by J. L. Weil
I was lying under a weeping willow, mile-long branches swaying overhead. A babbling brook flowed over scattered bedrock, sounding in the distance. The ambrosial smell of sweet pea sweetened the air: A suitable surrounding for dreams made of fairy tales.
The sun was cast above, gleaming rays of light like spears through pockets in the willow tree. Lukas lay next to me on his side, fiddling with strands of grass. He eyed me coolly, waiting for me to turn toward him.
“Brianna.” His honey smooth voice spoke my name.
“Hey,” I replied lamely. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t master being anything other than me.
He smiled brightly, his entire face beaming with a golden glow. “Long time, no see.” He was lying beside me on the grass, propped up on the willow’s trunk. Months had gone by since my last dream of him.
“I know. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me.”
He had one leg spread alongside me, and the other one bent up. “These are your dreams, remember?” he teased lightly.
He was always so carefree and happy, nothing seem to get to him. I had no idea how that felt. Responsibility seemed to be bred into my genes.
We spent much of our time doing things I wouldn’t dare do in my real life, and divulging parts of my life I was afraid to tell anyone else.
Today was no different.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his bright smile losing some of its shine.
Sitting up beside him on the trunk, I sighed. “What isn’t wrong is the question.”
He chuckled and brushed a stray hair from my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. His touch surged a blooming of warmth over me. “It can’t be all that bad.” Always the positive outlook for Lukas, his world was a cup half full.
Picking at the grass growing near the base of the willow, my problems came to the forefront of my mind. “In my case, it is,” I grumbled, refusing to let go of my somber mood.
He looked amused by my discomfort. What is with guys suddenly being amused by me? I couldn’t figure why my thoughts continued to drift to Gavin. There was an extremely gorgeous guy in my dreams, and I was thinking about the rebel with the piercings. The problem with Lukas was, he wasn’t real, and I wanted something real.
Even with the familiarity of Lukas, there had always been an awareness of caution just under the surface. It never made much sense to me, so I ignored the warning. He was a dream, after all. What harm can he possibly cause? Not to mention, he drew me to him like a bee to a flower. The more I dreamed of him, the more I felt the pull. He was easy to be with.
I should have just kissed him already. It’s not real, I rationed. Better yet, I should have kissed Gavin when the chance presented itself—a real possibility.
“Spill. I want to know what troubles you,” he said.
I looked out over the green valley. “I lost my temper today. It was bad,” I revealed bleakly.
“Are you sure it was as bad as you think?” he asked, knowing I occasionally exaggerated a situation.
“I don’t know. I guess if you consider grabbing a girl’s arm and leaving burn marks not bad then…yeah, it wasn’t bad,” I replied dryly.
His lips upturned at my melancholy disposition. “That’s bad.” He was trying to hide the smile that wanted to surface.
Playfully, I smacked him on the chest. “It was,” I admitted. “She deserved it, though,” I defended, feeling the need to justify my actions.
“Of course she did. You wouldn’t do anything someone didn’t deserve,” he blithely teased.
Looking into his face, I immediately thought about what a contrast he was to Gavin, like the sun and the moon. Lukas was the boy next door, with his wholesome good looks and lighthearted sense of humor. He had the kind of smile you had to answer in return. Gavin made me think of shadows, starlight nights and werewolves.
As soon as the thought fluttered through my head, the dream took a drastic change.
Chapter 4
My head was so filled with thoughts of Gavin and Lukas; it took a few moments for me to realize the shift.
The air surrounding us began to transform, covering the sun in murky clouds as darkness descended. Winds screamed and howled, whipping the branches in a war against us. It all happened so fast. I shivered in the gloomy intensity.
Lukas grabbed my hand, pulling me sharply to my feet. “Hurry,” he yelled over the deafening winds. Using himself as a shield from the slashing switch of tree limbs, he guided us out from underneath. As we reached the edge of the covering, the willow’s limbs transformed into venomous snakes, seething in a chorus of hissing tongues. The clatter of rattling tails echoed off the valley walls. At this point, it was clear my subconscious was wacked.
