Candor or Dauntless: Truth or Dare (Watty Awards 2013)

Part 44: I, the Psycho-Freak Jaden, love you, Six.

She limps back to her target and throws another knife. It misses the board completely. After a while, everyone's knives have hit and stuck to the targets. They all turn to us.

Tobias looks at me and whispers into my ear, "I'm going to teach the rest of class today. You look really tired and angry. Go. Go to sleep, get something to eat." I nod and walk to the Cafeteria. I eat my food slowly, alone. After eating, I walk back to my room and shower.

I change into fresh pajamas and climb into bed with my kitten. She lays down in the crook of my neck, her warmth comforting. Eventually, I'll have to give her a name. But for now, I have to sleep. Tobias was right when he said I didn't look good. I'm full of grief and every time I close my eyes, I see Marlene banging my mother's head off the ground. Eventually, I fade out into sleep.

I open my eyes and I'm not in my room. I'm on the top car of the Ferris Wheel. It's no longer rusty. My Mother stands next to me and brushes the hair out of my face.

"Anything to break you." She whispers. She jumps off the car and plummets to the Earth. I scream out in terror as I see her body, her limbs contorted and her blonde hair fanned out around her head. I sit upright in my bed, my blankets on the floor. The air is cold, the room dark. I put on slippers and socks and walk to Tobias's room. My room just doesn't seem loud enough. I knock and walk in. He's sitting at his desk, his back arched doing paperwork.

He looks up and smiles, "Can't sleep?" He asks.

I nod, "I keep having nightmares about my mom. Can I sleep in here?" I ask, hopeful.
He chuckles, "Sure." I climb into his bed, the smell familiar and welcoming. I close my eyes and fall asleep.

I dream of Jaden and his green eyes. We're standing near the Navy Pier. He's smiling down at me. His hand caresses my cheek and he kisses me. I fall into the kiss, his grip on my face tightens. A soft sigh escapes my lips and color floods my cheeks. He presses my closer to him. My feet falter and he picks me up, still kissing me. He holds me, kissing me more frantically. I gasp between kisses and inhale. Our breaths mix, all my thoughts gone.
He pulls away an inch, our noses just barely touching, "I, the psycho-freak Jaden, love you, Six." And he kisses me again.

A.N.

FERRIS WHEEL/NAVY PIER  ----------->