Shh...

Chapter Two

For some reason, my heart starting beating uncontrollably at that moment. "W-what was it like?" I inquired quietly.
"She was mad at me, she blamed me for her death."
"You know that's not true, she chose to do it because she wanted to be with her brother." I reasoned.
"Of course it's not true. None of it is true, it's a dream." He almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "Then she just got all sweet and kind, like when I first started dating her." Even though it wasn't a real event, that sentence still made my blood boil. "She was calling to me, she wanted me to go with her."
"Where? Go with her where?" I was getting way to invested into this dream story, but I just couldn't help myself.
"I-I don't know, I woke up at that point."
"Forget about it, it was just a dream." I declared, desperately wanting to change the subject.
"But what if it wasn't?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"That's what I'm afraid of." I said, tears pooling in my eyes. Then I quickly closed my locker and walked away.

After second period that day Gerald was nowhere to be found, so I ended up alone at lunch. "Hey, where's Gerald?" I instantly recognized Johnny's voice. He settled himself across from me as I sighed.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Woah, are you two having a fight?"
"No!" I said, louder than I needed to. "I just... I don't want to talk about it."
"This isn't like you, Vi. You seem so cold and distant." That struck me hard. The thing I hated most about E.E.R.I.E was how it affected people's personalities, and here it was finally getting to me.
"Huh, you're right. Ugh, I need to find him."
"No, first you need to perk up. I'm not saying you have to be happy if the situation doesn't call for happiness, but you still need to be Violet."
"You're right, again."
"I am. So, take a deep breath." He instructed. I giggled slightly as he urged me on. I finally did as he asked, taking a long, slow breath. "Good. Now say, 'Gerald's an idiot'."
"Gerald's an idiot." I repeated as a smile started growing on my face.
"Finally, say something else Violet-y." I didn't even need to think, I just blurted out,
"Watch out for the umbrellas."
"There's the Violet I know and love. Now, go and find your Gerald."

There was only one place I could think of that Gerald would run off to for some privacy, our new interrogation area. I ran all the way there, feeling a new sense of invigoration. As soon as Gerald came into sight I watched him instantly perk up when he saw me. "Vi?" He inquired. I let myself run right into him, wrapping my arms around him tightly.
"Hi, honey badger." I greeted with a grin. I pulled him towards me and kissed him deeply.
"Well, you seem much more chipper than you were this morning."
"So do you."
"Yeah, I've decided I can't let myself mope around anymore, about anything; it's just not me."
"And you were planning on telling me this, when?"
"I was going to go find you, I swear. But you kinda... beat me to it." He explained. I couldn't hold back my joy as I kissed him again.
"You're right though, we do need to stay us."
"The idiot and his master."
"Ooh, I like the sound of that." I approved.
"Good. So, what do you say we make a trip to the library?"

We sauntered into the library like it was the most rebellious thing ever imagined. The librarian noticed us almost immediately. "Absolutely not." She declared firmly.
"You can't stop us and you won't stop us." I stated, keeping my ground.
"Fine, do as you will. You're obviously too stubborn to ever care what I have to say." The sudden change of heart seemed... exactly that, sudden. Gerald sort of looked at me with a questioning glare as she simply walked away.
"New case?" He asked after awhile.
"I'm starting to think that."

"Oh god, I was actually napping just before you called." Gerald told me that night over the phone. That was unusual for him, it took a lot to knock him out during the day.
"Have any dreams?" I inquired cautiously.
"If I answered 'no' would you believe me?"
"Not when you phrase it like that."
"Huh... then yes, I had another dream."
"The same thing?" I questioned.
"It was about Alice, but the events were a little different."
"How?"
"She wasn't at all mean this time, she was nice right from the start. She was affectionate too, which was new."
"Affectionate?"
"You know, holding hands, hugging, ki- wait, are you jealous?"
"If I answered 'no' would you believe me?"
"You're jealous of a dream?"
"I am not." I denied.
"Aww, that's so cute."
"Shut up!"
"Sure thing, I want to end our conversation on a real high note." He said shorty before hanging up. I groaned. I can't believe I had been jealous of a dream, what a nightmare.

The next morning Gerald once again showed up at my locker, but this time he didn't look scared, he look worn down and tired. "What happened to you? Last night on the phone you were Mr. Chipper and now you're so blah." I commented.
"I didn't get any sleep last night." He said, and only now did I notice how red and puffy his eyes
were.
"More dreams?" He only nodded in response. "Gerald, you can't let these things get to you so much."
"But they're so realistic, it's almost unreal how realistic it is."
"That's not an excuse. You need to be stronger than this, Gerald. You need to be Gerald, Gerald."
"Huh, I'm so conflicted. Usually your pep talks work but today... I'm just not feeling it."
"But my pep talks are the only things that seem to work without fail." I said, feeling slightly disappointed.
"Not anymore, obviously." Then he walked away. I actually felt upset by that. When even I couldn't get through to him, who could?