Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series)

by Christina Smith

  “Sure, I’ll be your partner,” I said with relief, I didn’t want to work alone either.

  He sat down at the empty seat Jenny had vacated.

  I began with estimating the reactions for the first pair.

  “I’m sorry about the way Lucas treated you today. He’s not usually so rude. Not that he has a chance to be. I’m sure you’ve noticed he’s a little antisocial.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” I scribbled my estimation and then handed the paper to Andy for him to do the next one.

  “He’s a really good guy, but he’s had some bad experiences. People aren’t always that friendly to him.” When I raised an eyebrow, he continued. “Just because he looks like Logan doesn’t mean he acts like him.” He wrote down his answer, tapping his finger on the desk.

  I was about to ask him what he meant, but Mr. Holland started asking questions about the results of our assignment. Andy handed me the paper, and I finished the last one. I tried to talk to him a few more times, but Mr. Holland seemed to notice before I opened my mouth, silencing me with a glare.

  When I arrived home after school, I went up to my room where I spent most of my time. Mom and Dad let me redecorate recently, and I loved it. We painted the previously dark beige walls a nice cream color, and I added splashes of color with pictures that took me weeks to find. We put a small couch and TV at one end of the room, and my bed and dresser on the other. My desk, which held my computer, sat in the center under the window.

  I settled down on my bed and started my homework. There wasn’t much to do, only a one-page essay on our favorite poet. I chose Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

  I finished quickly, turned my stereo on, and lay back on my bed to listen to the music playing softly. My mind drifted to the two conversations I had with Lucas—well, if you could call them that. He wasn’t what you’d call chatty, but when we did talk, it felt…I don’t know…nice. No, that was the wrong word, it felt…right. What was I thinking? He was a total jerk and wouldn’t even speak to me at lunch. But there was something about his voice that sounded somewhat familiar.

  My thoughts were heading in an unwanted direction, so I turned up the music, and soon fell asleep.

  I woke up to someone gently shaking me. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” my dad said, smiling down at me. “Did you have a long day?”

  I smiled too. His brown hair was a bit disheveled, and his dark brown eyes, which looked so much like mine, looked tired. The gray suit he was wearing was wrinkled from the long drive, and he smelled of fruit-flavored gum. I was so happy to see him. He had been gone for a week on a business trip, selling his ideas for a new video game for a company here in Brownridge.

  “No, just tired. How was your trip, did they like your ideas?” I asked, sitting up and leaning against my headboard.

  Disappointment flashed over his face. Oh no, I thought, until he smiled. “Of course they did. Did you really doubt your old man?”

  “Not really. Like Mom says, you’re an overgrown child who likes to play video games.”

  His smiled vanished as he pretended to be hurt. “Ha-ha. Come on, Mom’s got supper on the table.”

  The next day at lunch, my friends and I ate in the cafeteria. It was raining, so eating outside at the picnic tables was out.

  While Emma and Derrick saved me a seat, I waited in line for food, deciding what I wanted to eat. Everything looked good, but since the pizza smelled so delicious I couldn't resist. I took a piece off of the warming plate and waited for my turn to pay. I was about to step up to the cashier when someone slipped in front of me, and strong cologne burned my nostrils. I saw who it was and wasn’t surprised. “Excuse me, there’s a line!” I said to Logan.

  He glanced at me and smiled so sweetly that I guess I was supposed to say: “Oh it’s you; of course you can cut in front of me.” I don’t think so.

  “I’ll be really quick. You don’t mind, right, sweetheart?” He actually winked at me as he leaned over to grab a slice of pizza.

  When he lifted it off of the tray, a sliver of his piece fell on my hand. The cheese was very hot. “Ow,” I snapped. Taking a napkin from the canister, I wiped away the gob of cheese and sauce. It left an orange stain on the back of my hand. “Yes, I mind, get back to the end of the line,” I growled. But of course he ignored me and paid for his lunch. The jerk had the nerve to turn around and smile at me.

