(Phoebe's POV)
"Really Phoebe, you're not gonna go to the party?" Jemma asked me.
"Jem, how many times do I have to say I'm not going?" I rolled my eyes at my friend, who was really stressing me out with this whole 'party' thing.
"Why won't you go?"
"It's just going to be a bunch of popular people in one place and after a while they're going to pick on the less popular all for what: some stupid status quo? To reaffirm their place as 'the high and mighty?' Well I'm not going to do that, so if you must know, that's why I won't go."
"That's pretty strong words coming from a cheerleader. Where's your pep?" Yes, I'm a cheerleader, but that doesn't mean I'll just give up my ideals for a fair and just world. As my brother, Jake Collins, said to me before he left for college. 'Phoebe, when you go into high school, treat everyone the same way. You never know who could be who and be strong. You're a tough girl and I know you're going to be able to take what's coming your way. They better watch out for you."
Jake never told me what he meant by 'They better watch out for you,' but I could tell he meant what he said. I'll never succumb to any kind of pressure of anything that segregates people because Jake taught me to treat everyone with the same amount of dignity and respect. Going to this party would just defeat the purpose of my pledge. "Be quiet, Jem!" I said, throwing a dress at her. I turned back to my closet and continued throwing articles of clothing around my room, all the while saying to Jemma and myself, "Where's my cheerleading outfit? We need to go back to the school in half an hour and it's going to take me 25 minutes to get there, twenty if I'm lucky. Where are you?!" I called out aggravated that my outfit went missing.
"Um Pheebs." My friend said.
"Yeah?" I turned to her.
"Your outfit's hanging on the windowsill."
"On the windowsill? Oh my god, my outfit!" I ran over to my open window, where my blue and white Lakewood High Cheerleader outfit was hanging precariously in the light breeze. I quickly grabbed it and pulled it close to my chest, inhaling the scent of lilacs. Apparently, someone must've washed it, but how'd it get over there, when no one else was in my room? I shrugged my shoulders and walking past to my bed, heard something fall out of my closet. I walked over to it and found a book titled, "Troop".
I opened it and on the inside, it read, "To my sister Phoebe, remember what you've gone through with The Troop." Below it was an upside down red triangle with a few strategically placed creases to make it seem like it was in 3D.
The Troop… I thought, as an image of me standing in front of a dragon trapped in a cage briefly flashes in my mind. "Sam?" I asked, to which Jemma asked, "Who's Sam?"
"Huh?" I turned to her.
"Pheebs, let's go, we need to hurry up and get to the school." Jemma ran out of my room.
"Right." I closed the book and put it in my cheerleading bag; Jake gave me this book for a reason and it might have some to do with that dragon I saw in my vision, Sam, and the last words he said to me before he left. I looked over at my cheerleading outfit and let out a sigh, getting ready for yet another practice.
…
Jemma and I reached the field behind the school, out of breath and panting heavily… or at least I was. "Wait, don't start yet." I said breathlessly as I collapsed in the turf.
"Ah girls, good to see you made it." Ms. Kellen, our cheerleading advisor, said. "I'd like to introduce you to the latest member of our team, Jenny Garcia."
"Jenny Garcia?" I asked, standing and looking at the girl. She looked kinda cute with her red and white outfit (I could tell she just started and didn't get the Lakewood High outfit yet, but she will), blonde hair in a ponytail, and the shy wave she gave me.
"Hey, I'm Jenny." She extended her hand towards me.
"Hey Jenny, I'm Phoebe, the captain." I shook her hand.
"You're Jake's sister, right?" She asked, pointing her index finger towards as she bounced on her hip slightly.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"My brother, Felix, said he met you before. Said you were a good kid and you had potential."
"Potential? Potential for what?" Jenny shrugged her shoulders.
"He never told me, but I think it might've had something to do with-." Jenny was cut off by a loud whistle and the two of us turned to Ms. Kellen, who said, "Ladies, if you two are done talking, then I'd love nothing more than to start cheer practice."
"Yes Ms. Kellen." The two of us said together, nodding our heads in the same fashion, (as if she was the headmaster and we were two students who were petrified of her and got caught somewhere we shouldn't be). I dropped my bag in the turf and Jenny and I immediately scurried into line with the other cheerleaders.
