“No!” I screamed and threw out my arms hoping to stop the attack. My heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest and my ribs restricted the air to my lungs. I jerked straight up, safe in my bed; there was no wolf, no stream, no trees and again, no Brandon. It was already dark outside and I was still dressed in the clothes I put on the day before. Maybe I hadn’t gotten out of bed this morning, or maybe this was just another series of strange dreams overtaking my mind.
Every movement hurt worse than the one before as I climbed out of bed. I turned on the light in the bathroom and stared at the beaten and bruised reflection looking back at me; most of my skin was a muted shade of purple or green, like a bruise fading on the surface. I ran my fingers down the length of both of my arms and across my collarbone. Cool water on my face and hands didn’t make the bruises go away and didn’t make me wake up for real.
The bruises were here to stay; they were real.
I shrugged into my robe and headed back into my room. I hadn’t minded the dreams about Brandon, at least until today; his gorgeous body thrashed and contorted into a wolf or I guess werewolf is a more appropriate term. I don’t understand why my subconscious would turn him into a monster; my other dreams of him were kissing him and loving him. But in real life, I was in love with Alex. Then again, if it was all a dream, why would I dream that Alex’s touch caused me so much pain, so much agony? I’d have to confide in my mother; she would have sound advice and maybe she’d be able to tell me why the hell I was bruised everywhere.
c h a p t e r
ELEVEN
Went to dinner with Aunt Jamie. Don’t wait up. Love~ Mom
That’s what the note said. Don’t wait up, so much for confiding in her. The episode with Alex couldn’t have been real; if it were my parents would have never left me alone. I shuffled to the fridge to get myself some dinner. I considered reheating leftovers, but that didn’t sound good. I decided to make my best dish – mac n cheese. The phone rang just as the water started to boil and I considered not answering it. Instead, I dumped the box of macaroni into the pan and grabbed the phone on the fifth ring wondering if the caller would hang up when I answered. I hoped it wasn’t Alex calling.
“Hello?”
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Jillian said.
“A little dazed right now.” I watched the churning and twisting water in the pan. I stirred it as the water started to remind me of Brandon turning into a werewolf.
“Well, that’s what you get for sleeping for a week.”
“What?” The dreams didn’t seem like they lingered that long.
“Yeah, your mom said that you had a really nasty cold. I got all your homework for you.”
“Thanks.” I replied looking around the kitchen to see if anything had changed; but nothing seemed out of place. The cold had to be worse than I thought.. “Hey, have you talked to Alex?”
She fumbled something and a thump echoed through the phone. “Yeah, he is really worried about you. I met his friend
Gavin. He is super nice and out of this world gorgeous. I’ve been hanging out at Alex’s place every night.” Her voice hitched when she said Gavin’s name; she was in love.
“I can’t wait to meet him. Did Alex seem … mad at all?”
The look on his face the last time I saw him haunted me. “No silly!” More rustling. “He has been like a lost puppy this week. Courtney has tried so hard to move in on your territory.
It’s been classic watching him dash her hopes day after day. He even got detention this week for mouthing off in Mr. Thompson’s class. It was bad when it happened, but it’s kinda sweet that he’s all broken up over you being gone.”
I interrupted her. “Has he come over at all?” The phone grew silent.
“Umm ... no.” I waited for her to add more.
“Why not?” I asked. If he missed me so much at school then why wasn’t he beating down the door everyday waiting for me to get better?
“I’m not sure. He said that he went over there once and your parents were mean to him.” She hesitated.
The last time he came over my mother threw him out … a week ago now. If he hadn’t returned, then maybe it wasn’t a dream.
“Lacey?” Mom walked into the kitchen carrying a takeout bag from the steakhouse. “I brought you dinner in case you were up.” She held out the bag like a peace offering. “How are you feeling?”
“Jillian, I have to go. My parents just got here.”
“Are you going to school tomorrow?” She sounded hopeful.
“Yeah.” I disconnected and watched Mom put my dinner in the microwave. “Mom …” I didn’t know how to ask her what I wanted to know.
