As she unloaded her backpack, I asked, “So how is everything?”
“I have so much to tell you. But Hannah and Grace will kill me if we get talking without them. I promised we’d meet up downstairs the second you arrived.”
I grinned. “Okay. But I have to ask, is Hannah still having issues with Caitlyn?”
She shook her head. “Caitlyn’s left her alone. But she’s super tight with Tessa now. And Tessa’s become just like her.”
I raised my eyebrows and forced a smile. “Great. Just what we need. Two Caitlyns.”
When we entered the dining hall, a group of boys caught my eye. Ben was among them.
Aditi nodded to another table. “I’ll be over there.”
As I approached the boys’ table, Ben looked up. So many emotions flashed across his face before he leaped out of his chair to embrace me in a bear hug. Okay. He’s definitely thrilled to have me back.
After I said quick hellos to everyone at the table, Ben leaned over and whispered, “Do you want to study together this afternoon?”
His warm breath hit my neck and tingles spread out from there. “I think I’ll be studying twenty-four seven for the next two months,” I whispered back.
He laughed. “I’ll meet you at four fifteen by the elevators.”
I returned to Aditi’s table where she’d saved me a spot with Hannah and Grace.
“So are you going to the library with Ben?” Grace asked.
“Yeah, he just asked me.” I took a spoonful of my yogurt.
“He’s been talking about you every day since you left,” Aditi said. “He was beyond relieved when he found out you were coming back today.”
I grinned. First the hug and now this. Ben missed me. A lot.
“I was worried you might not come back,” Hannah said.
“You and me both. Josh helped me convince my parents to let me return. He believes Dickensen is a good fit for me. He always has.”
I filled them in on my brother’s progress, leaving out the part where I’d spilled the secret. Best if no one knew. In fact, I didn’t even tell them I’d learned to convey. I wanted it to be a surprise for Aditi. I was fairly confident I could do it, but no need to jinx myself.
****
When I stepped off the elevator, Ben stood, shifting his weight side to side, staring at a mountain landscape oil painting on the wall.
I tapped him on the shoulder.
He spun around, grinned, and then started moving toward the exit.
“The library, right?” I nodded to his backpack over by the wall.
He turned a little pink before retrieving it from the floor.
As we exited O’Reilly, he asked, “Maybe we can take the long way?”
“Sure.” I smiled, relieved to have some alone time to get over the awkwardness of our separation. I hadn’t spoken to him all month and had only responded to a couple of his emails and texts.
“How’s everything at home?”
I gave a short recap of the latest news, finishing with, “Make sure to thank your parents for the flowers. It was so nice of them.”
He nodded. “We thought about visiting when I was home for break.” He shrugged. “But I kind of assumed you guys wanted privacy.”
“I’d have liked to have seen you. But you’re right. When Josh was in the coma, visitors seemed uncomfortable. No one knew what to say.”
“Well, I’m so glad he’s getting better and you’re back. It wasn’t the same around here.”
A breathless feeling filled my body. It was one thing to hear it from Aditi, yet another to hear it directly from Ben.
He reached out and took my hand.
At that moment, with the sun shining down on us and a fresh breeze blowing, making me feel so alive and happy, I decided I wanted him to be the first to hear my news. “So I’ve figured out how to convey.”
He twisted toward me, his eyes wide. “Really? I’d have thought you’d have taken a break from all that.”
“So did I. When I got home, dream-making was the furthest thing from my mind. But then in the hospital, I’d tell Josh these stories about his recovery. At first, I think I was doing it more for myself than for him. It helped me stay positive. Then I converted my stories into the dream conveyance protocol and tried telepathy. Suddenly it was like he could hear me.” I continued on with the details, leaving out the part about revealing the Dickensen secret.
“I always knew you could do it.”
His comment was so sincere, I had to turn toward the forest so he wouldn’t see me blushing.
“I have some news too. You know the ski dream I was trying to send Aditi?”
I nodded.
“After break, I got it through to her.”
My eyes popped wide. “Through the walls?”
“Yeah. From my room. And I’ve done it every Sunday since.”
“That’s terrific!”
Ben let go of my hand and opened the library door for us. “But, Autumn—conveying wasn’t the most amazing thing. It was Aditi. Your theory was right. Last weekend, we went skiing. And for the first time since January, she begged to come.”
“She did?”
“Yes! And she can ski.” He let the door swing shut behind us. “She’s still a beginner, no doubt, but she understands what she’s supposed to do, and she’s excited to learn.”
A flush of adrenaline spread through me. Dream telepathy really did have its powers.
Chapter: 42
The halls were crammed with students rushing between classes. Loud voices called to one another. Metal lockers clanged shut. Such a change from the eerie silence of Harborview. After so much time isolated with my family and the solemn medical personnel at the hospital, diving back in among my boisterous peers was unsettling. The knots in my stomach were nearly as tight as on the first day of school.
“Hey, Autumn, you’re back!” A guy from my Spanish class grinned as we passed each other in the hallway.
I swiveled my neck toward a girl’s voice. “Heard your brother’s finally home. Great news.”
Everyone seemed to go out of their way to welcome me back. Even Principal Locke had found me earlier and told me how relieved he was to hear Josh was recovering.
