Top Gun: Bringing Back That Loving Feeling (Maverick x Author)

Chapter 22: Stalker

I woke up sometime overnight, sweating and breathing heavily. I could hear ringing in my ears, and my vision was blurry. I couldn't tell where I was or what was happening. My mind was completely blank and I couldn't think.

I've had that nightmare again. Another nightmare where Maverick ditches me for some random reason. After finally getting into shape, I remembered I was still in my hotel room, this time Maverick was with me. It was pitch black in the room. And the dream I had kept replaying in my mind.

It was the same dream I had the other night; the one where Maverick and I are going to a high school dance and Charlie ends up infiltrating our car and taking Maverick away from me, mostly because I was part of the Soviet Union or some other dangerous cult. But this time, the dream was different.

It started like how it usually starts, with Maverick and I stopping at the high school for a split second. But Maverick began our conversation instead of me this time.

"By the way, before we go, I wanted to tell you some—" I started, but I soon got interrupted by Maverick.

"Oh no, I don't need to hear anything from you..." he said in a derogatory manner.

"W-what do you mean?" I stuttered.

"I've heard of what you did with my ex's car. You broke it! You ended up killing her just so you can get with me! Do you realize how much of a crime that is?"

In reality, Charlotte didn't die from her car crashing. But in the dream, she apparently died.

"I didn't mean to do that to be with you, Maverick!" I screamed, "I just wanted her to stop hanging out with you!"

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Dream Maverick yelled at the top of his lungs. "YOU MURDERED MY GIRLFRIEND! YOU MONSTER! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! THE ENTIRE PENTAGON AND UNITED STATES NAVY IS IN GREAT PERIL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The rage in Maverick's voice and the anger and irritation in his face made my dream character start bawling. I was blocking myself just in case Maverick tried to attack me. I couldn't remember what happened next. All that I remember was that Maverick opened the car door, kicked me out, and I landed on the ground, hitting it so hard my bones cracked.

That was when I woke up, and now we're back to our story.

I guess it was around four in the morning; the sky outside was still pitch black. I heard nothing outside of the room. Everything was quiet. The only thing I could hear was my heavy breathing and Maverick's snoring.

I think that this really is my fault. Even though Charlotte isn't dead, she almost died. She had to pay a lot of money to repair her car because of me. I didn't have the guts to say no to Iceman's plan. I was too afraid to say no to my friend's suggestion. My mom once told me that I have to learn how to say no to somebody if they ever ask me to do something I don't want to do.

I haven't learned from that yet.

I was in shape again, but I was scared silly. I turned to Maverick and shook him awake, hoping he could calm me down.

"Pete... Mitchell... Maverick... wake up... please..." I moaned quietly.

Maverick shook a bit, then woke up. He looked up at me. There were bags under his eyes from how tired he was.

"What, sweetheart?" He whispered.

"I had that nightmare again..."

"What nightmare?"

I sighed. "We were at some dance and when we were just about to get out of the car to go to the dance, you started yelling at me. You told me it was my fault Charlotte almost died and the entire Navy could've been in peril..."