The Next Day…
I sat on my bed, flipping through the book Jake gave me. I reached the last page and it read, "And most importantly, you can't tell anyone else EVER about what you've heard or seen. I can tell you're going to be a great Troop member baby sister and good luck. Remember to call me if you need help, especially when you're first starting out as a member."
I put the book down. I can't possibly be a Troop member, The Troop isn't real… right?
No Phoebe, The Troop isn't real, it can't be. Do you actually believe that your brother was a part of a super secret monster-hunting agency? I then heard a blipping noise and looked down to read what else Jake wrote. "I figured you wouldn't believe me if I just told you, frankly I didn't believe it when I heard it either. Anyway, to prove to you that The Troop is real, I gave you my Portable Troop Grid (or PTG for short). Sure the screen's a little broken, but it still works… kinda. It'll convince you a little more and it might just help you remember something… or rather, someone. Just grab it and you should have some memory of the time. Once again, good luck baby sister, The Troop will serve you well.
Your brother, Jake."
I flipped back to the front of the book and pressed on the 3D triangle that Jake put there; it was held up by some plastic and I took it out of the secure slip. I flipped it over and it looked like my Smartphone, except it was broken. "The Troop's real." I laughed slightly, mocking Jake for believing in some… I immediately saw myself going down an elevator with The Troop insignia, along with Jake, Hailey (Jemma's sister and the girl that I hate), Felix (Jake's nerdy friend) and Mr. Stockley (I think he's one of the school advisors). We exited the elevator and walked over to a holding cell that contained the baby dragon I adopted named Samilicious (Sam for short), but not before I noticed that same insignia and saw the words "The Troop" underneath.
I was snapped out of the memory by my mom, who closed the book in front of my face. "Mom, why'd you do that?"
"Because school starts soon and you need to get to the bus stop." She answered.
"Okay, I'm going, I'm going." I said, getting up off the bed with the book.
"Phoebe, what's The Troop?" I turned to her and saw her holding the broken PTG.
"Uh, that's just a new club at school that I joined. It's a…" Say it's mime club! I said to myself mentally as I dragged out the last syllable to search for some way to take mom off the scent of The Troop. "…an acting club taught at the school."
"An acting club?"
"Yeah, it just started yesterday."
"Okay… just hurry up and get ready." Mom walked towards the door. "Also, the school called, they need you to come to Mr. Stockley's office to take a test. Just a quick reminder, I'm coming up to the school to check out this 'Troop'." Mom left the room, closing the door behind her. I immediately relaxed, collapsing on the bed. What in the world am I going to do now? I just lied to mom and told her that I was in The Troop when I was never asked in the first place.
Suddenly, my phone rang and I grabbed it from my bed, putting it to my ear and answering it. "Hello?"
"What's wrong with you Phoebe?" Jenny asked. Jemma must've given her my number. I'll kill her later, believe me.
"Oh nothing, I just found out something amazing about my brother, your brother and my best friend's sister, but I can't tell anyone. What's new with you?"
"Well, I think I just saw a monster running towards the school."
"A monster?" I shot up immediately. "What did it look like?"
"It looked like a super big, dark-grey dog."
"Did it have fangs, horns, claws, and glowing, fiery orange eyes and mouth?" I asked flipping through the book, which had a monster index.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Jenny answered. Found it! A Doom Hound, oh no!
"Hello, Phoebe? Earth to Phoebe… Phoebe, you there?"
"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Yeah Jen, I'm here. Listen Jenny, I need you to run to the school as fast as you can. You need to find Mr. Stockley and wait for me."
"Why? Do you know what that monster is?"
"A Doom Hound." I answered quickly, hanging up my phone, grabbing my bag, the PTG, and Jake's book and flying down the stairs and out the door. While running down the block, I asked myself, Who do I go to? I need to fix the Portable Troop Grid and contact Mr. Stockley; hopefully he'll be down in Troop HQ, but then again, I need to hurry up and stop that Doom Hound.
I ran into Jemma, sending both of us crashing into the sidewalk.