Oxygen

Chapter 7 - Through the shades

I wake up slowly, my eyelids fluttering open. I find none other than Jordan Kingsley, sitting on the side of my bed, waiting for me to awaken.

"I brought you flowers" he says. "We need to talk". He hands me the flowers, white peace lillie's, and helps me out of bed. We walk down the stairs to the kitchen, and I offer him a hot chocolate as I'm making my own.

"So..." I begin, not really sure what to say. "Evelyn told me what you said to her" Jordan said. I felt utterly confused, and all of a sudden embarrassment filled my cheeks with a flush pink colour.

"You don't have to say anything yet, just let me speak". I nod in agreement to his request. "There's something I want to ask you about first" he takes his cup, and takes a long, agonizing sip.

"I've been having these dreams.. of you and I. It only came clear to me recently who it was with me in the dreams, but I'm starting to think it's not just a dream. I've been having them all week, about you and I, on different dates, in different places, I don't know what's going on".

I take a minute to digest this. Then I realise something important. "I've been having them too. You woke me up from one just before" he nods, confused.

"I know why this is happening". The look on his face shows complete unawareness. I explain further.

"A few years ago, before my family died, my Mum told me this legend thing, something that's been happening in her family for centuries. It only runs in the girls, but basically once they have met their true love, the two start having identical dreams about the future for each other".

He looks at me astounded, before realizing something himself. "Actually, I think there is a legend in my family too, about the same thing happening with the male's. It happened to my Dad when he met my Mum. Maybe there's something in this?".

"Yea, maybe" I reply. "But it doesn't matter anyway, because you're with Olivia now". Jordan shakes his head.

"I was never with her. She's my cousin, Fern". I secretly breathe a sigh of relief. "Really?" I ask.

"Yea, we were just catching up the other day, if that's what you saw". I nod thankfully, and move round the counter, putting the flowers in a vase, and sitting next to him on a barstool.

"So where do we go from here?" I ask carefully. "We need to find out what this legend is exactly" he says, and I nod along.

"I think there's a book somewhere from my family's old things, I'll go and have a look for it".

He nods agreeing. "I think my Mum has some if my dad's old books, I'll go and have a look for it, I'll be right back".

"Okay" I say, seeing him out. We agree to meet at the library later, to do some research on this 'legend'.

What's just happened? It's almost too much to process. A lot has changed since yesterday, and I'm not sure where we'll go from here. But I hope it's somewhere good. Who knows what the future holds.

•••

After hours of searching through old boxes in the garage, I find the book as Mum arrives home.

"Hi honey, what are you doing in there?" She asks as I come out from the huge pile, carrying the book.

"Just looking for one of my Mum's old books" I lie, not yet willing to tell her about the possibilities of this legend.

"Okay" she says, and I manage to scramble a, "I'm going to the library, I'll be home in a bit", before she closes the door.

I head down the street on my bike to the library. In thirty minutes I arrive, puffing. I really need to do some excersize.

Jordan's car is parked outside, so I lock my bike and head in. There are loads of papers laying on the desk Jordan sits at, his hands pulling at his hair in confusion.

"What's wrong?" I ask, and he jumps, startled by my sudden appearance.
"The legend is true" he states. "But it's more complicated than that". I take the seat next to him and wait for him to continue.

"Once the dreams thing begins, there comes the second stage. It's like imprinting. We become more... romantically involved. We don't have to do that, but this thing is going to make us want to at some point". I nod before making any reply.

"Alright" I decide. "Well I guess, I like you, more than a friend, and I'm not sure I can go on just being good friends anymore".

We both take a minute to think. "If I'm honest, neither can I" he says. "But we'll start slow, and see where it goes". "Okay" I conclude, "What would your mother know about this, I know Bonnie has no idea, she never knew my parents".

"I don't know, really" he says. "We can read through these for a bit and I'll take you to meet my Mum". "Okay" I agree, "let's get to it".

We move our things to the corner of the room, where no one ever sits. We lay about our books and papers on the floor, and sit with it surrounding us. I take the first book, from my Mum's things, and read through it.

'The legend says that five hundred years ago, when the family bloodline of the Ashford's began, a star in the sky exploded, creating the bond of the lovers. Ever since, every girl in the Ashford line has had these three things happen to them:

1: They meet the perfect guy
2: The two begin to have dreams about each other together
3: They become 'imprinted' to each other, remaining lovers forever

Once the third step is complete, the two will go on to continue the bloodline. Every one hundred years, there is a special bonding with the other clan, the Kingsley's, and the bond becomes stronger.'

Underneath is a family tree, hand written by everyone in the line. There are four other pairs with both the Ashford's and the Kingsley's combined.

"Jordan, look" I show him the paragraph I just read. "Wow. That means we're.. special?" He asks, laughing a little bit.

"Yea" I laughed too, trying to stay calm about all this. We read through a bit more, and find lots about the history of the two bloodlines.

I look over at Jordan, and he's immensely concentrated on the papers. His curly eyelashes flick up to his eyebrows, as he blinks through the words. His deep blue eyes glow with a heart warming glisten, and his iris's get bigger and smaller as he looks up at the light.

He turns to me, feeling my stare on his skin. "What?" He asks. "Oh, nothing" I smile. I see so much of his sister in him; the blue eyes, the perfectly clear skin, the blond hair, the bubbly personality. I could just about fall through the shades of love.