Phoebe's POV, written by Jess (motormouth2005)

Chapter 3 - Surprise

Two boys on roller skates. They blade onto the road ... a car coming towards them ... it's gonna hit them ...

"Pheebs?" Piper's voice pulls me out of my dream, which I instantly forgot, as usual.

I don't waste my time with dreams. I'm not one of those people who look up what they mean or anything.

They're pointless.

Like life.

"Pheebs? Come on. You'll be late." Piper says.

Oh. Yeah. First day back to school since Grams died.

It feels weird saying that. Died.

Dead.

Gone.

Never to return.

So many ways to say it.

But none of them make it hurt less.

And it does hurt. So much. I never thought it would, but it does. She was always so strong, always there. And now ...

She's not.

"Phoebe?"

"I'm up." I said, dragging myself out of bed.

Before, it would have been Grams' voice that I woke to - alarms never inspire me to get up.

I say on the edge of my bed looking in my wardrobe. Eventually I settled on a pair of jeans and a black cotton shirt I've never worn before. Grams bought me it a while ago, when we went shopping in a sale.

I think I was saving it for something.

I guess this is a good a time as any.

I finally went downstairs, and forced some food down my throat. I don't even know what it was. I didn't pay attention, just chewed and swallowed in silence. I wasn't hungry, I don't think anyone else was, but Piper had put effort into it.

I think cooking was her way of dealing with ... well, anything.

"Ready for school?" Prue said as she joined us, her voice fake-cheery.

I just threw her a dirty look, and looked back at my plate, which didn't seem to be getting any emptier.

Eventually, breakfast was over.

"Time to go." Prue announced, looking at the kitchen clock.

"Great." Piper muttered, walking away.

"Daydream much?" I smirked, as Prue stared at the wall.

"Let's go." She replied.

I bounded back up to my room, knowing that all too soon I'd be walking down the halls of Baker High, with people staring.

I was right.

Usually when we get out of Prue's car, we split up straight away. But this time my sisters grouped together, and I joined them.

What else good I do? Walk away and leave them?

I guess they're all the family I have left.

We should stick together.

"Phoebe." My best-friend Ramona said sympathetically. How can you get that much sympathy into one word? I guess that's just Ramona. She's so ... nice. Why does she hang out with me?

No idea.

"Hi." I said, as normally as I could.

"Aw, Phoebe." She threw her arms around me. "It must be so hard on you." She sounded tearful.

"I'm OK." I said. "Ramona, get off of me!" I snapped. I didn't mean to sound so nasty. I never did. But I always took it out on Ramona, and she never fought back. She puts up with it.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. "But really, I'm OK."

"Of course you are." She nodded. "Nothing ever gets to you."

Sure. That's me. An empty shell.

Or not.

"I'm here for you." She said, as the bell rang.

"Just not right now." I smiled. "Bye." I said, and she nodded, walking down the hall to her fist lesson, which was different to mine.

"Phoebe." Paula's voice wasn't sympathetic. It was patronizing. "How are you?"

"You know. Holding up." I said. Don't rise to it. Don't rise to it.

I think Prue would kill me if she knew I'd been fighting. Maybe she could make an exception for Paula? Her only purpose is to destroy me.

"It can't have been much of a shock, though." She said. "I mean, your Grandmother was like, ninety?"

"No." I replied. "Bye Paula."

"Of course, you and your sisters are used to death, aren't you?" She continued. "I mean, your mum ... your dad - or is he in prison?" She asked.

I spun round.

"Oh, no, wait ... now I remember. You dad decided he didn't want to be around you. So he left, right?"

The sensible thing to do would be to walk away, ignore her.

It's what Prue, Piper or Paige would have done.

Not me.

I raised my arm to hit her.

"Cool it." Todd's voice muttered into my ear as he grabbed my arm. I smiled in spite of myself.

My best boy-friend, and sometimes my boyfriend, Todd knows how to handle me.

"Bye Paula." He said simply. She shot me a look and stalked away.

"Thanks." I said, turning to face him. "I don't think Prue could cope with me being expelled.

"No problem." The late bell rang. "Are you coming?" He asked.

"In a minute." I said. "I need to go to my locker. Go on ahead."

He nodded, and suddenly I was alone in the hall.

Ah well.

Todd and I aren't like Prue and Andy, or Paige and Glen, who've been best mates forever. But we've been friends for a few years now, and I suppose he knows me pretty well. We spent our younger years as on-off boyfriend and girldfriend, like you do, but now we're just really good mates.

Kinda.

I went to my locker and dawdled for a while, wondering how long I could stay out here.

Eventually, I sighed and dragged my feet down the hall and up the stairs.

I walked in, nearly 15 minutes late, and took a seat - at the front - wordlessly.

No one said anything, which is weird, because the day before Grams died I was told if I was late to this lesson once more I was suspended.

But when someone close to you dies, everyone makes allowances.

Might as well take advantage.

I didn't even pretend to listen, just doodled in the back of my book.

"Do you understand, Phoebe?" Mr. Baker's usually sharp no-nonsense voice dripped with kindness.

"No." I replied.

"OK, we'll go over it again next lesson." He smiled as the bell rang.

I was the first one out, and the first one in my next lesson, which enabled me to get a seat at the back.

"Hi." Ramona said tentevly, slipping into the seat next to me.

"Hey." I replied, smiling widley. I hate the way I'm so horrible to her. But it's because she takes it. She lets me walk all over her. And I can't help it.

Todd and Rick sat next to her - the old gang back together.

