Carey held the ring and tugged on it. Still, nothing happened. This went on for a couple minutes until both guys gave up. "What am I going to do?" Jack demanded.
"Maybe it'll loosen over night," Carey said hopefully, trying to stifle his laughter.
"I can't keep it on that long!" Jack cried.
"Well, you're going to have to," Carey replied. "Goodnight," he said, leaving the room. Jack sighed, yanking on the ring one final time before decided to go to sleep himself.
Chapter Two
"So, now you're trying on my jewelry?" Jack slowly opened one eye to see Annie's face hovering over his bed. He opened his other eye and began to see more clearly as his eyes readjusted to the light. Annie was standing next to the bed with her hands on her hips. "Come on, Jack, I know you took the ring," she said impatiently.
"What ring?" Jack asked, rubbing his eyes. As he did so, the ring glinted in the sunlight and Jack groaned. "Oh, this ring. I forgot I had it on."
"Yeah, and I'd kind of like to have it back!" Annie exclaimed.
Jack stared at her in disbelief. "Right," he stated finally.
"Jack! Annie!" Molly called from the other room of the bus. Annie held out her hand for the ring.
"Go on, Annie," Jack told her, leaping out of bed. "Your breakfast is going to get cold." He pushed her towards the door.
"We're having cereal!" Annie said. "Why can't you just give me the ring?"
"You'll get your ring," Jack replied. "In a minute. Go!" He shoved her out the door.
"But -" Annie started as Jack slammed the door in her face. He exhaled deeply, then stared at the ring. His eyes widened at what he saw: the ring was glowing.
Blinking, Jack mumbled to himself, "I must still be half asleep." He pulled on the ring again, but it wouldn't move. Jack sighed and opened the door to find himself face-to-face with Annie.
"Well?" she demanded.
"Um, look," Jack began, "about the ring. I can't get it off. It's stuck."
"Stuck?" Annie repeated. "Let me see it." Obediently, Jack showed her his hand. Annie tugged on the ring with no success. "Wow, Jack, you've really done it now!" she laughed.
"Don't you think I know that?" Jack said, annoyed. Seeing this, Annie laughed again.
"We're going to have to work on this some more later," Annie said, looking at the clock. "I have to get to the recording studio. Oh, and Molly and Carey are coming too. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Jack replied quickly. "Go along, now," he continued, motioning with his hand. "You don't want to be late."
Annie gave him a strange look. "Okay, bye," she said, leaving the room. When he heard the door of the bus close, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's finally gone," Jack said aloud. "Now what am I going to do about this ring?" he asked. "Great, now I'm talking to myself." Jack eyed the ring, which again appeared to be glowing. Must be a reflection of the light, he thought. He sat down on he bed and tried yanking it off again. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of sleep washed over him.
Chapter Three
"Jack!" Fi exclaimed happily, embracing him in a hug.
"Fi, I missed you so much," Jack said. He watched as Molly, Carey, Ned, Irene, and Annie in turn hugged Fi.
"I'm so glad you all could make it," Fi told them. "I wasn't sure if you'd be able to on only a day's notice."
"Honey, we always have time for you," Molly assured her.
"Hey Fi, isn't there a carnival or something tomorrow?"
"Yeah, there is," Fi said, "about five minutes from here. Why?"
"Well, we could go!" Annie said excitedly. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She smiled at her brilliant idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
"Sounds good to me," Jack said.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Hey Jack, Fi's on the phone."
"What are you talking about? Fi's right here," Jack replied.
"Wake up already! How long have you been asleep?" Jack opened his eyes to see Carey at the doorway of his bedroom, holding a phone in his outstretched hand.
"I must have dozed off," Jack said in a bit of a daze. Taking the phone from Carey, he said, "Fi?"
"Hi Jack!" his sister's voice carried over the phone line. "Guess who I'm seeing tomorrow?"
"Who?" Jack asked.
