Hello Brooklyn

Brooklyn sat on the beige sofa in front of the television, her legs folded beneath her. Jack was heard in the kitchen making popcorn simply because he felt like eating.

She looked over to the two boys who were too busy watching Disney's Alice in Wonderland to notice her watching them.

Rian seemed polite, skeptical of the situation but also the most grounded. She assumed that he was the most responsible out of the group of friends by the way he looked after the other boys.

Brooklyn was unsure of Zack though. The masculine boy hadn't said much in the couple of hours that they had known each other. He seemed genuinely shy but she could tell that there was a lot more to this boy. He still looked rigid as he watched Alice's first encounter with the Cheshire Cat.

Jack hopped over the back of the couch to plop down between Brooklyn and Rian. She had the strong urge to yell at him for doing that, knowing he could easily break her furniture but she had decided that she should be a little bit nicer as a person after Alex disappeared.

She wasn't sure how long that was going to last but at least she was trying...

"Want some Brookie?" Jack asked with a mouthful of popcorn as he held out the Tupperware bowl.

She shook her head in refusal before rising. "I'm tired," she said as her explanation before walking out of the room and up the stairs.

"Night!" Jack cried turning on the sofa to wave.

She paused on the first few steps. "Night, Jack," she called. "Good night, Rian, night Zack," she said.

The two boys averted their attention away from the movie to turn to her and wave, chorusing their good-nights.

She smiled a little to herself as she made her way up to her bedroom.

Brooklyn sat on the edge of her bed and sighed, feeling loneliness settle in once again. She pulled her hair from the band controlling her unruly brunette waves before she flopped back and stared at the bare ceiling.

She pulled herself up so she was laying the correct way on her bed before staring up once again.

---

Brooklyn woke from her dream with a start. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. Tears welled in her eyes as bits and pieces of her dream flashed in her mind.

She rolled over to her side, wiping at the tears before pausing upon seeing the boy in bed beside her.

He looked perfectly at ease; his hands behind his head, his legs crossed as he stared up at the ceiling.

Brooklyn didn't say anything, afraid that this was still just a dream.

She tucked her hands to rest under the side of her face as she studied him, her tears no longer leaking from her eyes.

His dark brown eyes looked to her and he smiled. "You're back," she said, smiling a little.

Alex grinned. "I'm back, but only for a little bit."

"What?" she whispered, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "Why?"

"I have some things to take care of." he replied simply, his grin never leaving his face.

"What things?" she asked, unmoving.

"Personal stuff. I'll be back soon though," he said.

"Bu-" she stopped as he disappeared and sighed.

After re-thinking his words several times, she forced herself up knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. She glanced at her alarm clock and decided to run to the cafe that was open all night to pick up some food for the boys inhabiting her living room, though they would still probably be sleeping by the time she got back.