"Hello?" came a voice from the phone. Cassy shook her head coming back to her senses and scrambled to her knees, quickly retrieving the phone. "Josh?! I mean, Yea, Josh, wassup?"
"Ahhh.." Came the reply, "Nothing really, and yourself? Whatcha doing?"
Cassy sighed into the phone. "Not much, 'cept maybe trying to get some
sleep. Why are you calling so late?"
Josh laughed a laugh that was not quite a laugh, but one of those breath-out sorta laughs. "Nothing, just wanted to talk. Do you wanna get back to sleep?"
"Nah, nah. So how are your holidays?" Cassy asked, she crept sleepily back towards her bed, holding the cordless phone in her right hand. She got in and snuggled under the covers.
"Ah, they're alright. How about yours? Did you end up doing all those things you wanted to?" Came the reply.
Cassy giggled. "Not quite, some un-expected guests -friends, dropped in."
"What about your parents? I thought they were like, full strict about things like that.."
"Nuh-uh, my parents are on holidays for like, two weeks, remember.."
"Oh, that's right. I told you I had a bad memory."
"You're crazy…anyways, remember my friend Amber? Yeah she's here too…I don't know what she's doing at the moment, she's crazy…"
What the hell am I saying? I'm babbling almost like an idiot, goddamn Josh,
I'm not sure if I even like him, I forgot about him, he was always hot-warm-cold anyways… Cassy thought to herself while Josh was asking about Cassy's un-expected guests.
"So they just came to your house and invited themselves in? How many of them? Helloo?" Josh's voice was far away to Cassy who was still deep on her own thoughts.
"Pardon? Yes, I mean no, hold on, what?" Cassy settled her head comfortably on her pillow. At that moment the door opened and the light from the hallway crept in. Amber stuck her through the open crack of the door.
"Who is it?" She whispered.
Cassy spoke into the phone. "Can you hold on please?" She turned her head to face Amber. "Joshua." She mouthed with her lips.
Amber's face lightened up. "Really? Sweeeet, that must mean he likes you! Or something, calling at 11pm…"
Cassy made frantic gestures for Amber to shut up. She spoke back into the phone. "Sorry that was Amber, she's being crazy."
Again that breath-out laugh from Josh. "What was she saying?"
"Oh, nothing. I don't even remember now." Cassy lied.
"Ahh.." Josh sighed.
"Umm, yeah…" Cassy began, Amber slid back into bed, clearly with the intents of hearing the conversation. "Amber! Go check up on.." Cassy stopped herself. "Go check up on Squall or something, maybe he needs, water." She said away from the phone and in a quieter tone. Amber nodded slyly and slowly edged out of the room, "I'll check up on the downstairs people."
"Uh Josh?" Cassy snuggled into her blankets again.
"Yep."
"Sorry 'bout that. Uh yeah, oh yeah. There are about seven of my friends, and yeah, they kinda just turned up."
"Seven? That's heaps. Who are they?"
"Umm, just my friends, they're in Yr11 and 12."
"Ah, what school do they go to?"
Cassy narrowed her eyes, Shhhit, ummm, brainstorm, quick quick. Cassy banged the phone against the bedside table and threw it to the ground.
In a small moment of realising the stupid thing she just did, Cassy started to laugh, but quickly stopped herself before picking up the phone again.
"Hello?"
"Yeah, what happened?"
"Ah, I dropped the phone." Cassy started to laugh again.
"Okay, it sounded as if you were hitting it against the wall or something."
Cassy snorted. "Haha, yeah right. Anyways, I'm tired, I better…"
"Hold on, um, what are you doing tomorrow?"
Cassy licked her dry lips. Need lip balm. Or water. "Mmmm, taking my friends out I suppose. City."
"Oh alright, 'cause I thought we could meet up or something. " Josh said.
"I've got nothing to do tomorrow." He quickly added.
Now Cassy did the breath-out laugh. "Umm, well if you're in the city tomorrow, you'll see me there. You got my mobile number right?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a mobile, it broke."
"That's right, no matter. Whatever. 'Kay, if you're in the city tomorrow with whoever, you'll probably see me there."
"Alright then…See ya later."
"Goodnight, see ya."
"Yep, goodnight."
Cassy quickly hung up. She placed the phone on her bedside table and hid her head in her pillow.
"Still doing the rounds, huh?" Zell asked, grinning from his sofa in the living room. He was sprawled across a black leather couch with a big orange doona covering his body.
Mmmm, he looks kinda cute like that. And his hair is crazily all spiked up either. Amber thought to herself. She bent over Zell's form and kissed his forehead.
"Just saying goodnight." Amber whispered softly, by way of explanation.
Zell took on a puzzled expression.
Amber looked back at him seriously but then broke into laughter. "Cass wanted me outta the room, 'important' phone call. And I was just down here to see if you guys were freaked out by the phone ringing."