  After I told my friends what happened, Emma asked, “Why did you let him get away with that?”

  “What was I supposed to do? Cause a scene?”

  “Yes,” she said. “It would serve him right.”

  I glared at her. “And that would have embarrassed me,” I whispered, trying not to attract any more attention to myself than I already had. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to nibble on her sandwich.

  While I ate my pizza, I was lost in thought. What made people like Logan think they were so special they could get away with anything? His looks? He wasn’t the only one in the school that was attractive. Actually, Derrick was quite a hottie, with his tall, solid frame and sun-streaked sandy hair. His gray eyes were so pale they were almost haunting. A few girls would occasionally come over where we sat and talk to him. He was always nice but never dated any of them.

  He was so into Emma it was obvious, to me anyway. I could see why; Emma was one of the best people I knew. She was also one of the prettiest girls in our school. But the great part about her was that she didn’t know it. For some reason, she was self-conscious about her looks. She was always complaining about her height, which was five foot two, and having red hair was horrifying to her. She complained about it constantly. I loved the color of her hair; it was so vibrant, just like her personality. And her beautiful curls that flowed down to her back were the envy of most girls I knew. It was no wonder Derrick liked her so much. I wondered why he never did anything about it. Maybe he just needed a little shove in the right direction.

  “So guys,” I said, catching them off guard.

  Derrick’s mouth was stuffed full of sandwich. He looked like a squirrel saving for the winter. I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering why he had shoved so much into his mouth.

  Emma swallowed the cola she had just taken a drink of. They both turned their attention to me.

  “I’m working Friday night, so I can’t hang out, but why don’t you two come and see a movie? There’s a good thriller coming out this week.”

  For two people that had been friends as long as the two of them, it was funny to see them suddenly so nervous. Both of them were afraid to make eye contact with each other, and Emma’s face had turned a surprising shade of crimson.

  “Um, actually, I was going to hang out with Pete that night. But I could change my plans if you want to, Emma?” Derrick said, after he swallowed the large mound of bread. Pete was one of Derrick’s guy friends; he lived next door to him. He and another of Derrick’s friends, Cory, sat with us at lunch sometimes.

  Emma stared down into her food, hands on her lap. “Sure, sounds fun.”

  “Cool, I’ll pick you up at seven.” Derrick must have had a burst of confidence when she agreed, because now he smiled at her, trying to meet her eyes. No such luck, though; her tuna sandwich was apparently more interesting.

  “Great, it’s settled then,” I said before either of them could back out. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Emma and I said goodbye to Derrick and headed to our lockers.

  During history, I could feel Emma’s penetrating glare. “What?” I whispered innocently. Mr. Henderson was giving us a lecture on the Civil War, and I didn’t want him to hear us. He was pretty strict, often giving out detentions just for talking in class.

  “You know what. What was that about? Telling us to go to the movies together, just the two of us, it sounds like a date. He’s even picking me up.” She had her textbook sitting up on her desk and was leaning behind it so the teacher wouldn’t see or hear her.

  I looked down at my book and whispered, “Well, it’s about time. Someone
had to make the first move. I guess it had to be me.”

  “Do you think I like Derrick?” she whispered, looking surprised.

  “I know you do, and you’re not alone either.”

  Her mouth flew open, and she sat up in her chair, knocking her book down with a loud smack. All eyes in the room turned to her. I braced myself for one of Mr. Henderson’s famous punishments, but he just gave Emma an icy glare to silence her. That was close. He didn’t usually let people get away with anything, so he must have been in a good mood, a rarity for him.

  While I was paying attention to the lesson, I glanced back to see if Lucas was in class today. I hadn’t noticed him. He was there in his seat, listening to Mr. Henderson. He looked at me and smiled. I whirled around, still unsure why he was suddenly acknowledging me.

  On the way to my next class, Emma hounded me with questions.

  “Emma, I have to get to chemistry. I’ll call you after work tonight around nine.”

