Be My Soldier

Chapter Twelve

It's dark outside. I'm in the car with Connor. We're coming back from my shift. There aren't many cars on the streets. Connor and I are laughing, and headlights are coming towards us.

"Connor, look out!" I shout. He swerves the car, causing us to go off road and down a hill. The car's rolling, and all I see is glass going everywhere. I look over at Connor, and he's looking at me. He tries to reach out to me, but then the car hits a rock, crushing his arm. I scream, and we finally stop.

"Connor?" I say. He doesn't answer.

"Connor?" I say again. No answer.

"Connor, answer me," I say. He doesn't. I scream once again.

I sit up in bed, screaming and sweating.

I wake up to screaming.

"Kendall," I say, and we all jump out of our beds and run to her room.

I burst through the door, and she's crying. I rush to her side and hold her.

"Toby, I had a nightmare," she says in between sobs. I rub her back. Everybody comes in and sits down. Natalie had to take care of her little brother, so she's at her parents' house.

"It's all over now," I say. I kiss the top of her head.

"What happened?" Riley asks. She explains.

"I'm just afraid it's going to happen," she says.

"It's not going to happen," Thomas says.

"That's what we thought when I had the drowning nightmare," she says.

"It's not going to happen, Kendall. I'll make sure of it," Connor says. She nods, and I kiss the top of her head again.

"Do you want Toby to stay in here tonight?" Braiden asks.

"But the rule," she says.

"It's fine. We know you two aren't going to try anything, and I know that if Natalie woke up screaming, you would let me stay for the night," Riley says. She smiles, and they all leave. We lie down, and I wrap my arms around her waist.

"I love you," I whisper in her ear.

"I love you too," she says. I kiss the top of her head, and we fall asleep.

"Kendall, are you okay?" Jason asks, sitting next to me at lunch. It's a few days later at lunch.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just couldn't get sleep last night," I say. I was too afraid to fall asleep last night because I keep having the nightmare.

"Well, don't fall asleep at your shift tonight," Toby says.

"Hey, who's driving me tonight?" I ask.

"Connor is," Natalie says. I drop my fork into my mashed potatoes, staring at Natalie with wide eyes.

"C-Connor's driving me?" I ask.

"Yeah. Braiden's going to be teaching a guitar lesson tonight on Skype, Riley and I are going out, Thomas is in Arizona, and Toby can't drive. Even if he could, he's going out with friends tonight," Natalie says.

"You'll be fine," Toby whispers in my ear. I nod, but I don't finish my lunch.

When the bell rings, I walk to French class. I can't pay attention. I just keep thinking about the nightmare.

"Hey Nathan, I thought you left last week," I say as my shift ends.

"I was supposed to, but my parents want me to stay here another week," he says. Connor's car pulls up.