𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 | 𝐜.𝐝 𝐟𝐟

𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.

In my dream it was very dark, and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Cedric's skin. I was in that cursed maze. I couldn't see his face, just his back as he sprinted away from me, leaving me in the blackness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to him; no matter how loud I called, he never turned. Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time. After that, he was in my dreams nearly every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach.

It alternated between that and being in a room full of mirrors. That was better, I think. I saw myself in the reflection, in each reflection. But I felt like someone was watching me. A pair of red glowing eyes stalked me. And I couldn't move, or run, or breathe.

The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and mostly embarrassing.

To my dismay, I found myself at the edge of the hurricane for the rest of that week. Tyler Crowley was impossible, following me around like a dog, obsessed with making amends to me. I tried to convince him that what I wanted more than anything else was for him to forget all about it — especially since nothing actually happened to me — but he remained stubborn. He followed me between classes and sat at our already-crowded lunch table. Nott and Malfoy were even less friendly towards him.

No one seemed concerned about Cedric even though I explained over and over that he was the hero — how he had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. I tried to be convincing. Jessica, Mike, Eric, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away. Only my friends believed me. And their hostility towards this version of Cedric had became apparent. 

Cedric was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for his firsthand account. People avoided him as usual. The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, especially Cedric, glanced my way anymore. Prick.

When he sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up — skin stretched even whiter over the bones. 

He wished he hadn't pulled me from the path of Tyler's van. There was no other conclusion I could come to. He regrets saving me.

I wanted very much to confront him, and the day after the accident I tried. The last time I'd seen him, outside the emergency room, we'd both been so furious. I was still furious that he wouldn't trust me with the truth, even though I was keeping my part of the bargain perfectly. But he had in fact saved my life, no matter how he'd done it.

He was already seated when I got to Biology, looking straight ahead. I sat down, expecting him to turn toward me. He showed no sign that he realized I was there.

"Hello, Edward," I said politely, to show him I was going to behave myself. And keep up with his lie.

He turned his head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way.

And that was the last contact I'd had with him. I was miserable. And the dreams continued.

Mike, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my lab partner. I could see he'd been worried that Cedric's daring rescue might have impressed me, and he was relieved that it seemed to have the opposite effect. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring Cedric as completely as he ignored us.

The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. Mike was pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed.