Overlap

Chapter 38-A: Secrets to Keep

<01/12/2011 - 12:27 | Saffrin Middle School (Gym), Austell, GA, USA>

In a place full of sweat, musk, and breath, my long exhale was the longest and calmest around me. In most gym classes, it wouldn't be possible. But here in Saffrin Middle, nothing here has changed, even though two months have passed since meeting Lumina. Wednesday: another school day, and for gym, another free-day. On the bright side, I won't have to duck out just to avoid a heathen sport. But on the downside, I don't have much else to do, other than slowly walk around hammering the same thoughts through my mind. I felt as if I could go mad at any moment, if I continue to think about her over and over.

"You seem distracted."

That Lumina, is because I am distracted, more than I want to be this time. I've had my mind on this girl for so long now, it's becoming a montrum in itself. That's good enough to ward off UAD, but bad enough since I can't get her off my mind. "I just have a lot on my mind... I wonder if I can talk to her today." My eyes drifted over towards the very source of my chaotic state of mind, to a girl I know who shares this gym class with me; Ashly.

"So it's her who's on your mind right now?"

It's not like I had any issue telling Lumina this. She and I trust each other now to tell each other almost everything, wherever relevant anyway. "Maybe if I stop being an idiot and just talk to her like a normal person, I could work out some of the knots I've had in these crazy dreams."

The dreams are key to the reason I can't get Ashly off my mind. For literally the past 30 consecutive days in a row, I keep having a dream with Ashly as the main subject. It's the same dream every time, with minor differences to detail. No sane man can randomly dream of someone for thirty days in a row and not have them on their mind like this.

"Right... You told me this morning that you had another dream about her." I could tell something was a little off with Lumina today, something about her tone. She seemed a little bit annoyed, or bothered maybe? "But I don't know why."

"I do."

"You do?"

"Yes." At first, I was bewildered why I kept having the same dream, about the same main idea, and the same person every single time. It shouldn't be natural to have a recurring dream like that about somebody I don't know too well, but then I have learned things. "You showed me how to better read and understand people by observing how they behave, what they say in public, and what they might be thinking in private. The point is, I've gotten a little better at understanding my own subconscious desires. And after having nearly the same dream for a full month, I've had plenty of time to figure it all out."

Before she spoke her mind, I felt Lumina slightly twirl her back foot a little, while her tone became ever so slightly nervous. "And what did you figure out?"

"I want to extend the current relationship that I have with Ashly. As it stands now, we barely talk or say anything. But I want us to become closer friends, Ashly and I." It will make more sense soon enough, but I desire more interactions with Ashly of all people. That's why I'm having these dreams.

"Oh." Lumina sounded quite disappointed to hear me say that, but I failed to pick up on it long enough to remember, as my mind was sharply focused on the girl walking around looking all cute and happy.

The end of my dreams are important to this conclusion as well. "In all of my dreams, only minor details are what get changed around, but it always ends up the same way. I finally end up mustering up the courage to explain all of this to her in person. I finally tell Ashly, the first human being I'd involve with this, all of the Altiri secrets and what I've been going through." In all of the time I've known Lumina, I've told zero humans about her so far. At the same time, I've maintained many acquaintances while making nothing more of them. There is only one solution to my desire to make more friends in this life; I have to tell them the Altiri secrets. I'm more than some quiet boy who sits by himself in class all day! The truth is, I'm not really alone at all, but I still want human interaction as well as Lumina's. "The idea is, if she hears something super serious from somebody she obviously trusts with secrets, then she will realize that all I want out of this is a peaceful resolve." I say peaceful, because my fear is that she freaks out and panics about the whole alien aspect.