Possessed

Chapter 6: The Mystery

A week after the whole finding-the skeleton-in-the-closet incident, I was faced with yet another puzzling situation one morning.

I had gone to bed early last night after a particularly tired day of school work and helping my mom around the house. I vividly remembered getting into bed and pulling the bed covers up to my chin, shivering because of the cold breeze blowing in through my open window. I also specifically remembered reluctantly getting out of bed to close the disturbing window.

When my mom had come into the kitchen to start making breakfast that morning, to say she had been surprised would be an understatement.

“Aries!” she called loudly staring at me, astonishment evident in her tone, “Why on earth are you sleeping on the living room couch?”  

I mumbled an indistinct reply and slowly sat up yawning, sleep still clouding my eyes.

“What?” I muttered while rubbing my eyes.

“Why are you sleeping on the couch?” my mom repeated, her eyes still trained on me.

My eyes fluttered open.

I looked around me, not believing my own eyes. Why would I be downstairs? My bedroom was obviously up the staircase.

“You didn’t happen to sneak out late at night by any chance, did you?” my mom asked suspiciously.

My eyes widened as the meaning behind her words settled in.

“No!” I practically yelled, “What would you think that? I don’t sneak out at nights, you know that.”

I shot her a pointed look, just as my dad slumbered into the living room.

“What’s all the commo-o-otion?” he yawned sleepily.

“I came in to make breakfast this morning and found your daughter on the couch instead of where she’s supposed to be,” she explained, glaring at me, “In bed.”

“Mom! I told you I had nothing to do with this!” I whined.

“So you were magically transported downstairs?” my mom raised her eyebrows.

My dad just smiled, amused, as though he found our situation rather comical.

“Will you please stop your mother-daughter fight and make me some pancakes?” he interrupted, “I’m starving.”

“Fine,” my mom said shortly, before turning around and heading for the kitchen.

I sighed.

“Isn’t she in a good mood,” he chuckled softly as he plopped onto the couch beside me and ruffled my hair, making me grumble in protest. 

Finally, I got up from the couch, where my dad had slightly dozed off again, to freshen up and get ready for school. Something’s going on, and I need to tell Odette about what happened today.

                          **************************************************************************

“You mean you just woke up on the couch?” Odette questioned as she popped some fries into her mouth.

I nodded. We were sitting in the school cafeteria eating our lunch at a table that was situated in a secluded corner. I was glad. Sitting in the middle of ruckus isn’t exactly my ideal way of having lunch. I eyed the middle table of the cafeteria where the “popular” people were seated. Two guys were standing, both sturdily built and athletic looking, demonstrating something and the rest of the table was howling with laughter. Jerks.

I turned my attention back to our table, where Aaron was bickering with Elaine and Odette was staring at me impatiently.

“What?” I asked her.

“You didn’t answer my last question.”

“What was it? Sorry I was thinking about something else.”

“I asked you if you have ever sleepwalked before.”

“Me? I don’t think-“I began but she cut me off.

“Because I think that might have been sleepwalking,” she shrugged.

“Yeah,” Aaron suddenly piped in, “Maybe you thought of devouring a midnight snack, climbed the stairs, then felt too tired and slept on the couch instead of going up the stairs again, knowing the huge effort it would take.”

I smacked him on his head.

“Ow,” he muttered, rubbing the spot where I’d hit him.

I said, not feeling sorry for him at all, “I’ve never sleepwalked in my entire life.”

“You might start now,” Ellie chimed in, “Maybe it’s the stress of you changing your home..?”

I chewed on my lower lip thoughtfully. She had a point there. Maybe I was overacting a tad bit. Maybe it was nothing to actually worry about and would stop when I eventually settled down.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period.

““History class next,” I asserted darkly as we all got up and started towards the exit.

Elaine said, shaking her head, “I swear that Mrs. Harrison drives me nuts, enough to make me want to run away before her class each time.”

I stood up, my tray in my hands, and dumped it onto a growing pile on the food counter. I spun around to head towards my next class when my nose collided with a hard, sculpted chest. A pair of muscular hands shot out to steady me. I looked up to see Aaron’s chocolate brown eyes smiling down at me.

“Hey, Aries, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Yeah, sure,” I complied and motioned for Odette and Elaine, who were lurking nearby waiting, to go on without me.

I turned my attention back to Aaron and placed my arms across my light pink tops that had black flowers imprinted on it, and patiently waited for him to continue.

“Umm…..are you free next Saturday?” he finally mustered up enough courage to ask me.

I didn’t have to dwell on my answer for too long.

My face lit up in a smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”

I had the satisfaction of seeing a goofy grin spread across his facial features as he linked his hands with mine and we began our short trek through the academy hallway.