"You, of course!" Fi exclaimed. "And Mom, and Carey, Mr. and Mrs. B, and Annie."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," Fi said. "Aren't you excited to see your one and only sister again? How are you and Annie getting along, by the way?"
"We're..." Jack shuddered at the thought of her. "About the same. It's so lonely without you, and I -"
"Hey Jack, let me talk to Fi now!" Annie whined, standing in the doorway. She snatched the phone from his hand. "Hi Fi!" she squealed. Jack glared at her and joined Molly and Carey in the next room.
"Hey Mom, when did you tell me we'd be visiting Fi?" he asked.
Molly looked at him with confusion. "Well, I didn't," she said simply. "I only found out myself ten minutes ago, when Fi called. She wanted to tell you herself."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes..." Molly replied slowly. "Is there something wrong?"
"It's just that -" Jack began, then shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong."
Molly shrugged. "Okay then."
How could I have dreamed that we'd see Fi tomorrow and then wake up to find that it's actually going to happen? Jack wondered in bewilderment. Oh no, now I'm thinking like Fi...
Chapter Four
That night, Jack twisted and turned in his bed, unable to fall asleep. The dream he had earlier still bothered him. After much thought Jack was tired of agonizing over it and convinced himself it was all one big coincidence.
"Well, we could go!" Annie exclaimed. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She smiled at her ingenious idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
"Sounds good to me," Jack said.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Just the four of us having a great time together."
"Actually, make that five," Fi replied. The others followed her gaze to see Clu running to them from his car.
"Hey guys!" he yelled.
"I invited Clu too," Fi explained in response to the shocked looks on her friends' faces.
"Hi, Clu," Annie greeted him with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Uh, hi, Annie," Clu responded absent-mindedly, then turned his attention to the others. "Jack, man, it's nine o'clock. Your mom says to wake up."
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped.
"Wake up!" It was Carey's voice. Jack opened his eyes and realized he was in his bed. "It's nine o'clock," Carey repeated. "Man, you really need to get more sleep or something." Jack stared at him. "What?" Carey asked. He shrugged and began to leave the room.
"Wait!" Jack called. Carey stopped in his tracks.
"Yeah?"
"Um... you wouldn't happen to know if Clu is coming to see Fi too, would you?" Jack asked.
Carey gave him an odd look. "Jack, Clu's at college. There isn't a chance in the world he could come to see Fi."
"Right, of course," Jack said quickly.
"You've been really out of it lately," Carey commented.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that you're acting kind of strange." Jack shifted his gaze to the window, seeming to be deep in thought. "So... okay, bye," Carey said, leaving the room.
Hours passed and soon Molly, Ned, Irene, Carey, Annie, and Jack were at Fi's new home with her aunt. As they stepped off the tour bus, a girl with long dark hair ran towards them.
"Jack!" Fi yelled, embracing him in a hug.
"Fi, I missed you so much," Jack whispered to her. He watched as the others in turn hugged Fi. A sudden wave of déjà vu hit Jack and he tried to shake it off.
"I'm so glad you all could make it," Fi told them. "I wasn't sure if you'd be able to on only a day's notice."
"Honey, we always have time for you," Molly replied with a warm smile.
"Hey Fi, isn't there a carnival or something tomorrow?"
"Yeah, there is," Fi said, "about five minutes from here. Why?"
"Well, we could go!" Annie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She grinned at her ingenious idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
Jack froze. This can't be happening, he thought. Desperately, he tried to remember his line. "Sounds good to me," he mumbled.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Just the four of us having a great time together."
"Actually, make that five," Fi replied. The others followed her gaze to see Clu running to them from his car. I can't believe it, Jack thought.
"Hey guys!" he shouted.
Carey and Annie stared, mouths agape, and Jack most shocked of all. "I invited Clu too," Fi explained.
"Hi Clu," Annie said quietly, looking at him dreamily.
"Uh, hi, Annie," Clu responded absent-mindedly, then turned his attention to the others. "Hey Fi, Jack, big bro! Did you guys miss me?" He flashed a grin.