We had almost broken away from the tree when an overpowering tug stopped me in my tracks. Something was attached to my leg, squeezing with deadly pressure— it was a snake, coiled around my leg. A piercing scream ripped from my lungs, ringing over the valley.
Lukas spun around, expelling a hushed string of words over the chaotic noise.
I couldn’t make out what he said over the racket and fear roaring in my blood.
With a snap of a finger, a ghostly silence erupted, followed by an eerie ambiance filling the valley. The push and pull of my breath thundered in my ears over the muteness. Lukas pulled me protectively to his side, keeping his arm around me.
“Are you hurt?” He hastily looked me over from head to toe, searching for blood.
Before I had the ability to answer, a smothering, ash-like fog engulfed us. I reached for Lukas, but I wasn’t fast enough. My hands filled with nothingness. Panic started to rise in my chest.
“Lukas!” I yelled. My voice held the prickling of hysteria as it rang out. “Lukas…where are you?” I listened for his response, but it wasn’t his voice that echoed through the thick air of mist.
“Bri!” it called in a dark huskiness.
A quivering of dread threatened to paralyze me as my head thrashed back and forth, searching. I took one step in retreat, and then another, looking for an opening in the impenetrable haze. My eyes burned as I scanned for a face.
There was something familiar about the voice. It tugged at my mind… then it clicked. If I had not just heard the voice earlier today, I wouldn’t have been able to place it. As recognition seeped through, my pounding heart began to slow.
“Gavin?” I whispered, half to myself, in confusion.
Turning in circles, the toe of my shoe bumped into a rock embedded in the ground, sending me sprawling. I landed with a groan, barely catching my face before it splattered into the forest floor. As I lay there, stunned, a band of arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me carefully to my feet. Even without looking, I knew it was Gavin. His scent assaulted my insides.
I rubbed my hands over my scraped and throbbing forearms. Fireflies spread through my stomach like wildfire at his proximity. Those pesky fireflies were present in dreams, as well!
“What are you doing here?” I asked, dumbfounded. This was a dream— it didn’t need logic— but his presence puzzled me. Never has there been anyone else in the dream other than Lukas and me. His appearance startled me, along with the creepy scenario. Nightmares weren’t normally part of the deal. Today was full of bombshells.
Gavin’s eyes, alert, scanned beyond me. I wasn’t sure how he was able to see past the smog. Obvious tension in his back caused a frisson of unease to sprinkle along my spine.
“What is it?” I asked.
He never had a chance to answer, because that was the moment it ended.
I awoke with a sharp headache, and a lump lodged in my throat. Swallowing to relieve the pressure, I was shocked to find it scratchy, as if I had been screaming. I shoved the bed covers aside, rolled off the bed, and switched on the lamp, chasing the dark shadows from the walls. My body was trembling.
Facing the oval mirror on my dresser, an unfamiliar reflection stared back. My skin was pale, covered with a sheen of sweat, and my eyes were surrounded by dark
circles. The violet irises filled my glossy eyes. Running an unsteady hand through my hair, I forced myself to take deep, even breaths.
“What the hell was that?” I mumbled, startled by the shakiness of my tone.
Leaving the light on, comforted by its soft glow, I crawled back into bed. With my back braced against the headboard, I hugged my knees to my chest and forced the tense muscles to relax. I’d never had a dream with such clarity and devastating effects. My mind swirled around the dream, the sense of reality still with me. I wasn’t prone to nightmares, even as a child; this exceeded anything I’d experienced.
“Something is seriously wrong with me,” I murmured. I must be getting sick. Lifting a hand to my forehead, I expected a temperature, but was met with clammy skin that seemed perfectly normal.
I tried to lie back down, to close my eyes, hoping sleep would take me. To my utter dismay, it proved impossible. Sleep was beyond my control, so I surrendered and lay there with the lamp shining, waiting for the first signs of dawn.