As I traded a thick history book for a marginally lighter science book at my locker, a familiar voice rose above the hallway chatter.
“I thought we’d gotten rid of her.”
I spun around. Caitlyn and Tessa both glanced back over their shoulders, as if to make sure I’d heard. Tessa hadn’t spoken a word, but she was giggling.
My chest clenched and I scowled. “That’s low, Caitlyn. Even for you.”
Not sure if they even heard me because they kept on walking.
I shook my head to push away the comment and held my shoulders high. I wasn’t going to let it get to me.
****
At the end of the day, I met with Mr. Robbins to go through everything I’d missed. As the class cleared out, we talked about Josh. But the second the large room was empty, I blurted, “I learned to convey.”
His eyes stretched wide in astonishment.
“I know I’m months and months behind, but I’m hoping we can work something out. I’m guessing my dad still wants to see an A.”
He tipped his chair back so far it creaked. “So tell me. How’d this all happen?”
“It all kind of clicked like you said it would.”
He kept nodding as I relayed the details. I skipped over the part about telling Josh about the dreams. Instead I mentioned I’d asked him unobtrusive questions to confirm key facts.
“Well, I hate that your family had to go through such a scare with your brother, but it looks like there was a silver lining for you. The two conveyances of Dream Two will count as completed. I wish I could give you full credit for the other dreams you sent to your brother, but they don’t satisfy the freshman requirements.” He grinned and wrote something in his notebook. “However, I can give you some extra credit. More impo
rtantly, I want to emphasize your experience conveying those dreams should help you master the required skills more easily.”
I wrinkled my nose and tilted my head. “How so?”
“For example, you applied higher-level skills in the neurosurgeon dream where you had a two-way conversation with your brother. Even though you removed many of the variables in the dialogue by providing his words, it’s still exceptional for an early conveyance.”
A floating sensation came over my body.
“It’ll still be a struggle to satisfy all the criteria to achieve an A between now and mid-June. I wish I could simply give it to you, but you were failing Dream Management before you left. Your biggest obstacle will be the lack of time.”
He pulled out his calendar and studied it. “Hmm, eight weeks of school remaining. That gives you sixteen opportunities to convey to Aditi.” He mumbled, “Not enough.” He turned to his computer and opened the Dream Calendar App. “Looks like Ben Coleman has Aditi’s next two Sunday nights. But other than those, her Sundays are available.” He started typing. “I’m reassigning Ben’s Sundays to you. This is a higher priority than his experiment. That’ll give you eight more slots.”
I rubbed my hands together. I was pretty sure Ben would be fine with it but felt a little guilty I was taking over his time.
After a few minutes, my teacher turned back to me. “Let me warn you, just because you’ve conveyed successfully doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks. Don’t count on perfection each night. Even our best dream-makers often get stuck learning new skills, and this tight schedule doesn’t leave much room for error.”
“Okay.”
“Also, you’re missing several art projects. I’ll waive the ones you missed that weren’t tied to any dreams. But if you’re shooting for an A, you’ll need to complete the rest, considering you can’t convey the dreams without them.”
I smiled. Skipping a few would help.
He pulled out a sticky note and wrote something down. “Give me a few days to decide the best way to catch you up in Visual Arts. I’ll give you some rudimentary instructions for the lessons you’ve missed, but I’m sure some students could help you perfect the techniques. I’ll get back to you with suggestions.”
“Thanks. I won’t let you down.”
“Don’t worry about me. It sounds like it’s your father you don’t want to let down.”
“Right. I guess that’s what I meant.” Funny, but although the A would get Dad off my back, perfecting my Dream Management skills was what now motivated me most. I wanted to be as good as Ben someday.
****
I had a difficult time falling asleep because my pulse was beating like I’d downed a sixteen-ounce mocha with a double shot of espresso. I was going to convey to Aditi at one o’clock for the first time in over a month, and she still had no idea about my past successes. I couldn’t wait to see her face in the morning.
As I sat in the dark, I smiled down at my roommate, my best friend. I wanted this to work. It had to work, or I’d have to leave this place. I took a deep breath and let my new confidence push aside the pressure already forming in my thoughts.
I immersed myself into the script and went through the dream in detail: the rustle of the fallen leaves, the warm afternoon sun on my face, the fresh earthy smell, and the outdated spiel about my favorite musicians—I didn’t dare change them from my October list.
Then Aditi latched on.
Or so it seemed.
The next morning, I woke before our alarm. The spring sunshine streamed through the windows. I felt different. I felt relaxed and at peace.
I rolled to my side. When I saw Aditi, my stomach went nauseous. She didn’t look any different than any other morning. Her eyes were closed, and her arm clutched a lavender pillow. I was positive I’d conveyed successfully. But what if I was wrong? I’d been wrong before. I swallowed hard and stared at the clock as it worked its way toward seven.
The alarm blared and I slapped it off.
When I turned to Aditi, she was already resting on her elbows in bed, grinning ear to ear. “You did it!”
My heart skipped a beat.
“How?”
