Dreamer ~ A Daniel Seavey Fanfiction

Chapter 20

DANIEL'S POV

"Okay, okay," Harper giggles. "Try another one."

"Okay, fine," I say, calming down and flopping back on the couch. "Hit me."

We've been studying for almost three hours - studying being a loose term. We're goofing around more than anything, and the only thing sticking in my mind is Harper's laugh.

She dramatically reads the flash card in front of her. "When was the battle of Bunker Hill?"

"Oh God," I laugh, running a hand over my face and trying to remember. "December, 1775?"

Harper bursts out laughing again. "That was the battle of Quebec! Bunker Hill was June, Daniel!" I start laughing with her until we can barely breathe.

"Oh, I am so failing this test!" I complain as Harper wipes her eyes free of tears from laughing too hard.

"Me too," she replies. "I can't even remember what date the Declaration was signed anymore." She takes my hands in hers and puts one on each side of her head. "My brain is mush."

I don't disagree with her at all. My head feels heavy, and it's not because I've gained any knowledge, but because I'm tired of trying to. "You know what that means," I say, grinning mischievously. "Study break!"

"Daniel, we can't," Harper laughs again, throwing a pillow at me. I catch it. "We've already taken about twenty breaks so far!"

"So this is twenty-one," I respond cheekily, tossing the pillow back and turning the TV on. I turn to go downstairs, calling over my shoulder to her, "You want a drink?"

"Sure," she answers, collecting flash cards from the floor that we had been throwing around.

"Okay. I'm making popcorn," I say happily, bounding down the steps.

"No objections here," I hear Harper laugh.

I go downstairs to the family room, crossing it to get to the kitchenette and grab the popcorn kernels. As I'm popping the popcorn, I hear the volume on the TV blaring a news story, and the movement above me stops. Once the popcorn machine stops, I take the bowl of popcorn and climb back upstairs.

"Okay, one bowl of popcorn, ready to go. What else do we need?"

I look up, and Harper doesn't even seem to hear me. Her eyes are fixated on the TV screen, but I'm only focused on her. Something's wrong - I don't know what, but the mood in the room has changed, and it worries me.

"Harper?" I ask tentatively, setting the popcorn bowl down on the kitchen island and crossing the room to her. "Harper? What happened?"

She turns to me, her eyes unfocused and dazed. She looks like she could pass out, and that fear increases when she can't even find words to speak to me. "I..."

Now, I'm slightly panicked. "Harper!" I say, shaking her shoulders gently. "Are you okay?" She doesn't respond. "Harper, talk to me!"

All she does is point at the TV. I whip my head toward the screen, keeping my hands firmly on Harper's shoulders, and read the news headline: UCLA STUDENT OVERDOSED AT FRATERNITY PARTY. Beside the news anchor who's reporting the story, there is a picture on the screen of the student. Her name is written in bold letters underneath it - Carmen Sun.

Trying - and failing - to make a connection between Harper and the girl in my head, I turn back to Harper, searching her eyes. "The girl? Did you know her?"

She doesn't answer me right away. Instead, Harper turns back to the TV, staring at the picture of the girl. But I'm still looking right at her, like the side of her face is going to give me the answers I'm looking for. When Harper finally speaks, my heart rate triples and my stomach drops. The world tilts, and I'm not sure it will ever be set right again - not the way it used to be.

"She's my sister. And she's supposed to be dead."

~