“What’s wrong honey? Are you still feeling sick?” Mom rested her hand on my back as Dad walked into the room.
“Hey! Look who’s up!” Dad claimed the seat next to mine at the table. “I was starting to think we lost you to narcolepsy.”
I half grinned, but didn’t really appreciate his sarcasm right now. My question for Mom would have to wait. Dad would overreact to my dreams and probably try to send me to counseling or an asylum.
Jillian showed up to take me to school the next morning; but Alex didn’t. Maybe Courtney had talked to Alex about Brandon coming into the office, but I wasn’t sure if that really happened or not. I had to tell someone about my dreams and what I thought had happened a week ago. My body still ached all over and my head wasn’t quite right.
“Did Alex mention anything about going to my house last week?” I waited impatiently for Jillian’s response as she adjusted her seatbelt and fussed with the keys in the ignition.
“No.” She finally replied. “Why? Did something happen?” Jillian winked.
“I’ve been having these really weird dreams.” I hesitated almost losing my nerve to confess to my friend that I’d lost my mind. The dreams were so real; for all I knew this conversation could be another one.
“Are you going to finish that thought?” Jillian interrupted my mental debate.
“I think … I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.”
Jillian laughed. “You are too young for that.”
“No, I’m serious. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not anymore.”
“Ok … What are you talking about?”
“These dreams I’m having … they are so real. I dreamed that Alex picked me up last week and his touch ...” I looked out the car window trying to stop my body from shivering at my too real memories of the pain. “His fingers felt like they were burning through my skin. I threw up all over the yard and Alex smelled … awful, like my nostrils were being soaked in acid.”
“EWW … that is a little graphic, don’t you think?”
“I’m being serious. It didn’t feel like a dream. The pain was real.” I pulled up my sleeves. “Look at these.” I showed her the purple and green markings. “I don’t know how I got them. You don’t usually get bruised in your dreams, do you?”
Jillian shook her head and pulled the car into the parking spot at school. “Have you told your mom about this?”
“No, I was going to last night, but Dad came in and I didn’t want to talk about it in front of him … he’d tell me I was being silly.”
Jillian brushed one finger down the length of my forearm over the bruising. “That looks terrible.”
“I know.” I pulled my sleeve back down and glanced around the parking lot looking for Alex’s Camaro, but it wasn’t there. “I know my parents know they are there. They saw them last night when I was eating dinner. Neither of them said a thing about them.”
“Maybe they know how you actually got them and didn’t want to say anything?”
I hated to state the obvious. “Wouldn’t you think you’d remember having the shit beaten out of you enough to get these types of bruises?”
Jillian squinted her eyes as though she didn’t appreciate my observation. “You would
think, but you’re the one sitting here obsessing about strange dreams that aren’t real.”
OUCH. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you.” I replied, a little more snidely than I had intended. I climbed from the car trying to make sure I didn’t bump any of the too real, too fake, not sure how they got there, the bruises.
Jillian rushed behind me towards the school. “I’m so sorry Lacey.” She grabbed my arm and I winced. “Damn. I forgot.”
Wrapping my arms around my body, I tried to ignore the pain rushing through me and not bite her head off. “It’s fine.” I continued walking not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. I should’ve stayed home; I was not ready for this.
“Maybe you should talk to Mrs. Stone …” Jillian whispered as we neared the office. We both stopped walking when we saw Brandon slumped against the building. His dark eyes focused in our direction as if he had expected us. “Oh my …” Jillian said under her breath. “SO, I guess I’ll catch up with you later?” Her tone changed as she rushed off leaving me with my love turned monster.
“Hey.” I swallowed hard, staying several feet from him. Brandon looked at the gap between us and stood upright. His face pale and his eyes were blood shot.
“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for the other day.” The other day … When he kissed me in the nurse’s office.
“No sweat.” I tried to play it off, but he just confirmed that it wasn’t a dream. Brandon’s eyes shifted back and forth to students walking on the sidewalk and people going into the office.