  “Fine, but don’t forget. If you don’t call me by nine thirty, I’m calling you,” I heard her yell as I rushed down the hall.

  I made it just in time. Taking my seat, I looked around for Andy. He was sitting on the other side of the class. Since I had handed in our work yesterday, we wouldn’t be pairing up today. I was a little disappointed. I wanted him to explain what he meant about Lucas and Logan. But I guessed it would remain a mystery since he was sitting three rows over.

  Work was so busy that my feet were killing me. Tuesday nights were cheap nights, and we were always packed.

  When I got home, I was so tired I practically crawled into bed. My feet and legs ached from standing for hours. The soft mattress and warm blankets made me feel like I was wrapped inside a warm, soft cocoon. “Ahh,” I sighed as I snuggled into a comfortable position. The fresh smell of laundry soap on my sheets made it even more comforting.

  I dialed Emma’s number. “Hello,” she answered.

  “Hi, I really can’t talk long, work was busy. I’m so exhausted I might fall asleep talking to you. What do you want to know?”

  “Are you serious, what do you think I want to know? Why do you think he likes me? And why do you think I like him?” Her voice was about two octaves higher than normal.

  I was really enjoying this. I should have done something about these two a long time ago. “Are you saying you don’t? What’s that?” I asked. There was a distant pounding coming from her end.

  “Just my sister, she wants the phone. Anyway, I’m not saying that, but why do you think so? Am I that obvious?”

  She was really stressing over this. “Look, I’m going to be honest here, even though I would love to string you along because I’m really having fun. I’m tired, though, so I’ll tell you that it is obvious, only to me, that you like each other. I have noticed it for a while, but it wasn’t my business.” The pounding got louder, and now was mixed with yelling.

  There was a muffled scratching sound, and then nothing. “Hannah, if you don’t stop, I’m telling Mom and Dad when they get home!” Emma yelled from a distance. I heard footsteps and then the muffled sound again. “Sorry, my annoying sister is driving me nuts. Where were we? Right.” She answered her own question. “So what’s changed, why butt in now?”

  It was hard to focus on our conversation with all the interruptions. I had to remember my train of thought. “Because honestly, I think you would be great together and I want you to be happy.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone, from Emma and from Hannah, who must have given up. Then I heard her sigh. “Do you really think he likes me that way?”

  I smiled; I had her. I could go to sleep soon. “Yes, I do.”

  I heard a little squeal on the other end. “Thank you for butting in.”

  “My pleasure, I’m hanging up now, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Even though I was very tired, I didn’t sleep well. I tossed and turned so much, I woke to find my blanket and sheet on the floor. I was curled up in a fetal position trying to keep warm. I didn’t know if I had a dream or not, but when I woke up, I could only remember a face…Logan’s.

  Chapter Three

  Lucas

  The rest of the week was much the same as always, with a few exceptions, Emma for one. After our talk, she seemed to flirt more with Derrick, and now he actually noticed, even returning the attention. Even though their budding romance had nothing to do with me, it was fun to watch. Between the hair tossing, eyelash batting, blushing, and giggling, their daily behavior was my new entertainment.

  The dreams of Logan continued to haunt me. It was a little unnerving dreaming of someone I didn’t particularly like. Thursday night I had a disturbing one about the two of us walking hand in hand, down a dark street. I sensed a presence behind us, and when I turned around, I glimpsed a hooded figure. With a blink, he was gone. I woke feeling tired and restless.

  Friday night I had to work at the concession stand, which I hated. Usually by the time I got home, I was drenched in the stench of popcorn. Most people love the smell, but when you’re around it for hours, it stays with you. It gets stuck in your nose and replaces all other scents. And the constant sound of corn popping gets annoying after a while. I was in a bad mood all around before I even started work, and my lack of sleep the night before certainly didn’t help.

