Four Letters in Reverse (FLIR #1) by Christina Channelle Page B

question—”
    “No, she didn’t,” interrupted Bruno.
    “But that was what you wanted to ask, right?” Owen asked softly.
    I didn’t know what to say so I just nodded blindly.
    “Great. She asked, I answered. It’s my turn.”
    Owen spun the bottle while I remained still shell-shocked that he, once again, came to my rescue.
    “Earth to Annabells!” Hannah said and I blinked, snapping out of my stupor. I looked down at the position of the bottle and realized it was directed at me.
    Oh.
    “Annabella.”
    Tish.
    “Yes?” I answered Owen, as if I were being called in class.
    “Do you like when someone looks at you like an alien?”
    I ignored the confused looks on everybody else’s faces and tried breathing calmly.
    It’s a simple act, AB. You inhale then you exhale. Stop having a mental freak out in front of everyone and act chill.
    “It depends on the someone.”
    He nodded as he took in my answer, a smile never quite leaving his face.
    Glad that that was over, I spun the bottle once more and it landed on Hannah. We continued to play for about ten more minutes until we gave up. I was just relieved the bottle never landed on Owen or me again because I did not want to explain the whole alien thing. But Matty kept glancing at me with knowing eyes so I knew he put two and two together.
    “Tell me a dream,” voiced Hannah in a theatrical voice.
    That was our next activity. We spent the next five minutes writing down the last dream that we each had on Hannah’s signature pink pastel colored paper. It was something we liked to play often but it was slightly strange we were sharing it with Owen and Bruno.
    It felt right, though.
    I looked down at my paper, going first. “I dreamed that I had wings for arms and fins for legs. I could swim or fly wherever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to. In this dream, I was on an abandoned beach far away from anything and anyone. The sea was a beautiful blue-green that seemed to glitter at me. The sand was hot against my skin and I wanted to stay there forever and ever.”
    I stopped, looking up from my words. “The End.”
    I noticed Owen had this faraway look on his face while Hannah sighed happily. Mateo grinned at me, nodding, and Bruno looked depressed.
    I frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”
    “That was amazing, don’t get me wrong. It’s just—” He paused, making a face as he waved his pink paper in the air. “Mine sucks.”
    Mateo gave him a pat on the back. “It’s not a competition. It’s kind of another version of truth or truth. There’s no right or wrong answer—it just is.”
    “And the answer will always change as we have more and more dreams!” exclaimed Hannah.
    “Or nightmares,” Mateo couldn’t help but add.
    “So what did you dream, Bruno?” asked Owen.
    He frowned, looking down at his paper. “I dreamed that it was my first day of high school. But I wasn’t at Evansdale High. Instead I was at the private school.” He paused, looking over at Owen. “You know, the one Dad wants me going to?”
    Owen nodded and Bruno sighed, continuing. “So I’m at this school, I know no one, and I don’t make it on any of the sport teams. And then when I go to the chemistry department, a bunch of students lock me up in the chem lab and I’m trapped with a thousand grasshoppers wanting to eat me alive.”
    “I doubt the grasshoppers will eat you alive.”
    I glared at Mateo, then turned to Bruno with kinder eyes. “That sucks, Bruno! Have you told your dad how you feel?”
    He shook his head sadly and I glanced over at Owen who looked just as depressed.
    Hannah scooted closer to Bruno, patting him on the shoulder. “Definitely tell your dad. It’s weird but sometimes parents actually listen. I mean, did I actually believe that they would give me the entire basement when I asked them? No! Did I believe it when Mom said she’d buy me backstage passes for any Jannie Tay concert if she ever had a show up here? No.”
    “She probably thinks Jannie