Straight From A Dream

Something Random

chapter title creds to @cxmpletely

This night couldn't get any better. A warm night on the beach, somewhere far away from my real home. My friends and I, gathered around a bonfire. And my wonderful boyfriend sitting directly next to me with his arm flung around my neck.

"This is so incredible. Thank you for bringing me."

"Hey I'm just glad you got out of the house. You needed it."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Em."

And as we began to lean in....

I woke up.

I landed on the pink rug, covering the wood. My blankets were wrapped around me like I was a burrito and my hair was all over my face. My alarm clock was squawking like a parrot until I reached over to unplug it. I groaned realizing it had all been a dream as I stood up to get ready for school.

I grabbed a pair of jeans from my dirty clothes hamper and threw them on before putting on a t-shirt with a flannel. When I pulled my window curtains back, I was greeted by a thick sheet of snow along with even more barreling towards the ground.

"Looks like I'm gonna need an extra layer or two."

After I put my shoes on and grabbed a bruised banana out of the kitchen, I grabbed my subway card and headed towards the subway. I shoved my hands in my coat pockets, wishing I had brought gloves while running down the stairs and sliding my card through the slot.

The subway blew a small breath of heat but not enough to keep me warm. My eyes were about to close, half from the cold and half from the fact that it's 6:00 in the morning. So I closed my eyes in hopes to rekindle the dream I was woken up from. I couldn't even fall back to sleep.

The subway came to a halt and I got off right as the doors were shutting. Then I walked four blocks before reaching the little park near my school. My hair was beginning to fill with snow as I walked underneath all of the windblown trees.

Once I got to the front door of school, I expected to see Bobby there to let me inside to get coffee. Then I realized I was early. So I waited ten minutes. He still didn't show up. Then I felt my phone vibrate.

"I'm off this week. Don't show up early. No one is taking my shift."

Great. I have an hour until school starts and it's 30 degrees outside. So I began to walk in search of a coffeeshop. I luckily found an open one nearby.

I was able to take my jacket off it was so warm. The guy at the register seemed surprised at my order of coffee with no sugar, but put the order in. After I got my coffee, I got so lost looking at the books the little shop carried, I forgot I came to study. So I drank the last of my beverage and walked back to school, where the door was finally open.

My presence was avoided as I walked down the long and crowded hallways toward my locker. Everyone was dressed as if it were 80 degrees outside. Meanwhile, I pealed off my coat and my light jacket, seeing as I was still freezing.

While I was putting my books from last night back into my locker, I heard a loud crash and before I knew it the locker door came into contact with my hand.

"Oh my holy crap!"

A guy stood in front of me with his hands out. He was wearing a hat and hood so I couldn't see his face.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. I-I'm fine. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna go get out of the first ten minutes of class. If anything I should be thanking you. I'm fine."

"Okay um....I'm really sorry."

He ran off before I could assure him it was okay. So I shut my locker and went to the nurse's office.

As she wrapped my hand up, I couldn't help but think about the guy. His voice sounded so familiar. As if I usually talk to him everyday. Maybe I've just heard him answer in a class or something. Oh well. Won't waste my thoughts on him.

--

Finally, I can go home. When was the last time I was this happy at the end of the school day? Oh right. Yesterday. And the day before. And everyday.

I stopped by the same coffee shop to pick up a few donuts before heading to the subway. As I walked through the little park, snow continued to barrel down, making my hair look like a wet frizzy mess. But who cares? I've looked worse than this.

"HEY?!"

The voice caused me to stop and turn around as I saw a boy running towards me. The same boy from earlier. His face is still covered which makes me nervous but at least he knows that hypothermia is possible, unlike most of our classmates.

"Sorry to...bother you..again....but I was..I was wondering...you need help carrying anything to your car," he asked me, completely out of breath.

I didn't know how to respond, seeing as I didn't have a car. So I just told him I was fine but thank you. He continued to follow me. This kid is like a lost puppy.

"So you're a senior right?"

He shoved his hands in his coat pockets and I did the same.

"Yeah, uh how'd you know?"

"I am too. I'm in your government class."

"Oh. Um, you recognized me from that?"

"Yeah. Don't take this as an insult but you kind of stand out in a crowd."

"Oh no. If anything that's a...compliment. No one's ever told me that."

He stopped in his tracks. I took a few more steps forward before stopping.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, um. Can I ask you something random?"

"Uh okay," I said, worried about what the question would be.

"Are you an introvert?"

That was very random. But okay.

"Yeah, pretty much. I don't normally associate myself with people unless absolutely necessary. If you don't mind, why were you wondering that?"

"You just seem really quiet. I never see you at lunch. And I never hear you answer in class. Why is that?"

I stood there completely stunned by what he just said. Though it was the truth it was the tiniest bit offensive.

"I-I don't have to answer you. I don't even know you."

"Then what if we get to know each other. We could study for the government test together. Studying is more fun when you do it with someone else."

Who is this guy? He's very straightforward and a tiny bit rude. But I'm an idiot. So I agreed to study with him in the library tomorrow afternoon.

After he rejoiced, we both parted ways. Him to his black corvet and me to my subway stairs.

I looked at my hand wrap while sitting on the subway and came across some numbers. A phone number to be exact.

"Text me with your good hand."

I put my hand down, wondering when he had time to even do that.

"Random. Very random indeed."