"How are you... how did..." Jack stuttered. The others turned to stare at him and he felt his face redden. "I mean, uh, never mind." Jack looked away as he silently tried to process the inevitable.
"Clu, shouldn't you be in college?" Carey questioned him.
"Dude, it's a long weekend!" Clu exclaimed. "I wanted to surprise you guys. Guess I shocked you, huh?"
"That's so weird, because Jack was just saying to me earlier today..." Carey trailed off.
"Saying what?" Fi asked curiously.
"Well, he asked me if Clu would be coming," Carey replied. "It was almost like..." They both turned to look at Jack, who was still staring into the distance. "It was almost like he knew." Feeling their eyes on him, Jack snapped back to reality.
"What?" he demanded. Fi examined his face carefully, as though the answer was hidden there. "What is it?" Jack repeated.
"Carey says you knew Clu would be coming," Fi stated.
"Oh, that," Jack said nervously. "I guess I just had a hunch you were hiding something, that's all," he lied. He could tell that Fi didn't believe him. "So anyway," he hurried on in a desperate attempt to change the subject, "why don't you give us the grand tour?"
Chapter Five
It was past one a.m. and Jack was still awake, lying in his bed in total darkness. The whole day, he had managed to hide his hand from Fi's view and she still didn't know he had the ring. Even Annie didn't say a word about it, though it was probably because of her fixation on Clu. As much as Jack wanted to tell Fi everything that was going on, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had his logical big brother image to live up to and he couldn't let Fi know what was happening. After all he had seen, Jack denied everything. But deep in his heart, he always knew there was truth in the weird things Fi dug up - he just didn't want to admit it. And now that it was happening to him, it was more real than ever before.
Jack closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. "Bummer you can't come, man," Clu said sympathetically.
"We'll miss you, Jack," Fi added.
"I'll be fine, guys, don't worry," Jack replied, then sneezed. He watched wistfully as Fi, Clu, Carey, and Annie left the house, wishing he could be with them.
Chapter Six
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Fi called from the doorway of Jack's room. He quickly dressed and went to the kitchen of the house, where everyone else already was.
"Morning, Jack," Clu said, "all ready for our big day?"
"I sure am," Jack replied. The five friends excitedly discussed their plans. When they were finished with their breakfast, Jack said, "So what time are we lea -" He stopped mid-sentence as his hand flew to his forehead. He groaned.
"What's wrong, honey?" Molly asked with concern in her voice.
"It's just that I have this pounding headache all of a sudden," Jack said. He coughed.
"Are you alright?" Irene implored.
"Yeah, I'm -" Jack sneezed. "- Fine."
"You're sick, Jack," Molly decided. "That's it, you're not going to the carnival."
"But Mom!" Jack exclaimed in protest.
"No!" Molly said. "I'm not letting you go like this. You'll only get worse."
"It's only a little cold..."
"No," Molly repeated firmly. Jack sighed.
"We were actually planning on going now," Carey answered Jack's unfinished question. The others stood up.
"Bummer you can't come, man," Clu said sympathetically.
"We'll miss you, Jack," Fi added.
"I'll be fine, guys, don't worry," Jack replied, then sneezed. He watched wistfully as Fi, Clu, Carey, and Annie left the house, wishing he could be with them.
"Be back by ten!" Molly called after them. She turned to her son sadly. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know how much you wanted to spend the day with Fi."
"It's alright, Mom," Jack told her. "I'm sick."
Molly managed a small smile. "Well, why don't you go lie down?" she suggested.
Jack willingly lay on the sofa with nothing much to do besides watch TV. After a few hours of watching movies, followed by dinner, his thoughts drifted back to the ring. He inspected it carefully, rubbing his fingertips along the engraving. It still wouldn't come off, no matter how hard he tried. Suddenly it dawned on him. Because I'm wearing the ring, I can see the future in my dreams. His irrational thought shocked even himself, but Jack knew it was true. And it scared him. But how else could I have known about seeing Fi, and Clu coming, and getting sick? He groaned. Great. Now I'll get to investigate the paranormal like Fi. Just my luck. He rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes, hoping that when he woke up everything would be back to normal.
