Lamia's Dream

Chapter 14

I was by myself when I awoke.  Only a foreign taste in my mouth offered proof that last night had been real. 

“Wow, a demon…”

Or not.  Valerie denied being human, but hadn’t specified exactly what she was.  But she had actually been in my dream.  Then in my bed.  And, after these tumultuous past two weeks, she still wants me. 

I didn’t know which part was the hardest to believe. 

What was I thinking?  Weren’t there consequences to loving a demon?  Didn’t they eat one’s soul or something? 

But, Valerie may not be a demon.  She’s just…

“Extraordinary,” I said, staring up at the ceiling, my head still swimming.

So, she had fangs and claws, she could appear in my dreams, and she could tell how I felt by kissing me- so she said, anyway.  If she could, then she knew I’d do anything for her.

My head felt heavy from the gravity of a hundred different questions about Valerie.  This couldn’t be the same reality I woke up to yesterday morning.

I shook my head, already fed up with the absurdity of the situation. 

I had to get ready for school.

***

I texted Valerie on the way to school to ask if she could meet me by my locker.  My chest tightened while I waited for a response that didn’t come.  In the cafeteria, while waiting for first bell, I stared at my cell’s screen as if that would make a message spontaneously appear.  

When the bell rang, I decided to ignore the blooming anxiety and try to go about my usual morning routine the best I could.  It was when I was shifting through my books at my locker that I felt her touch.

“Hey,” I said, my large grin revealed that her transgression had already been forgotten.

“Hey,” she said, greeting me with her generous smile.

Our idiotic looks confirmed that something had indeed happened last night. 

“Sorry about not replying to your text.  After I got back home, I fell asleep again.  But I really wanted to see you before classes start, so I rushed to get ready.”

“I’m glad you made it.”

“Yeah, me too.”

I couldn’t stop from drinking in the sight of her.  Her “rush” that morning left her in a t-shirt and jean skirt.  Yet she still outshined every other girl in the hallway.  She stood close enough that I could smell her breath.  The scent tugged at my memory bank, requesting some of the images from last night be withdrawn.  The magnificence of it all froze the smile on my face as if it were held at gun point. 

“So, I’m sure you have questions,” Valerie said.

My smile faded a little.  “Yeah.  I do.  Um…”

What were they again?

Valerie reached for my hand.  “Walk me to class.”

Question or command?  Of course, I agreed.  My class was in the other direction, but that didn’t matter.

“We don’t really have much time to delve into it now.  Lunch would be better, but I’d still rather we wait until after school, that way we don’t have any distractions.”

“After school sounds fine.”

I knew I would hate waiting that long.  I would end up thinking about all of this throughout the school day. 

“Great,” she said.

Our walking together drew several stares.  We both smiled sheepishly at no one in particular. Reflexively, I tightened my grip of Valerie’s hand.  She kept hers firm, and even stroked my thumb with hers. 

My top questions were about our relationship status.  Walking together silenced any fears that we wouldn’t end up together.  And for that I was grateful.  All of the other details could wait until later to be sorted out.

Once we arrived at her class, she turned and faced me.  Her hazel eyes stopped my heartbeat.  Valerie leaned closer, as if to kiss me, but went for my ear rather than my lips.

“I’m really glad I could share my secret with you,” she whispered.

“Me too.”

“Can you do me a huge favor?”

“Anything.”

“I know you won’t tell any of your friends.  But could you also not mention anything about last night to Samantha or the other girls.”

“Yeah, sure.”

She sealed our agreement with a kiss.  She smiled as she took two steps back.  She let ago of my hand and then turned and walked into class.  I watched her go, still mesmerized. 

The tardy bell rang.

***

I entered class while Mr. Charmichael was going over how to balance chemical equations.  I headed straight to my seat, hoping he wouldn’t later request a tardy pass.  It took most of the class to explain the new material and there were so many questions, he must have forgotten I came in late. 

Jack texted me during second period to confirm a rumor he had heard.  It was true.  Valerie and I were on good terms again.  We hadn’t officially picked up the title of girlfriend and boyfriend, I told him.  I left out the fact that there were still many things to discuss.

By that time, the warmth of her touch had faded and my mind went back to reviewing the questions that plagued me.  Chief among them:  what was Valerie, if not a demon?  How could she enter my dreams and read what I felt by kissing me? 

These of course faded when I saw her at lunch.  Valerie was solo today.  I was so thrilled to see her, I didn’t bother asking why.  Phil, who only found out minutes before that we were on talking terms again, welcomed her back.  Jack was polite, but didn’t say much to her. 

I didn’t badger her with my questions.  Instead, we ate lunch like a normal, soon-to-be couple. 

The rest of the day proceeded smoothly, except for a hiccup in fourth period.  I sat by Samantha and immediately wondered if she was… whatever Valerie was.  And why had Valerie asked me not to say anything to her or Alexandra about it? 

Samantha congratulated me after I took my seat beside her. 

“Maybe now, the rest of us can get some peace.”

I grinned in response. 

I managed to get through class without saying anything revealing.  However, I couldn’t help stealing a glance at her every so often.  It made sense for all four girls to be like Valerie.  If not, then the other girls had to at least know Valerie’s secret.  Whereas other girls had changed friends several times since entering high school, Valerie and co. were always solid. 

The hiccup came when I abruptly banged on my desk that period.

"Spazzing out, are we?” Samantha asked.

“Haha, yeah, something like that,” I mumbled.

Lynn, the girl Malik wanted, was a demon, too.