I swiped my notebook from my desk. “I’ll tell you all about it at breakfast, but I need to get through the Initial Dream Checklist first. I can’t afford to miss a single one.”
Chapter: 43
The snow at Stevens Pass was soft and the sun bright. It was a relief to give myself a break after ten days of nonstop studying. My plan had been to stick to my self-imposed, rigorous schedule weekdays and weekends. School was out in less than seven weeks, and I had to make the most of every minute. But I’d given in to pressure from my friends to go skiing today in exchange for Aditi’s and Hannah’s help tomorrow in the art studio. We were carving animal figures out of clay in Creative Core, which relied on the sculpting techniques they’d learned during my absence. They would’ve helped me regardless, but it was their way of convincing me to come. Besides, as Aditi pointed out, the concept of teaching her to ski through dreams was originally my idea.
The rhythmic swooshing of my skis cutting through the shaved-ice-like snow was the only sound I could hear until I tucked and the noise changed to a soft whistle as my speed increased. I inhaled the crisp mountain air. Cool but far from freezing. It felt so good to exercise my legs after a month of inactivity. While skiing, Hannah was able to keep up with Ben and me, as long as we avoided the For Experts Only signs. Although her form could improve, she made up for it with her natural balance and athleticism.
We skied a few runs with Aditi after her lesson. The exhilaration in her eyes as she glided down the hill was infectious. Back in January, they were full of fear. Yes, it was still the bunny hill, but this time she was in control and didn’t fall. Looked like my theory was correct. Too bad the ski resort would close soon.
“Ben, you did it! I’m so impressed,” I said.
He smiled. “Thanks. But don’t forget your part in this.” Then he leaned close and gave me a kiss on my near-frozen lips. I’d forgotten how such a gentle action could affect my entire body—it’d been forever since our last one. Unfortunately, I had to pull away too soon, painfully aware Aditi and Hannah were about six feet away—PDA was so not my thing.
****
Sunday night, I called home from one of the phone booths. Josh picked up. He jabbered about how his cast had finally come off, so he’d get to return to school tomorrow. As I listened, I leaned back on the wooden bench built into the wall and placed my feet high up on the opposite one, making the most of the tight space. I’d spoken with my brother almost daily this past month. We kept each other motivated. He was also on an aggressive plan, with his own set of activities: physical therapy, memory exercises, doctor’s appointments, and sessions with a psychologist. Not to mention his tutoring and homework. Even after dropping a couple of classes, he was still far behind. Some days he was pretty down, but today he was in high spirits. I’d have loved to keep talking, but after a few minutes, I told him I needed to speak with Dad.
I’d been rehearsing the conversation in my head all day. Being back on campus the past week and a half was long enough to know I wanted to graduate from Dickensen Academy more than anything in the world. And it wasn’t only about becoming a dream-maker. Or even Ben. I belonged here. The school’s culture seemed made for people like me. I was becoming who I was supposed to be because I didn’t have to hide my true self.
“Hey, Autumn. Ready to review science? You have a test coming up this week, right?”
Dad couldn’t see me, but I still planted my feet back on the ground and sat straight. “Yeah. I mean, no. I do have a test on Wednesday, but I don’t want to review it right now.”
“You know weeknights are tough. This is really the best time for me.”
I took a deep breath. If I was going to remain at Dickensen, I needed to keep standing up for myself. “I mean, I don’t want to review science with you at all.”
“What?
”
“I can do it on my own. I’ve been doing fine this year. I’d rather use my study time on Sundays the way I want to.”
Silence.
I braced for the inevitable blow and softened my tone. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. I know it’s taken a lot of time.”
“You haven’t even completed all your midterms.”
“I know. But I’m fifteen years old, and I don’t need so much help.”
He paused again. “Okay. You might be right.”
That’s it? He didn’t even sound angry. Maybe he was too busy dealing with Josh. Or maybe, just maybe, he trusted me.
“So…how was skiing yesterday?”
****
To my delight, Ben asked me to take another walk in the woods for a study break. It had only been a few days since the kiss on the slopes, and I could hardly keep my mind off him, especially after yesterday’s make-out session along the trails. When he reached for my hand, I held on tight. This is what I’d longed for since September.
The forest was greener than it’d been in months. Although most of the trees were conifers, the undergrowth was full of bushes sporting shiny new leaves. The birds, back after their winter’s absence, filled the woods with their melodies. As we strolled by one low hanging branch, a squirrel chittered at us in a fevered pitch until we were past. I had to laugh.
Once we were out of sight of campus, Ben spun me toward him. As my heart rate accelerated, I silently thanked myself for brushing my teeth after class.
Ben wrapped his arms around my shoulders and leaned down to kiss me. His lips were so soft and my body warmed. Soon, his fingers traveled slowly down my back. Although I wore a long-sleeve T-shirt, my body jolted at the new sensation.
I pushed back. “I don’t think I can do this.”
His eyes filled with remorse. “I’m sorry. Too much?”
He had nothing to be sorry about, so I leaned back in. It had felt amazing. We continued to kiss, but I could no longer let go and enjoy it. Ben’s hands remained on my shoulders. He must’ve thought his wandering hands were the issue.
After a couple of minutes, I pulled away again.
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