It was dark outside as four friends crossed the street. There wasn't a car in sight and they had almost made it across when suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere, and speeding right at them. Three of the friends had reached the other side except for a girl with long brown hair. She watched the truck drive towards her in horror. "Fi!" a male voice yelled from her group of friends, but they were all in too much shock to move as the truck drew nearer, now just inches away from the girl...
Jack sat up straight in a cold sweat. His head throbbed and his hands felt clammy. Fi's in trouble. He glanced at his watch, which read 9:50. His heart racing, he quickly put on his shoes and ran out the front door. He hurried along the sidewalks, thinking only of how he had to save his sister. I won't let you die, Fi.
Just then Jack saw the truck so vividly imprinted in his mind. About a block away, Clu, Carey, Annie, and Fi were crossing the street. Shifting into a sprint, he ran to where they were. He ignored everything, the pounding of his head, the beating of his heart, the weakness in his legs. Jack already lost his dad and he wasn't about to let himself lose his sister.
The truck was now just feet away from hitting Fi and Jack pushed himself harder. Inches away. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Jack held his hand out to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the sidewalk as her shoulder brushed against the front of the truck.
Jack exhaled deeply. "Oh, thank God you're alright," he said, hugging her. Fi hugged him back, still in shock.
"You saved my life," she whispered. "How did you know?"
"That isn't important," Jack replied. "All that matters is that you're okay. Now let's get you back home." They walked hand in hand along the sidewalk, Clu, Carey, and Annie following in awe.
Chapter Seven
"...and then Jack came out of nowhere and pulled me onto the sidewalk," Fi explained the story to everyone that night. "If he came a second later, I would have been..." her voice trailed off.
"Well, you've had quite a night," Molly said. "I think you need to get some rest. And you -" she said to Jack. "The hero. I don't know how you did it and I don't really care. I'm so proud of you." She kissed him on the forehead.
"Goodnight, kids," Ned told them, leaving the room with Irene and Molly.
"Jack, man, how did you know about Fi?" Clu asked once the adults were out of earshot.
"Oh... just a gut feeling, I guess," Jack replied with a smile. He folded his arms across his chest and in doing so, felt something land in his lap.
"Well, if you have any more of those, just let me know," Fi said with a grin. "Thanks, Jack."
"See you in the morning," Carey said, leaving the room. Clu and Fi followed, as Annie stood up to leave too.
"Annie, wait," Jack called.
"What is it?" she turned around and walked back to him.
Jack picked up the ring, which had fallen off. "I think this belongs to you." He held out his hand.
Annie smiled, taking it from him and sliding the ring on her finger. "Thanks," she replied. "With all that's happened today, are you sure you don't want to keep it?"
Jack looked at the ring one last time and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."
THE END
AUTHOR: JackPhillipsGirl
DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are owned by Disney / So Weird... except Jack, who is owned by me. =) This is my first fanfic so please R/R!
Chapter One
"Hey Carey, what do you think I should get Annie for her birthday?" Jack inquired.
"I don't know, man... I'd go with something musical. Or jewelry. Guess you can't go wrong with giving girls jewelry, right?"
Jack frowned. "Can't you think of something more specific than that? Or cheaper?"
Carey raised his eyebrows. "Cheaper, Jack? As if Annie doesn't already know how much you hate her?"
"Okay, okay, but even if I do go with your jewelry idea, how will I ever be able to pick out the perfect - Carey, you're a genius!"
"Thanks... why?"
"I just remembered this ring I saw the other day. It had a musical note on it studded with diamonds. Well, fake ones. I bet she'd like it."
Carey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, Jack. A ring? She has a lot of those. How about a necklace or bracelet?"
"See, Carey, I've already got this all figured out," Jack began. Carey rolled his eyes. "If she doesn't want to wear the ring, she can put it on a chain and instant necklace. Um, you wouldn't happen to know what size rings Annie wears, would you?"
