Dream Walker

Chapter 12 | Beware the Temptations of the Fair

Callie was running late—literally. She had worked earlier that day and thought she would have enough time for a run before she left for the fair with her friends. Then the bus arrived late, causing the first delay. On top of that, she was about to leave for her run when she realized her wireless headphones hadn't properly charged and were dead. She waited briefly for them to charge but decided it would have to be a day without music on her run.

By the time she had left the apartment for her run, there was only an hour left before they were supposed to leave. Instead of being practical and cutting her run short, she had tried to run the same route at a faster pace. A cramp in her calf and an unlucky number of stop lights at crosswalks had put an end to her hope to still make it back in time.

Other than the anxious feeling that developed during her run at the thought of being late, Callie had been feeling great. Ever since she started sharing a bed with Layla every night, her sleep had improved monumentally. Her maze dreams persisted, but they had a less sinister edge, and she was able to sleep peacefully for several hours before they started.

On the rare occasions she had awoken during the night, she could see her trusty companion sitting at the edge of the bed. The cat never seemed to sleep at the same time Callie did. She felt safe with Layla standing guard, even if the cat's only contribution was being a soothing presence for her fragile psyche.

It would take many more nights of decent sleep to make up for the sleep debt she had accumulated, but she was heartened by the change. There had been a noticeable improvement in her mood as well. She felt a lot less bitchy when she was well-rested, meaning her conversations with Alex had been much more pleasant. Between class and study sessions, she'd seen him quite often. His presence had become less annoying the more time they spent together, but she never took him up on offers of coffee and shut down any personal conversations.

As she walked into the apartment, out of breath and dripping with sweat, she prepared herself to apologize. She still needed to shower and get ready, so she would be delaying their start even more. Natasha, Jonah, and Arabella were driving separately and had probably left already.

Quinn's stern expression greeted her first. She doubted he was seriously angry. Maybe he was just extremely peeved. She kicked off her running shoes by the door and hurried past the group seated around the table. Lyn and Maira were messing around on their phones, while Alex was looking at her, amused. If her face hadn't already been red from exertion, her cheeks would have colored with a blush.

"I'll hurry, I promise," Callie said over her shoulder. She found Layla sitting on the bed when she entered her room. She gathered clothes, scratched under Layla's chin, and headed for the shower. It took only ten minutes for her to get ready—she was efficient, as promised. Drops of water from her hair cascaded down the back of her cotton shirt as she placed her sweaty clothes in the laundry hamper. Once she grabbed her bag, she returned to her waiting group of friends.

Nothing much had changed in the few minutes she had been gone, except Quinn's leg was bouncing up and down furiously. His eyebrows were knit together as his fingers made quick movements across his phone screen. Forgetting about whatever game he was playing, he jumped to his feet as soon as she appeared. "Great, you're ready, let's go!"

Maira rolled her eyes and stood. "He's like an untrained, overexcited puppy. The fair won't disappear if we get there a few minutes late, babe."

"But the lines will get so long!" Quinn whined. Alex and Lyn had stood from the table as well and were standing with him by the door.

"Oh, hush, we're gonna be there for hours anyway." Maira was still dawdling, gathering her bag and turning her attention to Callie. "So, how are you doing?"