But Wasn't It a Dream? (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2: Just a normal day

I went into the bathroom to start my morning routine. In the mirror, I saw my long brown hair in a huge rat's nest. My eyes had dark circles underneath them, showing that I should really take my makeup off before I go to sleep. My forest green eyes looked fuller than usual due to lack of sleep. I decided to look decent today, so I fixed my face to the best of my ability and threw on my nicest t-shirt with jeans and Chacos. I walked down the hall to the kitchen and sat at the breakfast table beside my little brother. My mom always told me that he looks like my dad with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. We call him Tripp because he is the third boy with the name of my dad and grandfather. My dad disappeared when I was young, and no one has seen him since. The police stopped looking for him long ago, but my mom would never give up hope. We ate in silence before we got in the car and drove to school. Tripp is in 5th grade, so I had to take him to elementary school before I parked in the senior parking lot right across from the high school. I had a few minutes before the 1st bell would ring, so I decided to go to my locker where I know my best friend Lilly would be waiting on me. Lilly is a smart, funny girl with wild red hair all the way down her back. She always had a smile on her face and saw the good in all things. I wanted that too, but then I look around at the world we live in and go back to my depressing morning ways. I trudged up to her with a small smile on my face to satisfy her over enthusiasm of the mornings. She hugged me tight and started rambling about her morning and how her Starbucks was perfect as always. My thoughts wandered off for a second until I saw Lilly waving her hands in front of my face.

"Thora? Are you okay? I asked you a question."

I looked at her and apologized, "sorry Lil, I'm a little out of it today... or as always. What did you ask me?"

She looked me over for a second before responding with her happy tone again.

"Do you know when Aaron will ask you to Prom?!"

I smiled at her and gave a heartfelt laugh at her question.

"Lilly! It's the first month of school! They don't even have a date set for the dance yet!"

We laughed together and strolled to Chemistry. We planned in the beginning of freshman year to have all the same classes except for our electives. She chose art and public speaking, and I chose chorus and dance. When we walked into the class, we sat down in the back of the room next to the window. I was able to sit beside two of my favorite people, Lilly and Aaron. Aaron is a 6 feet tall senior, with dirty blonde hair and dark amber eyes. He always had a smirk on his face when he looked at me, because he knows I hate it. We have been dating for a year and a half next Tuesday, and it has been the best time of my life. We only have Chemistry together, because he didn't want to be "distracted" by me. The professor walked in with his brief case in hand. Mr. Pow is always a hot mess. He would be late to classes, lose our work, and even sometimes sleep through classes. We had to keep him on track in this class so that we can pass the exam at the end of the semester. Lilly leaned in to me and started talking too quiet for me to understand. I leaned in closer and tried to get her to say it again.

"Did you ever ask your mom if you could come with me to the carnival that's coming into town? We need to buy the tickets tomorrow!"

I immediately groaned internally and made a mental note to do that after school.

"I'll ask her today, don't worry."

After school, we all went our separate ways and headed home. I pulled up into my driveway and locked the car behind me. My house wasn't the biggest and best one in the neighborhood, but it was my home and I was grateful for everything my mom did for us. It was a cute one story cottage with brick walls and flowers all around the yard. I walked through the front door and sat down in my favorite living room chair to watch TV with Tripp, before I made him start on his homework. My mom worked until dinner time, so I made sure everything was ready before she got here so that we can have a good relaxing dinner without stress. We sat around the dinner table eating my favorite thing to make; spaghetti. Tripp was slurping up the noodles so I kicked him underneath the table before mom yelled at him to stop. He glared up at me, but got the memo and began to eat the spaghetti correctly. I looked at my mom and started to clear my throat. This seemed like a good time to ask her about the carnival so I should get it out before she started getting in her too tired to think stage of the night.

"Mom, I have a question, and before you say no, please hear me out."

She looked at me with an exhausted gaze but nodded at me to continue.

"I know you don't like me doing things on a school night, but the carnival is coming into town and I really want to go this time! Can I? please? I promise I will pay for anything I do, it's just Lilly has to buy the tickets tomorrow so that it won't get sold out."

She thought about it for a second and then shrugged her shoulders with a short "sure" as her answer. I thanked her and got up to put my dishes away before she could change her mind. I was so excited to go that I almost did a happy dance in my way to the bedroom.

I walked over to my bed and crawled in, thinking of the amazing week I will have. I started to drift off to sleep; thrusting myself back into the dreamland that haunts me when I awake. Today was a normal day, just like any other. Normal for a girl who has two lives, one asleep and one awake.