Just Your Average Girl

Chapter 8- Nightmare

I woke up at midnight, realizing I didn’t do my homework. I ran downstairs, tore open my backpack, and took out my homework. I started writing then realised that the light was already on. I ignored it and kept writing. Then I noticed I wearing pajamas and I just came from my bedroom. How did I get up there? Mom and Dad wouldn’t dare bring me to bed; let alone change me, I thought to myself.

A figure in the kitchen caught my attention. There was Damian laying there dead, slumped over the island counter. The gunman placed a gun at the side of my head, and his partners tied my arms together with a bloody rope. They set me down in a school desk. Richelle was kissing Damian in the background; Enrique and Tammy doing the same. Suddenly, everything was gone, leaving me tied to a chair in an empty white vacuum. I finally found my voice and yelled for help when Damian stood in front of me. I smiled thinking he’d untie me. Instead he took a gun and shot me in the stomach. Dogtags poured out of the wound in my chest.

I screamed and found myself in a cold sweat in the couch. I rolled off the couch and hit my head on the center table. My books fell from the table onto my stomach. That was the first time I had a nightmare since I was 12 and returned to America. Aching with pain, I pushed the books off me and checked my phone for the time. It was only six in the evening. I rushed through my homework, doing a very impromptu job, but it was good enough for me. I dragged myself to bed.

~o~O~o~

I woke up the next morning feeling sick. Despite the pain, I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for school. Downstairs, Jake was eating breakfast with Marge and a sleeping Robby in a cradle. I slowly stumbled down the stairs, into the kitchen, and grabbed a slice of bread. Jake looked up from his food at me and said, “Marleni, you’re not looking too good.”

I straightened up and replied, “I’m perfectly fine. I’ll be going to school now. Enrique and Tamira should be here soon.”

“Maybe I should drop you off. Enrique and Tamira already came while you were asleep. You’re already late for homeroom.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “Then why didn’t you tell me before! Come on!” I ran back to my backpack with the bread in my mouth and stuffed my homework in. “When did you guys get here anyway?”

“We came here last night. You were asleep in your room when we came.”

I rushed him out the door as he spoke, yelling behind me, “ Bye Marge!”

I threw my bag into the backseat of my brother’s Tacoma and buckled my seatbelt in the passenger seat. Suddenly I felt my head spinning. I layed my head back and sighed, receiving a glance from my brother. He drove me to school and signed me into the main office. Before he left he called, “Call me if you feel too sick, okay? I’ll get here as fast as I can.”

I waved my hand and walked into the building. I headed to my locker and stuffed my bookbag in. I pulled out my homework and notebooks and went to my third period class. Before I could reach the room, a security guard stopped me. I showed him my ID, but he sent me to the front office to get a tardy pass. The elderly woman in the front office, Mrs. Dorion, took her sweet time signing me in to the school system as tardy and writing a pass. About 10 minutes later, I finally got my pass and left the office.

Just as I reached the classroom, the bell rang signalling the end of second period. The bell stopped but it didn’t in my head. Slowly, I headed back to my locker as the classrooms busted open and students flooded the hallways. I leaned on my locker and let my ears ring. I guess all the stress of the past events were finally wearing on me, because I gave in to the weight when Richelle came up to me with her girls in tow.

“Madison! Are you happy now? I told him and everything is ruined!” She yelled in my ears.

“Told who what ?” I slurred.

“You know what I’m talking about! Don’t play dumb with me! This is all you damned fault and he dumped me!”

I noticed we were drawing a crowd and saw someone pushing through it. I was holding my head, and all I could think was,  Where on Earth are Tammy and Ricky? Where is that security guard when you need him?

She continued yelling, “Maybe if you could mind your own business, none of this would happen. Who do you think you are you worthless piece of-”

“Who do I think I am?” I gave a dry laugh when the spectators gasped, “I’ll tell you now that even I don’t know sometimes. But I know one thing I’m not. I’m not a worthless piece of shit; never have been, never will be. So do yourself a favor and don’t you dare try to label me. Label yourself.”

She lunged at me, her nails just scraping my arms, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back. The person who pushed through the crowd was Damian, and he was holding Richelle back. He gave me a look of utter disbelief. No one stood up to Richelle, not even him. I later learned that when he broke up with her, he had to have one of her girls tell her.

The crowd was silent as if they were wondering what would happen next. The silence was broken by the class bell ringing. The crowd dispersed and all who were left were me, Richelle, and Damian. Damian let go of Richelle and pulled me to attention. “Marleni, you know who saved me. Who was it?” he pleaded with me. His hazel eyes attempted to meet my own, but my head went spinning. I closed my eyes for a while and began, “The one- the girl who saved you was m-m-”

I felt my words get caught in my throat. Richelle shoved me and I stumbled backwards. Damian pushed her away and put my hands on my shoulders, pleading with me,“Marleni, tell me. What’s wrong? Who was it? Tell me!”

My head made its last revolution and everything went black. I crumpled to the ground and let out a weak,” It’s - me.” The nightmare came back and repeated itself over and over again. Again and again, the dogtags spilt out of the body Damian killed.