Zell cocked an eyebrow. "Why would we?"
Amber shrugged and took a seat on one of the reclining seats. "Do phones ring at Balamb?"
Zell nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't they?"
Amber raised her palms to him. "Well you guys have over grown Jurassic Park rejects lurking around in a room at your school, which you call the 'Training Centre', so who knows what your PHONES do!"
Zell chuckled, "Things here are strange too y'know."
Amber shrugged. "Irvine and Selphie ignored me completely when I checked up on them just a moment ago. It was dark so I have no idea what they were up to!"
Zell snorted. "Well I'll let you know if I hear any sounds that go bump in the night!"
Amber giggled. "Alright, goodnight Zell. Don't let the bedbugs bite."
Amber proceeded to walk back upstairs to check on Rinoa and Quistis.
"Bed bugs?" Zell thought to himself .

"So what do you think of all this?" Rinoa asked Quistis.
They were lying side by side on Cassy's parents's bed. The moonlight streamed in from the vertical blinds on the window.
"It hasn't has time to sink in yet." Quistis replied tiredly. "But it sure is something I would have never expected."
"Mmm hmm" Rinoa mumbled. "It's like them telling us we don't really exist, our lives, families, everything, they're nothing but a game."
The door opened an inch and Amber peeped in, she nodded satisfied that Rinoa and Quistis were okay, she quietly closed the door and crept to Jeffrey's room to check up on Seifer.
Quistis turned over, facing away from Rinoa. "I had no family, my earliest memories were of Squall, Selphie, Zell and everyone at the orphanage.."
Rinoa sighed. "It's strange how you all grew up together, went your separate ways, but ended up reuniting at the end."
Quistis yawned. "Yes, that's how things go. Look Rinoa, if you're thinking we're nothing but a game, you're wrong. Don't be silly, we do have our own lives and everything. It's not like we're just a bunch of smaller than average sized men wearing stupid red hats running across the screen either jumping, shooting or opening boxes."
Rinoa yawned, her eye lids were getting heavy. "Yeah, damn Nintendo…."
Quistis's eyes were shut and her words came out in hoarse whispers. "Go
Playstation.."

"Who was that who called?" Squall asked Cassy. He was lying on her bed, with his hands behind his head on her pillow.
Cassy sat at the end of the bed, gazing out the open window. "A friend, I think. Well I know he's my friend, but, yeah." Cassy got up and reached for the window, "Do you want me to shut that?"
Squall smiled, he shook his head. "No thanks. So what's this guy's name?"
Cassy sat back and yawned. "Oh, no one. No matter, what do you want to do tomorrow?"
Squall frowned. "I don't know. Whatever I guess…I…" He drifted off.
"You wanna think of a way to get yourselves home, right?" Cassy finished for him.
Squall nodded. "It's not as if I don't like your company, or appreciate the kindness you and Amber have shown us but.."
Cassy laughed, she raised up a hand. "Stop Squall, you do speak so formal. We're practically old friends, Amber and I know so much about you."
A frown creased Squall's brow. "Yes, that's what bothers me, I don't care really, but it's sorta eerie."
Cassy shrugged. "We don't know how to get you guys back yet anyways."
"That's fine, I wouldn't have wanted to leave so soon."
"Good to hear." Cassy smiled. "God, I'm tired. I'll to bed now. Goodnight Squall."
"Goodnight Cassy." Squall replied.
Cassy left the room, she almost bumped into Amber.
"Hey, is everybody okay?" Cassy asked, they were having a whispered conversation.
"They're fine, Seifer's having some sort of a strange dream, he's fidgeting, you better check up on him." Amber replied, with a glint in her eye.
"I thought you just did, though."
"I didn't eat the last slice of the apple pie! Bob did!" Amber said.
Cassy frowned, she rubbed at her ears. "What did you just say?"
Amber shrugged and trudged off to the study room, she opened the door and disappeared. Cassy scratched her head and opened the door to her brother's room. She found Seifer sleeping peacefully, the soft breeze coming in and gentling stirring Seifer's hair. She quietly stepped up to the bed, she bent over Seifer's sleeping form.
"Hey dude," Cassy whispered. "You can't hear me so it means I can talk to you and say whatever I want." She started to laugh. "Gosh, you look so cute when you're asleep, makes me wanna cuddle up beside you…"
Cassy sighed. I feel attracted to Seifer, but…Josh? Well forget about Josh, I've got Seifer for the while.
Seifer stirred in his sleep.
"Ooops." Cassy giggled. "Don't wanna wake him up. I'll just say goodnight…"
She leaned over and gave Seifer a little peck on his cheek. "Nightey Night."
She left the room and closed the door quietly.
Seifer opened one eye, grinning. "Sleep tight, babe."