Once again I sat in silence, not listening, not working.

And that's how my day passed.

"Phoebe!" Prue called, as I made my way to the front doors at the end of school. I turned.

"I'm going straight to Andy's, to study." She told me. "So can you walk home?"

"Sure." I sighed.

"And can you tell Piper and Paige?"

I nodded again.

I felt so alone, and I didn't know why.

"Thanks." She looked at me for a little while, and I thought she might hug me. Was I that transparent?

Can you see the pain in my eyes, Prue?

Can you hear it in my voice?

Do you understand me? Know me?

No. She can't, she doesn't.

"See you later." She said softly, and walked away.

Great.

Thanks Prue. It's OK. The empty shell doesn't need any comfort.


As my sisters (barring Prue) and I walked home, we saw two boys roller blading. They rolled onto the road ... and a car was coming towards them.

I gasped as it hit them, stopping as they both sprawled out on the floor.

The driver jumped out, helped them up, they seemed OK.

But something about it seemed familiar ... Deja Vou.

I couldn't quiet place it ...

Piper, Paige and I walked home together, in silence. We were usually pretty close, but since Grams' death, no one felt like talking, which was probably a bad thing.

We were all the family we had now.

Right?

I sat on the sofa, staring at the T.V, not taking any of it in.

Paige was sat next to me, staring at the wall, and Piper was in the kitchen.

The doorbell interrupted my ... I'd like to say thoughts, but I had none, so ...

Seeing no one else was planning on getting it, I got up myself.

Two men and a woman were stood on the step. The woman and one of the men were dressed smartly, in neat suits, but the other guy wore torn jeans and grey shirt, which I think might have once been white.

Ew.

"Can I help you?" I shrugged.

"Can we come in?" The woman asked.

"Who are you?" I asked bluntly.

She smiled at me.

"I'm Anne. I'm a social worker."

"Oh."

I didn't move. What did she want?

"Can we come in?" She repeated.

"I ..."

Should I let them in?

"Are your sisters home?" She asked.

"Piper!" I called.

"What?" She asked, walking out, wearing a blue apron with flour everywhere.

"Hi, I'm Anne, a social worker."

"Oh. Come in, come in." Piper said quickly. "I'll be with you in a second."

When did she get so grown up?"

"Call Prue." She hissed to me as she passed.

I tried, but she didn't answer.

That was bad. Prue's the strongest. She'd protect us.

I suppose she's more like Grams.

And Piper's like mum.

Me? Not a clue.

Paige and I sat in silence next to each other, staring at them.

"Sorry about that." Piper smiled, apron and flour free.

She looked at me, and I shook my head slightly.

"Our older sister isn't here right now." She said. "Is this important?"

"Yes." The man in the suit spoke, finally. "We're here to discuss your ... situation ..."

"Oh." Piper said.

What did this mean?

"This is Sevron Burton." Anne explained.

"Hi." He said.

"And you are?" I asked the suited man rudely.

"I'm your Grandmother's attorney ." He replied. "You're Grandmother specified to me what she wanted to happen to you girls."

"Oh." Piper said. She sounded worried. "And that was ...?"

"I'm your Grandmother's ex-husband." Sevron interrupted.

"Which one?" I muttered.

"The second ..." He said. He sounded surprised. Yeah, Grams was married four times, dude. Doesn't make you great 'cause your one of them.

"Penelope stated that if anything was to happen to her, Sevron would become your guardian."

"What!" The three of us cried.

"But we don't know him!" I said, outraged. "Grams wouldn't leave us to a stranger!"

"I wasn't a stranger to Penny." Sevron smiled. "But you girls were only small, Phoebe. You probably don't remember me. But you haven't changed a bit."

I shuddered. He knew my name?

"Nevertheless, Sevron was named as your legal guardian." The lawyer said.

"We're OK as we are." Paige said quickly. "We don't need a guardian."

"Prudence, at 17, is not legally old enough to look after you." Anne said. "Your grandmother obviously thought Sevron was the right choice, or she would have changed her will."

"Her entire estate - the house, her money, ect, belongs to you four. But Sevron is moving in." The attorney said bluntly.

"Starting now." Sevron smiled.

"I think we need to speak to Prue." Piper said, picking up the phone. She dialled the number, and again, no answer.

She laughed nervously.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come back later, when Prue's home." Piper said.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Anne said. "Mr. Burton has been granted custody of you, and he is moving in now."

"No!" Piper cried. "We have just lost our grandmother, we are morning. You cannot just barge in here and smash our lives up!"

"I'm sorry." Anne said, as she and the attorney stood up.

"We will be monitoring you, of course." She replied. "Goodbye."

They left.

Sevron looked at us, and smiled, showing a set of dirty teeth.

Ew ew ew.

"Where's my room, then?" He asked.

I turned, stormed out of the house.

Prue would sort this out.

I knew she would.

She always knew what to say, she could fix anything.

She'd get rid of him.

"Phoebe!" Piper called, pulling Paige out of the door. "Where are you going!"

"To get Prue! If she'd have been here in the first place, they wouldn't have even tried -"

"Of course they would!" Piper sighed. "We knew ... we knew they wouldn't just leave us too it."

"Well thanks for sharing that." I snapped.

"Phoebe, we were trying to protect you. You and Paige are too young to handle -"

"Right. Sure. And you know best."

I stormed back into the house, and up to my room.

Who the hell were they to decide what I could and couldn't handle?

My sisters.

Not mum.

Not Grams.

Just my sisters.