As tired as I was in the morning, I forced my body to pay attention to my mind. Must get up, I chastised and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I zombie-walked to the shower and cranked the heat with hope to chase the chills. Thank God it was Friday. The weekend was within reach, not that I had a life to boast about. My weekends were usually spent at the shop.
I lived a wild life.
The steam from the shower massaged my taut nerves as the memories of yesterday started flying in my head. This day couldn’t end fast enough.
I dressed in my favorite outfit, a plum-colored tank and my most flattering skinny jeans. Comfort was key on days like today. And maybe everyone would stare at my ass, instead of the bags under my eyes.
A girl could try.
I gave one last longing look at the bed before walking out. Better to face your problems head on than to run and hide. I don’t know who said that, but they definitely didn’t have my problems.
The top was down on my very used black Mustang, its engine roaring like a big Herculean cat. To drown the noise and my nerves, I turned the radio a few octaves higher than comfortable, One Republic’s Apologize crooning from the speakers. The seats vibrated in time with the bass. My hair was tied in a loose ponytail, the wind whipping strands on my cheeks. The skies dejected clouds hung overhead in a display of chaos.
Just like my mood.
The middle of October had an aura of fall creeping closer. More storms would threaten the oceans as hurricane season started to settle in. I focused my attention back to the road as the Mustang effortlessly hugged a gentle curve. I pulled into the parking lot of Holly Ridge High, and reached in the backseat for my messenger bag. This was my senior year, and something told me it might just be a year I wouldn’t forget.
Chapter 5
The school’s structure reminded me of an odd shaped S, with its faded red bricks reflecting the wear and tear of decades. There was a sweeping pink dogwood in front of the main office, with wooden benches flanking either side. A large cougar was mounted over the front of the building where the school’s motto stretched across the top in bold, black letters.
Maneuvering my slightly rusting car into a parking space, the lot was packed with second-hand vehicles like mine. There was the occasional glimmer of something flashy, like the silver Infiniti next to me. I deliberately avoided it. The last thing I needed was to dent the luxury car with my peeling black paint.
I tossed my bag on my shoulder and headed toward the lockers. As I arrived at the rundown row of metal compartments, I started shuffling my books for my first class, pulling out my U.S. History book with subdued enthusiasm. I was acutely aware of the murmuring hum from the students around me. The hall sounded like the swirling buzz of mosquitoes after a humid rainfall. So much for hoping the events of yesterday would be old news. It was only a matter of time before my classmates found some other gossip to spread.
Resigned to whatever fate was in store, I numbly headed to homeroom.
My first two classes went as expected. Nothing life threatening, just more of the hushed whispers I barely noticed anymore. Or maybe I didn’t care.
Before third period, I stopped at my locker to switch books. As I flung my chem text into my bag, the locker beside mine squeaked open. In no mood for company, I hiked my bag over my shoulder, ready to make a quick exit. My hand slammed the locker shut, and I averted my gaze, avoiding the body next to me. As I spun around, the scent of reckless woods washed over me.
Silently I groaned. What is with this guy?
I rolled my eyes, angling toward him, not expecting to fall into the depths of his sapphire eyes. Was I supposed to breathe when he looked at me like this? My annoyance was momentarily forgotten.
He smirked, moving the hoop in his lip slightly. “Hey, Bri.” The shortened name sounded so intimate when it came from his mouth, suggesting he knew me on a more personal level.
If I stayed another minute with him, I was going to make a complete fool of myself. Who knew what idiotic thing would come out of my mouth. Then there was his smirk, which I couldn’t figure out. Was he laughing at me? Was he amused by me, or did he just have an annoying smirk I found charming and maddening all at the same time?
I took a step to the side. He shifted his unlaced boots in front of my path, obstructing my escape.
“What’s your deal?” I asked, sharper than intended. I ran a nervous hand through my hair. My emotions around him reminded me of a pinball machine, bouncing from one side to another. Up. Down. Left. Right.
