Tidal Pools and Stars

Chapter 6

June 17

?:??

"It's raining again, Dream."

Dream looks to his friend standing in the middle of the tidal pool, stars glistening on his cheeks in the blackness around them. Dream couldn't hear or see the rain this time, but he could feel it pelt his skin harder than before and he wipes his cheek and stares at his wet palm.

"What is it, George?"

"What's what?"

"The rain."

George laughs and it sounds like the slow turn of the moon. "Wouldn't you like to know, ocean boy?"

"Ocean boy? That's new."

"I figured you could use a new nickname."

"Better than pissbaby- that's for sure," Dream comments and he gazes out to George who seemed to be getting further away from him. He feels the invisible rain hit harder and it doesn't burn anymore. In fact, Dream's skin seemed to drink up the rainwater and his body craved to feel the drops. "Why is it raining?"

"It's always been raining, idiot, it just started to fall harder for you."

"Like you?"

George smiles. "Is that what you want to believe?"

"I...." Dream hesitates and he watches a Blacktip shark swim over their heads. "I don't know. Why can't you be helpful for once?"

"I'm always helpful."

"You can't even give me a straight answer in a dream, so, no. I would beg to differ, George."

"But doesn't the rain feel nice?"

"Why are you going away?" Dream asks, wading in the tidal pool closer to where George once stood. Every step he took to George, his friend seemed to move two steps back. "Stop moving away."

"It feels nice, right?"

Dream's hair sticks to his forehead and he crosses his arms, shivering against the cold. It was refreshing and each drop felt like ecstasy in his veins, kickstarting his heart and sending turquoise lighting bolts to his brain. His skin didn't reject the rainwater anymore. No red welts formed on his arm and no hot air suffocated him.

"It does."

"You love it, don't you?" George says and suddenly he's right in front of Dream with those star freckles blinking up at him. George looked so unearthly in front of Dream- like he was born from a star. Dream's eyes hurt staring at him, but he refuses to look away as he reaches for George's hands.

"Tell me what it is."

"You really haven't figured it out?"

"I can barely figure you out."

"Fair enough," George whispers, "but I just thought it would be so obvious by now."

"Maybe it is."

"Do you really want to discover something as hidden as yourself, ocean boy?"

"Why are you talking like that? Can't you just tell me what the rain means so I can wake up peacefully this time?"

"Okay, okay- relax, Dream," George says and he takes Dream's hand in his with fingers holding onto his hand like George was scared to lose him in the dark. "You were scared of the rain before."