Empty Connections

Chapter Six

Rosie and Cam were the only ones who remained back at the house, the rest went to the boy's apartment for the night, something that we all agreed on but never made it too. Rosie ordered some Chinese for all of us, one of the only delivery services that were open, Cam and she devoured all of it, having not eaten until that night.

Using my excuse about going out to lunch I skilfully avoided their curiosity, instead we all settled down on the couch until Cam retreated to one of the bedrooms for what he claimed to be a nap. I don't blame him, the couch although a gorgeous freebie isn't the nicest thing to sleep on for multiple days.

I was the one who ended up on the couch, despite how many times Rosie offered me a place in her bed I declined, I have heard many a story about how cuddly she is in her sleep and even the prospect of having my best friend in bed touching me makes my stomach flip.

By the end of the day, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my own bed and curl into a ball until the feeling goes away or I fall asleep. I didn't get that chance, Cam was dead to the world in my bed, and I had contemplated waking him but there was something so... warming about seeing him so content in my safe place.

It made the restless night I had on the couch more bearable than it would have been, it gave me a few opportunities to do some light core workouts on the rug, pushing the coffee table to the edge to give me some room. It also tired me out so well that I manage to get a solid five hours sleep in the end.

I was hoping for more but the terror I woke up with after my nightmare, I rarely get them, I assume that is normal, but when I do, I swear on my life I think my heart is going to fall out my chest at any moment. I can't remember all the specifics, mostly that I was having such a nice dream, all my friends were there and there was a pool.

Maybe we were having a party or an extravagant holiday, I'm not sure. All I know is that someone was laughing, and Sophie and Hugo were swimming in the pool and then suddenly there was this huge alligator coming up from the bottom of the pool and clamping down on Hugo's bottom half.

Everyone was screaming and trying to run but Sophie and Hugo never made it out, we couldn't run fast enough to get away and the rest of them never even noticed that I lagged until I was screaming with my body half inside the alligator about to die.

I woke up in a panic after that, around six-am so the first flickers of sunrise were illuminating the lounge room slightly, making it possible for me to see the floor and confirm that there was in fact no alligator in the room trying to eat me.

What was crazy is that last night I only saw a glimpse of an alligator on the nature channel that we flicked past while trying to decide what to watch while they ate, baffling that such a small thing was able to cause such an extreme nightmare.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Cam asks in a whisper, descending the stairs with his blonde hair sticking out in crazy directions and flopping down in front of me.

"Last night?" I ask, blowing on my mug that is still steaming with my second cup of coffee, something I wouldn't normally drink multiple cups of.

"Yeah" He nods, "I only meant for a nap after dinner, not to sleep for eleven hours"

"You looked dead to the world" I shrug, laughing softly when I notice the lines of my pillows engraved onto his cheek. "And I wasn't bothered by sleeping down here, figured one night compared to your three last week would be fine"

"I did snag my own bed after Thanksgiving weekend" He smirks, "Did Claudia come back?"

"Nope, thought she was supposed to, but she never did, haven't heard anything in the group chat so I'm not sure what is going on" I shrug, "Do you have class today?"