His smile only widened. “You’re the only person I know.” He had an arrogant confidence about him, in his stance, the way he was sure of himself. Of course, I would find that endearing as well. “I figured you could be my guide, help me find my next class,” he replied at my confused look.
I snorted. “You’re actually going to class today?” My disbelief was real. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him, or if we’d even meet again. My school was the only high school in town, and fairly large; there were plenty of kids I didn’t know. Not only that, but I didn’t have the best social skills.
He moved a little bit closer to me, shutting out more of the activity in the halls. “It seemed like the best way to see you again, unless you’re planning to skip…” His voice had dropped, but lost none of its huskiness.
Did he just say he wanted to see me again? My brain couldn’t process the idea. Skirting over what my mind couldn’t believe, I asked the obvious question. I cleared my throat. “What’s your next class?”
“Umm…” He pulled out a crumpled slip of white paper from the back pocket of his jeans. It was impossible not to notice how good he looked in them. He was dressed pretty much the same as yesterday, in dark clothing that looked impeccable on him. “What period is it?” he asked.
“Third,” I replied, perplexed by his lack of interest. If he didn’t know what period it was, what was he even doing here? He smoothed out his class schedule, looking for third period. I leaned in to peer at the printout.
Big mistake.
I couldn’t help but notice how a stray lock fell over his eyes when he bent to read the slip. My fingers itched to brush it back from his face. “Looks like I have chemistry. Room C102.” He read off the schedule, ignoring the midnight strand of hair.
“Great,” I replied, a tad sarcastic. Wasn’t that just my luck? It also happened to be my next class.
He raised a studded brow.
“It’s my next class.” I echoed my own thoughts and turned toward C hall
He followed in step beside me, not missing a beat. “Chemistry…this should be interesting.”
I glanced sideways, my eyes narrowing. He held my gaze, a smile on his lips, and the promise of a secret he was unwilling to divulge. There was no doubt he understood my irritation. The longer I stared at the blue of his irises, the faster my heart sped, and the zooming fireflies multiplied in my stomach.
“You have such unusual eyes,” he finally stated. The husky dark text
ure of his voice lulled over me and seriousness shone in his eyes, a contrast to the teasing quality I’d gotten use to from him.
I was stunned. Was that another compliment? Odd. I’d been admiring his eyes. We more or less had the same thought. My tongue was tied in knots, and he had yet to break eye contact.
As fate would have it, he ended up saving me from yet another disaster. My focus was entirely on him, and in rationalizing the incident, it boiled down to really being his fault. Fortunately for me, he was more aware of our surroundings.
I all but walked into one of the pillars edging the entrance to C hall. Gavin casually placed a hand at the small of my back, and, gracefully on his part, glided me around the pillar. The contact of his hand broke the staring spell and incited an all-new set of excitement. Tingles, like tiny shooting stars, burst throughout me, and the intensity of it snapped me back a second before I whacked the column. My feet miss-stepped, and I stumbled on the frayed carpet.
I wasn’t extremely graceful, but around him, I was downright klutzy. Afraid to meet his eyes, I kept my head straight. “Thanks,” I muttered under my breath, trying to hide my mortification.
“Is this going to be a habit? Me saving you?” There was amusement lining his words.
I just rolled my eyes. Relief huddled over me now that he was back in teasing form. His flattery wasn’t something I knew how to handle.
We walked into Mr. Burke’s class side-by-side. The majority of the class was already seated, and all eyes were on us. Gavin left my side, walking up to where Mr. Burke sat at the front of the class. He handed Mr. Burke a pink slip as I made my way over to my table. He looked to me and winked. A murmur of chatter zigzagged down the rows of desks. It wasn’t enough that I caused a spectacle yesterday, now I had some new mysterious gorgeous guy flirting with me. Sinking further into my chair, I scowled at him.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was in the need of some serious girl time, Austin included. I hadn’t talked to either of them since I skipped out of school early. I had turned my phone off last night, hell bent on shutting myself off from the world.