Carey shrugged. "It's after midnight, so she might be asleep. Why don't you go into her room and see if you can find one of her rings?"
"Okay," Jack agreed. He opened the door to Annie's room and silently walked to her nightstand. Squinting to see in the darkness, he felt around until his fingers touched a ring. Picking it up carefully, he quietly walked back into the community room where Carey was. "Mission accomplished," he reported. Now that he could see again, he realized he had taken the ring that Fi had given to Annie. He placed it on the table and stared at it.
"What's the problem now?" Carey asked.
"I have no idea how to figure out what size that is," Jack admitted.
"So try it on," Carey said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You'll know which one of your fingers the ring fits on, and then you'll be able to try on any ring and know if it fits Annie."
"Again, I'm impressed," Jack responded, and slipped the ring onto his ring finger. "Hmm, it's a bit tight," he said, and started to pull it off. The ring didn't budge. "Carey, it's stuck!" Jack whispered in exasperation. Trying not to laugh, Carey held the ring and tugged on it. Still, nothing happened. This went on for a couple minutes until both guys gave up. "What am I going to do?" Jack demanded.
"Maybe it'll loosen over night," Carey said hopefully, trying to stifle his laughter.
"I can't keep it on that long!" Jack cried.
"Well, you're going to have to," Carey replied. "Goodnight," he said, leaving the room. Jack sighed, yanking on the ring one final time before decided to go to sleep himself.
Chapter Two
"So, now you're trying on my jewelry?" Jack slowly opened one eye to see Annie's face hovering over his bed. He opened his other eye and began to see more clearly as his eyes readjusted to the light. Annie was standing next to the bed with her hands on her hips. "Come on, Jack, I know you took the ring," she said impatiently.
"What ring?" Jack asked, rubbing his eyes. As he did so, the ring glinted in the sunlight and Jack groaned. "Oh, this ring. I forgot I had it on."
"Yeah, and I'd kind of like to have it back!" Annie exclaimed.
Jack stared at her in disbelief. "Right," he stated finally.
"Jack! Annie!" Molly called from the other room of the bus. Annie held out her hand for the ring.
"Go on, Annie," Jack told her, leaping out of bed. "Your breakfast is going to get cold." He pushed her towards the door.
"We're having cereal!" Annie said. "Why can't you just give me the ring?"
"You'll get your ring," Jack replied. "In a minute. Go!" He shoved her out the door.
"But -" Annie started as Jack slammed the door in her face. He exhaled deeply, then stared at the ring. His eyes widened at what he saw: the ring was glowing.
Blinking, Jack mumbled to himself, "I must still be half asleep." He pulled on the ring again, but it wouldn't move. Jack sighed and opened the door to find himself face-to-face with Annie.
"Well?" she demanded.
"Um, look," Jack began, "about the ring. I can't get it off. It's stuck."
"Stuck?" Annie repeated. "Let me see it." Obediently, Jack showed her his hand. Annie tugged on the ring with no success. "Wow, Jack, you've really done it now!" she laughed.
"Don't you think I know that?" Jack said, annoyed. Seeing this, Annie laughed again.
"We're going to have to work on this some more later," Annie said, looking at the clock. "I have to get to the recording studio. Oh, and Molly and Carey are coming too. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Jack replied quickly. "Go along, now," he continued, motioning with his hand. "You don't want to be late."
Annie gave him a strange look. "Okay, bye," she said, leaving the room. When he heard the door of the bus close, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's finally gone," Jack said aloud. "Now what am I going to do about this ring?" he asked. "Great, now I'm talking to myself." Jack eyed the ring, which again appeared to be glowing. Must be a reflection of the light, he thought. He sat down on he bed and tried yanking it off again. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of sleep washed over him.
Chapter Three
"Jack!" Fi exclaimed happily, embracing him in a hug.
"Fi, I missed you so much," Jack said. He watched as Molly, Carey, Ned, Irene, and Annie in turn hugged Fi.
