Dragon Spire

Chapter Six

I am sitting at my desk in my room at the Home, staring at my homework which I have not even pretended to start and probably never will. My headache is back again, not in full force, but enough to make me feel terible. I haven't been able to focus on anythiing for very long since I got from school today. Upon arriving at theHome, the wardens had swooped down Brandy and I, pretending to care about how I was feeling. It was like they were saying the words but had forgoten to attaach any meaning to them.

I can't help but wonder what it would be like, having parents to come home to and how they would have reacted. I might never know. I think back to my dream, the dream of my family. Did I really see my family? If I did, where are they now? That also raises an inportant questiion, if they are alive, why am I here?

The dinner bell goes off, but I do not want to go down. I am not hungry and I do not want to have to face all the questions. Where were you? What happened? Are you okay? As for that last question, no,I am not okay, but I can not say that. If I did, I would have to explain why I'm not okay, and I am not going to do that.

Besides not feeling well, I am lost and confused by my encounter with Shane. He cannot possibly actually like me. Can he? I mean, what about all those years of teasing me? All these years, he has been tormenting me becouse he likes me? That doesn't even make sense!

Brandy appears in the doorway and knocks softly startling me.

"How're you doing?" she asks me.

I just look at her before slowly replying, "Not okay, not okay at all."

"Are you going to go get something to eat?" she asks, her voice riddled with concern.

"I'm not hungry," I reply looking down at the blank paper in front of me.

"Alright, well, I'll see you later," Brandy says before slipping out of my doorway and heading down to dinner.

My headache worsens just a slight bit and I am suddenly exsausted. I resist the urdge to simply lay my head down on my desk and get up, my chair creaking in the process. I grab my mp3 player off of my desk before culring up in a fetal position on my bed. I put the head phones into my ears and turn it on. I can feel myself falling asleep even as I am finding my favorite song. I lay my head down and drif off to sleep instantly to the sound of The Band Perry playing If I Die Young.

I wake up suddenly. My room is dark. I have not moved a muscle. My mp3 player has run out of battery and died. Quickly I glance up at my alarm clock, sitting on my dresser. It is 9:30. Wow. I have been asleep for along time! I stretch myself out and get up to switch my llight on. I see starbursts and quickly cover my eyes as the bright cieling light comes on. When my eyes finally adjust to the brightness I see a small bundle sitting on my desk. It is wrapped in a napkin. I open it up and find two slices of bread with a small amount of chicken in it along with a note. The note says,

              Ivy,   I thought that you might be hungry after you woke up so I brought you this. If you wake up before ten knock twice on my wall and I'll come over.

My eyes mist a bit. We are not supposed to bring food out of the dinning room. Brandy could have gotten in serious trouble if she was caught bringing this to me.

I softly tap on the thin wall knowing that she will hear me and go back and sit on my bed. Within seconds I hear Brandy's tap on the door before she lets herself in.

"Feeling better?" she asks as she quietly shuts my door.

"Yes, much better, although I know I'm definitely not going to have any trouble getting back to sleep." I reply somewhat cheerily. I scooch over and pat the bed, motioning for her to join me.

"Great! Soooooo, why do you think that you passed out earlier?" Brandy asks, climbing onto my bed and settling down Indian style near the head board.

"I really don't know," I tell her, flopping back on my bed so I'm now looking at the ceiling.

"You have absolutely no idea what could have possibly caused it?" she clarifies.

I start to giggle and she smiles and asks "What" What's the joke? I like jokes!"

I just dismiss the thought with a smile and say, "Nothing!"

"C'mon Ivy, tell me please!" she begs, "Pretty please with cherries and whipped cream and sprinkles on top!"

"Well, since you added the sprinkles..." I am cut off by a quietish squeal from Brandy before silencing her with a pointed glare, "It's nothing really, but in third period Shane had been giving me the death stare and that is when my head ache started." I tell her with a smile.

"Ooooh, the plot thickens!" Brandy squeals.

"What are you talking about now?"

"Well, first Shane carries you, carries you to the nurse's office, then he stays with you 'till you wake up, then he flirts with you for awhile before leaving, and then I find out that he might have caused you to pass out in the first place! This just keeps getting better and better!" Brandy exclaims.

"Do you really think Shane likes me?"

"Duh, I mean, seriously, he's liked you since forever!"

"I don't get it, if he liked me why has he made fun of me all this time?" I ask, bewildered.

"That is just his imature way of showing it!"

I thought about it for a minute before looking at her and replying, "Well, that's stupid...and you didn't tell me this before because...?"

"I dunno,  I just thought that I'd wait and see how things played out, and so far things have been playing out quite dramatically!"

I don't have any witty come-back so I settle for glareing at her and telling her, "Pfft," very mature, I know.  

 Changing the subject completely Brandy says, "Hey, you excited for your birthday coming up, what a week from today? Sweet sixteen huh?"

"Ya, I'm excited," I say halfheartedly. I would look foward to it alot more if I knew that I would get a party and presents and cake with my family, but that won't be the case. Mabey Brandy and I will go out and do something but it won't be big. There won't be a party and definitally not more than one present from Brandy.

"Soooo, what do you want to do this year?" Brandy asks me.

"Um, I dunno, mabey go to the Natural History Museam, or something," I say although a party still sounds a hundred times better. The Natural History Museam is cool, well coolish, but it's free so it would be a good option.

"Well how about we celebrate it on saturday? I know that's alittle early as your actuall birthday is on Tuesday, but that's better than waiting until the next saturday," Brandy suggests.

"Ya, sure, sounds like a great idea,"

"Weeeelll, I should go, I want to be able to wake up tomorrow," Brandy says before hopping off the bed.

I stand up and give her a hug. "Thanks for coming over, and thanks for the food," I say to her.

She gives me a warm smile, "Anything for my BFF," she whispers back. She exits the room, leaving me to eat my snack.

I quickly finnish my meager meal and change into my pajamas. I brush my hair and slipp into bed. I am feeling much better since talking to Brandy and getting something to eat. Still I am fast asleep within minutes.