Reverse

Chapter Three: Too Bad I Forget

A white flashing light blinded his vision as a horn blared in the distance. The darkness surrounding him was cold and stiff. Even when he opened his mouth to call out for help, his voice wouldn't come out. He felt like he was being wrapped up by some unknown being and squeezed until the pain in his arm became too much to bear. His hand hit a solid figure and a warm liquid slid down his arm. He called out, but yet again, no sound. The sound of the horn began to fade, leaving him with more uncomfortable silence. The figure next to him began to move. Flailing in a panic while sharp nails dug into his skin and then the figure became clear.

Olivia. The panicked look in her eyes was one he'd never forget. He tried to reach out to her to reassure her that everything would be fine. They'd be okay and safe. But as soon as he felt her at his fingertips, she slipped away. Every single time, she slipped away and he woke up in a cold sweat.

This time, he was sleeping alone. He looked over at Jordan who was still sound asleep and didn't seem to be disturbed. The nightmares were getting worse and more frequent. They had been on campus for three weeks now and classes and their seasons were beginning soon. After their last conversation, he and Olivia hadn't been around each other. Outside of their time being consumed with practices and meetings, Spencer thought if he didn't spend time around her, the nightmares would stop. Maybe the proximity was triggering him.

He sighed when he looked over at the time on his phone. Waking up five minutes before his alarm was set to go off aggravated him even more but there was no way he was going back to sleep. He feared the next time he closed his eyes would only produce more terror.

Hopping out of bed, he packed his duffle bag with protein bars and sports drinks to fuel him when they got breaks. He could only hope that football would serve as his distraction to quiet the impending doom he had been feeling lately. Everything felt...off.

"Ready for me to show you up on that field today," Evan prodded as soon as Spencer closed the door to his side of the suite.

"Yeah, we'll see. You talk too much so I'm sure that means you can't back it up," Spencer answered, beginning to walk away with Evan on heels. He understood competition with them both coming in and having to prove themselves, but Evan was looking for a reaction out of Spencer.

"Trust me, I'm more than just talk. Look up my stats, the talk gets backed up," he continued, patting his chest as the rest of their teammates congregated in the hall.

"Do you ever shut up, E," Jordan asked, shaking his head at the cocky receiver. By now, everyone on the team was aware that Evan was the cocky freshman who would be humbled by the first game. He thought he was well-adjusted because he was doing well in practice but the reality check was coming.

"Didn't have much to say when Josh laid his ass out the other day," Creed added, his heavy voice carrying through the halls.

"It was a cheap shot," Evan argued, not letting the reply dim his bright light.

"Cheap shot that about knocked them braids off your head," Spencer teased, sarcastically patting Evan on the shoulder. "When you get on my level, then we can talk."

"Let's see what your girl thinks," Evan jabbed, continuing to push buttons until he eventually got the reaction he wanted from his teammate.

"She's not my girl but I'll beat your ass if you're trying to get with her just to piss me off," Spencer warned, stopping in his tracks to get his point across. "Leave her out of it, you got me?"

No matter where they were with their friendship, he would always make sure no one was mistreating her. As children, Spencer and Jordan were told that they had to watch out for the feisty Baker twin. Olivia was not a child that held back her feelings or dislikes and at times this created beefs with other children that resided in Beverly Hills.