"I'm so glad you all could make it," Fi told them. "I wasn't sure if you'd be able to on only a day's notice."
"Honey, we always have time for you," Molly assured her.
"Hey Fi, isn't there a carnival or something tomorrow?"
"Yeah, there is," Fi said, "about five minutes from here. Why?"
"Well, we could go!" Annie said excitedly. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She smiled at her brilliant idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
"Sounds good to me," Jack said.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Hey Jack, Fi's on the phone."
"What are you talking about? Fi's right here," Jack replied.
"Wake up already! How long have you been asleep?" Jack opened his eyes to see Carey at the doorway of his bedroom, holding a phone in his outstretched hand.
"I must have dozed off," Jack said in a bit of a daze. Taking the phone from Carey, he said, "Fi?"
"Hi Jack!" his sister's voice carried over the phone line. "Guess who I'm seeing tomorrow?"
"Who?" Jack asked.
"You, of course!" Fi exclaimed. "And Mom, and Carey, Mr. and Mrs. B, and Annie."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," Fi said. "Aren't you excited to see your one and only sister again? How are you and Annie getting along, by the way?"
"We're..." Jack shuddered at the thought of her. "About the same. It's so lonely without you, and I -"
"Hey Jack, let me talk to Fi now!" Annie whined, standing in the doorway. She snatched the phone from his hand. "Hi Fi!" she squealed. Jack glared at her and joined Molly and Carey in the next room.
"Hey Mom, when did you tell me we'd be visiting Fi?" he asked.
Molly looked at him with confusion. "Well, I didn't," she said simply. "I only found out myself ten minutes ago, when Fi called. She wanted to tell you herself."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes..." Molly replied slowly. "Is there something wrong?"
"It's just that -" Jack began, then shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong."
Molly shrugged. "Okay then."
How could I have dreamed that we'd see Fi tomorrow and then wake up to find that it's actually going to happen? Jack wondered in bewilderment. Oh no, now I'm thinking like Fi...
Chapter Four
That night, Jack twisted and turned in his bed, unable to fall asleep. The dream he had earlier still bothered him. After much thought Jack was tired of agonizing over it and convinced himself it was all one big coincidence.
"Well, we could go!" Annie exclaimed. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She smiled at her ingenious idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
"Sounds good to me," Jack said.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Just the four of us having a great time together."
"Actually, make that five," Fi replied. The others followed her gaze to see Clu running to them from his car.
"Hey guys!" he yelled.
"I invited Clu too," Fi explained in response to the shocked looks on her friends' faces.
"Hi, Clu," Annie greeted him with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Uh, hi, Annie," Clu responded absent-mindedly, then turned his attention to the others. "Jack, man, it's nine o'clock. Your mom says to wake up."
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped.
"Wake up!" It was Carey's voice. Jack opened his eyes and realized he was in his bed. "It's nine o'clock," Carey repeated. "Man, you really need to get more sleep or something." Jack stared at him. "What?" Carey asked. He shrugged and began to leave the room.
"Wait!" Jack called. Carey stopped in his tracks.
"Yeah?"
"Um... you wouldn't happen to know if Clu is coming to see Fi too, would you?" Jack asked.
Carey gave him an odd look. "Jack, Clu's at college. There isn't a chance in the world he could come to see Fi."
"Right, of course," Jack said quickly.
"You've been really out of it lately," Carey commented.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that you're acting kind of strange." Jack shifted his gaze to the window, seeming to be deep in thought. "So... okay, bye," Carey said, leaving the room.
Hours passed and soon Molly, Ned, Irene, Carey, Annie, and Jack were at Fi's new home with her aunt. As they stepped off the tour bus, a girl with long dark hair ran towards them.
"Jack!" Fi yelled, embracing him in a hug.
"Fi, I missed you so much," Jack whispered to her. He watched as the others in turn hugged Fi. A sudden wave of déjà vu hit Jack and he tried to shake it off.
"I'm so glad you all could make it," Fi told them. "I wasn't sure if you'd be able to on only a day's notice."
