AUTHOR'S NOTE: this takes place like 3-4 years after the FAYZ. All characters have gotten their GEDs and decided to go to college together (I know the ages are probably a little off but shhh ignore it). Each chapter will be in someone else's point of view.

SAM

"Sam babe, it's time to get up." I heard a whisper from beside me, and I jolted awake. Sudden noises still scared me, I guess one of those after effects from the FAYZ. The alarm clock was playing a smooth jazz song, one of Astrid's favorites, and I turned it off. 6:30. Way too early for me.

"Morning!" I rolled over on top of Astrid and kissed her on the nose. She giggled underneath me and shoved me off playfully, but she over estimated and I rolled off the bed. "We'll now I'm awake."

"Yeah, me too." Diana was standing in the doorway to our bedroom, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. " Time to head out?" She looked around the room at the bags we had packed, sitting neatly in piles by the door. Astrid did all the organizing. I just sat beside her and tried not to get in the way.

"We'll head out by seven, so get your stuff together. Apparently we're taking Quinn too, so well have to stop by his house on the way there." Astrid glared at me, but I just smiled and hopped back on the bed. She scowled at me. "Way to not tell me until, 10 last night."

"I'm sorry Astrid, please forgive me?" I leaned in front of her and kissed her lightly on the lips. She pulled me forward for more.

"Ok I'm gonna go get ready. Warn a girl before you get all PDA." Diana was already out the door, but I shouted out after her.

"Our house our rules!"

"I pay a third of the rent!" She yelled back. I could hear her cursing us on the way to her room.

At 7 on the dot, Astrid dragged us out of the house, and we crammed our bags into the bed of my truck. I surprised Diana and Astrid with it on my 18th birthday. They both laughed at me and tried to get me to return it, but a red truck had been on my birthday list since I was a little kid playing with toy cars.

"Everything fit okay?" I was already in the front seat, ready to drive.

"Looking good." Diana and Astrid climbed into the backseat of the car, and we pulled out of the driveway. Our first home since the FAYZ. Our first home alone, but together. There were a lot of memories attached to this place. I drove off, and the sight of our house faded into the distance.

"Brah!" Quinn ran up to the car waving. He tossed in his bags of clothes, and hopped into the back seat, climbing over Astrid who was sitting shotgun. After he started surfing again he took up using the phrase like he had never stopped. "Hey Diana." He plopped down into the seat beside her, smiling.

Quinn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. "Look at us, all together, like the good old days." She shoved his arm off playfully.

I pulled into the driveway, and we all grabbed a few bags. It was an old fashioned house, and I knew from Astrid that it had three stories. Sanjit's family paid for the whole thing. As we walked up to the door, Edilio pulled it open.

"Need any help?" Edilio grabbed the bag I was struggling to lift and carried it inside. I held the door open for everyone else. We got inside and sat down in the empty kitchen, joining Rodger, Albert, Lana, Sanjit, and Dekka. Everyone else had arrived already. It was hard to see these familiar faces together again. I thought back to the meetings we had when the FAYZ first formed…

Astrid grabbed my arm, and I was brought back to reality.

"I thought you said there were five bedrooms?" Rodger was looking urgently at Lana, who looked at Sanjit.

"Aren't there?"

We all followed Rodger upstairs. The first floor of the house had three bedrooms, each with one bed. I picked one out for Astrid and me as we continued up the steps to the last floor. There was one room left, and instead of four beds it had two sets of bunk beds.

"Rad! Shotty top bunk!" Quinn ran forward and climbed up to the top of the rightmost bunk bed.

"You don't have a problem sharing the room?"

"Nah, do you guys?" Everyone looked at the four single people in the room who were to be stuck on the bunk beds. Although hesitant, they all shrugged their shoulders.

It was around one in the morning when all of our stuff was settled in, and we discussed what classes we would take at the community college we were attending. It was only a town over from Perdido Beach, and I had to constantly force that thought out of my head. Sometimes I could almost feel the power coming back to the palms of my hands, the green light burning away…

Astrid and I were laying next to each other in bed like usual, the rest of the night a blur of tiredness and unpacking. I looked around the room where my clock normally was, but realized I was immersed darkness. I could feel the panic rising in me, bubbling up, making me want to scream. Why didn't this stupid fear ever go away? I tried to count to ten but my heart was pounding, so much I thought I'd wake Astrid. I raised up my arms, pretending I was making a Sammy Sun, thinking the thought of light might calm me down.

The familiar feeling returned to my hands and I could feel the Sammy Sun forming. Impossible. I looked up again, and there was a glowing green ball floating around the room, the light glaring eerily off the unfamiliar room. What? I'm hallucinating this is all a dream. I shut my eyes quickly, afraid of the reality. Was it reality? I figured I'd see if it was still around in the morning.

At 8:00, I woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon; Astrid was already downstairs, probably looking up what courses to take to get the best degree. Thank God for Rodger. Apparently he was a talented chef. The thought of the Sammy Sun suddenly returned, and I looked up at the ceiling, but it was gone. I must have been dreaming, right? I looked back down at my hands. They looked the same as they always did, no green glow or penned note: "Hey Sam, our powers are back!"

I closed my eyes. Something in me knew it wasn't a dream, knew that my powers had returned for that moment. Something was wrong. But, the food smelled good, we were starting our college days, a new adventure, and the thought of ruining it felt wrong. I climbed out of bed, let out a huge yawn, and walked downstairs to join my friends for the first breakfast in our new home.