Alison Harold

Chapter 17

Shit!

Alison's eyes snapped open. Jolting awake from the wild dream, her heart was pounding and, her body curled up in the sheets, was covered in thin layers of sweat. Her mind was still tangled up in the vivid content and emotions of the dream she'd just had. It bugged her so much because it seemed way too realistic for her liking.

She saw Jace Myers in her dream and to her utmost horror, he had confessed to her.

Alison's body shuddered in disgust at the thought of it. The dorm felt suffocating at that moment and she clutched her blanket tightly, seeking solace in its comforting embrace. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes in an attempt to calm her mind.

It's just a dream. It's just a dream.

But was it?

It felt too real and this scared her. But then as she tried to separate the dream from reality, she thought; Jace hates my guts. He's probably thinking of ways to make me suffer once we're done with getting rid of the threat, Wendy.

And with this thought in mind, she was able to relax. The shock and disorientation slowly began to fade and was replaced by a sense of relief that it was all just a silly little dream. In fact, a nightmare since Jace was involved.

"Seems like you had it bad for you last night huh? Why'd you suddenly choose to leave yesterday?"

Alison looked over to the other bunk and saw Zelda watching her. The sight of her caused her memories to automatically reorganize and solidify in her brain.

The Class Picnic!

Truth or dare!

The kiss with Zelda!

Seven minutes in heaven!

In the storage room with Flynn and...

Jace.

It wasn't a dream! That sense of relief she'd felt seconds ago flipped to panic. Her body trembled and she could feel cold sweat dripping down her back as she recalled Jace's confession to her yesterday. Somehow, his confession scared her more than her parent's declaration of her coming to Orchid Vale. She was suddenly afraid of the idea of meeting Jace face to face again. She dreaded the idea!

"You good?" Zelda asked her.

Alison ignored her and got out of bed, heading in the direction of the bathroom. Zelda was right beside her in seconds.

"You're seriously not going to talk to me anymore?" She choked out quietly. "I said I was sorry."

Without giving her any response, she took out her toiletries and towels from her locker and walked into one of the empty showers.

"At least show me some emotions," Zelda insisted. "If you're mad at me yell instead of just ignoring me. I hate that blank expression you always have on."

Alison glared at her. "You think you can just do whatever you want and say whatever you want and still have your way with things? I'm not one of those boys you have wrapped around your finger so don't go kissing me in public just because you wanna have fun. I hate being used."

"I wasn't using you, I promise," Zelda explained with worry. "I'm not gonna use my allergy as an excuse but I kissed you with a clear mind, there was no hidden motive."

"A clear mind?" Alison asked her spitefully. "I wanna take a shower with a clear mind. Leave."

She didn't miss Zelda's sad eyes as she shut the shower doors and stood beneath the warm streams of the shower. The water cascaded down all over her body, creating a soothing symphony that attempted to clear her mind as it simultaneously caressed her skin. With closed eyes, she tilted her head back, allowing the gentle flow to wash away the worries and craziness of yesterday.

But it didn't.

Sighing, Alison raked her fingers through her wet hair with a storm of thoughts swirling around in her mind.

She wasn't exactly furious with Zelda. Jace's confession troubled her till this minute in the most annoying way ever that she'd felt the need to unleash her frustration at someone and that someone just happened to be Zelda. She was upset that she'd stolen her first kiss but that was the least of her worries right now. Jace was topping her list at the moment and if he knew how much distress he put her in, the him of three weeks ago would be overjoyed.

But then, the Jace Myers of yesterday poured out his feelings for her and told her he liked her. Her uncertainty weighed heavily on her as she contemplated the confession made by the boy she despised the most. Standing beneath the warm shower, her eyes, filled with skepticism and curiosity, stared straight into the blank tiled wall as she tried to make sense of his words yesterday.

Somehow, it all started to come together. The way he was being clingy and unnecessarily nice to her sometimes. She'd wondered why and now she knew why.

But no! If she thought this way then it meant she was just accepting the fact that Jace liked her. She didn't want that! She didn't want Jace to like her. She preferred him being a total asshole to her.

Then again he looked genuinely serious yesterday and this bugged her. Even Flynn's arrogance could not top this one bit. Her brows furrowed and her lips curled into a conflicted expression, revealing the inner turmoil she was passing through. Every fiber of her being wanted to dismiss his said feelings for her without any contemplation, but there was this tiny part of her that wondered if there was really any truth behind his infuriating facade.

She instantly disregarded the latter and resolved to strictly tell Jace to get over his ridiculous feelings for her when next they meet.

She dressed up and decided to join the others in the dining hall. It was Sunday, and after trying the beefy sweet potato hash the previous Sunday, she was looking forward to trying it again today. She recalled the tender beef mingling with the natural sweetness of the potatoes as they melted in her mouth. Maybe this was what she need to help clear her mind off of this madness that involved Jace. She wasn't sure if it was just hunger or her desire to get rid of her disturbing thoughts, but whatever it was, it made her crave food in a way she hadn't before.

Getting to the lobby, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Jace by the reception desk, chatting with the lady there.

Why was he here again?

He noticed her entrance and turned to look at her. His caramel hair was damp as though he'd just walked out of the shower too. He had on a white shirt and a pair of joggers complemented with the pam slippers he wore on his feet. He approached her with two iced coffees in hand. He suddenly stopped at a safe distance from her, as if unsure of how uncomfortable she might feel with him being too close to her.

Is he trying to be considerate or what?

She refused to believe this.

His eyes were locked on her, and when he smiled, they lit up. "Did you sleep well?"

She wanted to avoid eye contact with him but in a moment of unexpected realization, something hit her for the first time.

She studied Jace's facial features as she began to notice something she hadn't seen before. Her eyes traced the line of his face from his chiseled jawline to his expressive brown eyes. The more she observed, the more she discovered an underlying attractiveness she never once acknowledged. His looks, once dismissed, now captivated her attention and—

Alison freaked out internally as she realized where her thoughts were heading to.

Surely, she wasn't about to admit that Jace was good looking.

You already did.

Without another thought in mind, she flung around and bolted in the same direction she'd just come in.

She wanted to gag!

When was she going to wake up from this nightmare?

She heard Jace call after her but she didn't stop. She refused to. She didn't even want to look back. And if for any reason she did, then she'd rather turn into a pillar of salt than have Jace standing in front of her again.