"Honey, we always have time for you," Molly replied with a warm smile.
"Hey Fi, isn't there a carnival or something tomorrow?"
"Yeah, there is," Fi said, "about five minutes from here. Why?"
"Well, we could go!" Annie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Me, and you, and Carey, and Jack." She grinned at her ingenious idea.
"I suppose we could," Fi agreed.
Jack froze. This can't be happening, he thought. Desperately, he tried to remember his line. "Sounds good to me," he mumbled.
"I guess it might be fun," Carey affirmed. "Just the four of us having a great time together."
"Actually, make that five," Fi replied. The others followed her gaze to see Clu running to them from his car. I can't believe it, Jack thought.
"Hey guys!" he shouted.
Carey and Annie stared, mouths agape, and Jack most shocked of all. "I invited Clu too," Fi explained.
"Hi Clu," Annie said quietly, looking at him dreamily.
"Uh, hi, Annie," Clu responded absent-mindedly, then turned his attention to the others. "Hey Fi, Jack, big bro! Did you guys miss me?" He flashed a grin.
"How are you... how did..." Jack stuttered. The others turned to stare at him and he felt his face redden. "I mean, uh, never mind." Jack looked away as he silently tried to process the inevitable.
"Clu, shouldn't you be in college?" Carey questioned him.
"Dude, it's a long weekend!" Clu exclaimed. "I wanted to surprise you guys. Guess I shocked you, huh?"
"That's so weird, because Jack was just saying to me earlier today..." Carey trailed off.
"Saying what?" Fi asked curiously.
"Well, he asked me if Clu would be coming," Carey replied. "It was almost like..." They both turned to look at Jack, who was still staring into the distance. "It was almost like he knew." Feeling their eyes on him, Jack snapped back to reality.
"What?" he demanded. Fi examined his face carefully, as though the answer was hidden there. "What is it?" Jack repeated.
"Carey says you knew Clu would be coming," Fi stated.
"Oh, that," Jack said nervously. "I guess I just had a hunch you were hiding something, that's all," he lied. He could tell that Fi didn't believe him. "So anyway," he hurried on in a desperate attempt to change the subject, "why don't you give us the grand tour?"
Chapter Five
It was past one a.m. and Jack was still awake, lying in his bed in total darkness. The whole day, he had managed to hide his hand from Fi's view and she still didn't know he had the ring. Even Annie didn't say a word about it, though it was probably because of her fixation on Clu. As much as Jack wanted to tell Fi everything that was going on, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had his logical big brother image to live up to and he couldn't let Fi know what was happening. After all he had seen, Jack denied everything. But deep in his heart, he always knew there was truth in the weird things Fi dug up - he just didn't want to admit it. And now that it was happening to him, it was more real than ever before.
Jack closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. "Bummer you can't come, man," Clu said sympathetically.
"We'll miss you, Jack," Fi added.
"I'll be fine, guys, don't worry," Jack replied, then sneezed. He watched wistfully as Fi, Clu, Carey, and Annie left the house, wishing he could be with them.
Chapter Six
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Fi called from the doorway of Jack's room. He quickly dressed and went to the kitchen of the house, where everyone else already was.
"Morning, Jack," Clu said, "all ready for our big day?"
"I sure am," Jack replied. The five friends excitedly discussed their plans. When they were finished with their breakfast, Jack said, "So what time are we lea -" He stopped mid-sentence as his hand flew to his forehead. He groaned.
"What's wrong, honey?" Molly asked with concern in her voice.
"It's just that I have this pounding headache all of a sudden," Jack said. He coughed.
"Are you alright?" Irene implored.
"Yeah, I'm -" Jack sneezed. "- Fine."
"You're sick, Jack," Molly decided. "That's it, you're not going to the carnival."
"But Mom!" Jack exclaimed in protest.
"No!" Molly said. "I'm not letting you go like this. You'll only get worse."
"It's only a little cold..."
"No," Molly repeated firmly. Jack sighed.