  When I held my hand out for a customer to place her money into it, I noticed Logan Tate standing in my line; it only added to my mood. As he moved closer to the front, I noticed he seemed different. His hair was a little longer, and he was dressed more casually, wearing a long-sleeve gray T-shirt and jeans. I thought he looked better, more approachable. Of course, I knew that this change wouldn’t improve his attitude.

  “Hi,” he said as he stepped to the front of the line. “I didn’t know you worked here.” His voice even sounded better.

  “Yep. What can I get you?” I was still annoyed with him about the pizza incident.

  “Two large popcorns and two large sodas.”

  I nodded and turned around to fill his order.

  “Lucas!” someone yelled. “We’ll meet you in the theater.”

  We both glanced in the direction the voice came from, and there stood Kyle and Andy.

  I was so surprised that I almost shouted, “You’re Lucas?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, who did you think you were talking to?”

  Still in shock, I answered him. “Your brother.”

  His expression turned from confusion to anger. “Sorry to disappoint you!”

  “I’m not disappointed,” I blurted, which caused my cheeks to heat up.

  He raised his eyebrows and gave me a cocky grin.

  “I didn’t mean that…I just meant…here’s your popcorn!” I practically threw it at him before spinning around to get his drinks.

  “Why did you think I was Logan?” he asked with a slight chuckle. He seemed to be enjoying my embarrassment.

  “Um…you’re not wearing glasses.” I placed his drinks on the counter and told him the total.

  Opening his wallet, he pulled out a twenty and handed it to me. “I only wear them at school.”

  I gave him his change and instead of leaving, he moved over, leaning against the wooden counter, his tousled hair falling into his eyes as he watched me.

  While I filled the next order, I turned my head to look at him. “Don’t you need them to see?”

  “I usually wear my contacts, but when Logan started acting like a jerk, I got tired of girls slapping me in the face.” I laughed. “You think that’s funny?”

  “Yes, I do. Does he get slapped too?”

  “Yeah, but now that I wear my glasses and dress differently, he gets the brunt of it.”

  I laughed again, placing a lid on the cup I had just filled. “Good, he deserves it.”

  He stood in silence, leaning on the counter absently tapping his fingers on the wooden top, while I filled orders. He didn’t seem to want to leave.

  “Is that why you don’t tal
k to anybody, because you’re afraid to get slapped?” I asked him, after handing another customer their order.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I used to get blamed a lot for the way Logan acted, so it’s easier to stick with my own friends.”

  I felt sorry for him, and since I had no customers at the moment, I moved closer. “It must be hard, having him for a brother.”

  “It’s not so bad. He doesn’t act like that at home.” He glanced at me and our eyes locked. I always knew the color of his eyes was hazel, but now that I was this close, I could see flecks of gold in them. His gaze held, and for some reason, I didn’t want to look away. We stood on opposite sides of the counter, leaning toward each other.

  “Excuse me, could we get some help? The service here really sucks.” Lucas and I jumped back guiltily.

  I looked over to where Emma and Derrick were grinning wickedly. They were standing in front of my cash register waiting to be served. I was so wrapped up in our conversation, I didn’t even hear them approach.

  Lucas cleared his throat. “Um…Sarah, I better get in there with the popcorn before Andy starts to gnaw on the seats.” He waved as he walked away, juggling all the food. He had an armload; I hoped he didn’t drop any of it.

  When I glanced back at my friends, they were still staring at me. “What?”

  Emma spoke first. “What were you talking to Lucas about?”

  “How did you know it was him? I thought he was Logan at first,” I said, wandering back over to stand in front of her.

  “Well, he does look like Logan without his glasses, but I doubt you’d be staring into his eyes.”

  I felt my face go hot again. “I was not.”

  Derrick laughed. “Oh yes you were.”

  “Order something or go away,” I said, only half kidding.

  They placed their order, still grinning at me. I poured their drinks and filled their popcorn in silence, listening to their banter. When I finished, I shoved their drinks at them, nearly sloshing soda on Derrick's black denim jacket.