Deviants

Chapter 10

Johnny

I stand from my computer, my entire programming class is empty aside from me and Amee, who approaches me from the doorway with a wide smile on her face

"Amee, what's up?" I ask her.

"I'm right here, Johnny," she says, then throws her arms around my neck. I can't help but chuckle as I gently pull her away.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"I've been right by you this whole time!" She says, with her smile still wide. I frown at her.

"Amee, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, Johnny, not Amee. I'm her," she says, with the same wide smile on her face. I take a step from her, still frowning with confusion.

I open my eyes, lying in my bed with the dream still fresh in my mind. What the hell? I think as I sit up. Now that I'm up, it clearly felt like a dream, but nothing that I've ever had before. Could it mean something important? She seemed so sure of herself, but what on earth was she talking about? I sigh and try to shake the dream out off my mind, but it seems too important. What could it mean?

I stand, then kneel beside my bed to pull out the box of all the information my father gave me about my mother and sister. I search through the box until I find the last photo that my family took together. I was only two years old and Jenny must've been turning one. Both mine and Jenny's hair are as dark as Dad's but looking at my mother her hair seems to be dyed. I remember her having multiple different hair colors. What was her natural color?

I search through different pictures, including the very small photo album of their wedding. There her hair is a lighter brown. In this younger version of her with a smile on her face I begin to see similarities between her and... Amee?

Shaking my head, I close the album and stuff it back in the box. I'm just grasping at straws now. It would be easier on me if my sister really were Amee, I tell myself. I shove the box back under the bed and quickly dress. Remembering that Clarity planned a study group today in the library, I grab my textbook and laptop before walking out of the room. On the way to the library I see Amee and May Eve coming from a breakfast shop with packages in their hands.

"Hi!" They both say, smiling at me. We continue together towards the library. "How was the party last night?" Amee asks, just as I notice that she's limping with her right leg. My eyes widen, remembering the party. The dream this morning completely drove it from my mind. Walking Kate home and actually having a conversation where we both talked had me cheering when I went to bed. But to hell if I'd admit that to anyone, especially Amee and Shad, where I get most of the humiliation from.

"Uh, it was alright," I reply. Amee and May Eve giggle.

"Yeah, I bet," Amee says, winking to me. I decide to ignore her.

"Weren't you there? Why are you limping?"

"Oh," Amee says while holding out her limping leg. "I sprained my knee last night. I went to my dorm to put some stuff on it and decided that I was better to stay off it for the night." While we talk, I take the opportunity to study Amee's profile. She does have the same face shape as my mother, and their hair looks almost the exact same color.

"Uh, Amee, would it be rude to ask if that's your natural hair color?" I ask. She looks at me as if she's about to laugh.

"Yes, it would be rude, and yes, this is my natural hair color." As she says this, I notice May Eve looking at her with an expression that doesn't seem to fit her personality. She isn't smiling, one of her brows are slightly raised and her eyes glance at Amee almost skeptically.

"Oh, sorry," I say. May Eve and Amee begin talking before I speak up again, "Amee, does the... actually, never mind." She smiles while giving me a confused look before we enter the library. If Amee was my sister, then why the hell would she change her name? Especially to Amee Woods. I know my mother changed her last name back to Snow after my parents got divorced, and even if my mom changed Jenny's last name with hers, that still doesn't explain why Jenny would change her name to something like Amee Woods.

Kate looks up from the large library table that's in a small conference room that we always sit at. Seeing her run her fingers through her hair and give me a small bashful smile it's easy to let the subject of Amee and my sister go. It's too stupid and I'm grasping at straws. If I opened that file on my computer, I would know that Amee isn't my sister.

"Hi," Kate says. I smile at her.

"Hey, how was your morning?" I ask as I sit next to her. May Eve sits on my other side.

"It was... really good," she says, her pink cheeks deepening, sending butterflies to my stomach.

"I really enjoyed last night," I whisper to her as the conference room door opens again.

"So, did I," she whispers back. I turn to greet Clint, Jesse, Shad, Clarity and Justin.

"You know, Clarity," Irene says, "when you plan these things, you're usually not supposed to be the one that's late." Clarity giggles.

"I know, but..." she glances at Shad, "I got held up." Shad winks at her and sits at May Eve's other side. As we begin working, the conversations turn into whispers, aside from Shad, who doesn't seem to want to do any schoolwork.

Kate leans closer to me when she's finished with her studies and asks me to explain to her the program that I'm designing. In the beginning of explaining it to her, I catch a whiff of her sweet smell, something that follows her around from the Bakery Shop. I loose track of what I'm saying and look down at her long, dark eyelashes. I notice the end of her pen touching her lips which makes me realize how glossy and pink her lips are. I imagine that they taste like cookies.

When she noticed that I've stopped talking, she looks up at me with her light blue eyes and a deep blush on her cheeks. How can her eyes remind me of ice and yet fill me with warmth when they look at me?

I roll my sleeves up to my elbows and push my glasses up my nose as she runs her hand through her hair, and we look away from each other. My heart pounds so hard that I begin to feel like last night was child's play. It was. I wish I would've kissed her, and I wish this room wasn't full of people.

"Shad, do you think you can help me with my argumentized essay?" May Eve speaks up.

"Cheeky, those are my favorite. I'll complete that essay if you work on that poem we have to do," Shad says. May Eve smiles.

"I don't think you'd want me to. I hate poems," she says. I notice Jesse staring at them as if they are unbelievable.

"A'right, then that report on our favorite author," Shad says.

"Deal. Who's your favorite author?" May Eve asks as they switch textbooks.

"Blimey, I don't have one. Why don't you just select a random author, I'm easy." Shad says.

"You two are so bent," Jesse says. "If you don't care to write, then why are you trying to get bloody career on writing?" May Eve giggles.

"What's that matter, Jess? Gonna snitch?" Shad says, smiling.

"What's the big deal? If it bothers you that much, we won't do it in front of you," May Eve says with a teasing smile. Jesse shakes his head, but I see a glimmer of a smile on his face.

"I actually agree with Jesse," Irene says, frowning. "You guys could get in big trouble for that. Especially with Professor Miller, which I know that argument essay is from his class."

"Easy, we're just helping each other out, right Cheeky?" Shad says, winking at May Eve.

"Please stop calling me that," she says, even though she's smiling.

A/N:

What do you guys think of Johnny's dream?

And how about Johnny's and Kate's chemistry, eh?