"We were actually planning on going now," Carey answered Jack's unfinished question. The others stood up.
"Bummer you can't come, man," Clu said sympathetically.
"We'll miss you, Jack," Fi added.
"I'll be fine, guys, don't worry," Jack replied, then sneezed. He watched wistfully as Fi, Clu, Carey, and Annie left the house, wishing he could be with them.
"Be back by ten!" Molly called after them. She turned to her son sadly. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know how much you wanted to spend the day with Fi."
"It's alright, Mom," Jack told her. "I'm sick."
Molly managed a small smile. "Well, why don't you go lie down?" she suggested.
Jack willingly lay on the sofa with nothing much to do besides watch TV. After a few hours of watching movies, followed by dinner, his thoughts drifted back to the ring. He inspected it carefully, rubbing his fingertips along the engraving. It still wouldn't come off, no matter how hard he tried. Suddenly it dawned on him. Because I'm wearing the ring, I can see the future in my dreams. His irrational thought shocked even himself, but Jack knew it was true. And it scared him. But how else could I have known about seeing Fi, and Clu coming, and getting sick? He groaned. Great. Now I'll get to investigate the paranormal like Fi. Just my luck. He rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes, hoping that when he woke up everything would be back to normal.
It was dark outside as four friends crossed the street. There wasn't a car in sight and they had almost made it across when suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere, and speeding right at them. Three of the friends had reached the other side except for a girl with long brown hair. She watched the truck drive towards her in horror. "Fi!" a male voice yelled from her group of friends, but they were all in too much shock to move as the truck drew nearer, now just inches away from the girl...
Jack sat up straight in a cold sweat. His head throbbed and his hands felt clammy. Fi's in trouble. He glanced at his watch, which read 9:50. His heart racing, he quickly put on his shoes and ran out the front door. He hurried along the sidewalks, thinking only of how he had to save his sister. I won't let you die, Fi.
Just then Jack saw the truck so vividly imprinted in his mind. About a block away, Clu, Carey, Annie, and Fi were crossing the street. Shifting into a sprint, he ran to where they were. He ignored everything, the pounding of his head, the beating of his heart, the weakness in his legs. Jack already lost his dad and he wasn't about to let himself lose his sister.
The truck was now just feet away from hitting Fi and Jack pushed himself harder. Inches away. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Jack held his hand out to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the sidewalk as her shoulder brushed against the front of the truck.
Jack exhaled deeply. "Oh, thank God you're alright," he said, hugging her. Fi hugged him back, still in shock.
"You saved my life," she whispered. "How did you know?"
"That isn't important," Jack replied. "All that matters is that you're okay. Now let's get you back home." They walked hand in hand along the sidewalk, Clu, Carey, and Annie following in awe.
Chapter Seven
"...and then Jack came out of nowhere and pulled me onto the sidewalk," Fi explained the story to everyone that night. "If he came a second later, I would have been..." her voice trailed off.
"Well, you've had quite a night," Molly said. "I think you need to get some rest. And you -" she said to Jack. "The hero. I don't know how you did it and I don't really care. I'm so proud of you." She kissed him on the forehead.
"Goodnight, kids," Ned told them, leaving the room with Irene and Molly.
"Jack, man, how did you know about Fi?" Clu asked once the adults were out of earshot.
"Oh... just a gut feeling, I guess," Jack replied with a smile. He folded his arms across his chest and in doing so, felt something land in his lap.
"Well, if you have any more of those, just let me know," Fi said with a grin. "Thanks, Jack."
"See you in the morning," Carey said, leaving the room. Clu and Fi followed, as Annie stood up to leave too.
"Annie, wait," Jack called.
"What is it?" she turned around and walked back to him.
Jack picked up the ring, which had fallen off. "I think this belongs to you." He held out his hand.
Annie smiled, taking it from him and sliding the ring on her finger. "Thanks," she replied. "With all that's happened today, are you sure you don't want to keep it?"
Jack looked at the ring one last time and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."