Shoplifter: E.O.W Series, Book 1

Chapter 10: Conflict comes from old feuds and weird dreams.

The afternoon sun is hot on my back, the breeze, slight but cool. It makes Roan's hair flutter around her collar bone. A large portion of her blonde curls are pushed over her shoulder as she runs her fingers through them. We let our legs swing freely over the edge of the small brick wall that runs around the old factory's roof. Roan's smooth voice bubbled with the sound of a laugh, higher pitched than usual. "Oh my god I can't believe that you've never seen Jaws!" My cheeks ache from all the laughing and grinning I have done this afternoon. It feels so good to laugh. "I don't believe this, you haven't seen the second or third one either!" 

"Wait, if I haven't seen the first one why would I have seen the second or third?"

"Because everyone has seen at east one Jaws movie in their lifetime...I  mean that part at the end where the shark kills everyone and escapes for the sequel was so scary."

"Wait! That is NOT how the movie ended."

"Hah! See, you have seen it." She laughs, then grows quiet and puzzled. "Why didn't you just tell me you had seen it?" I don't usually like to open up, especially not about my past.  For some reason I am not having second thoughts about this, I'm not bothered by her. I feel like I could say anything.

''I didn't want to admit that I had seen it because I saw it with my dad when I was four and I screamed my head off every time the shark showed up. I ended up spending most of the movie hiding behind the couch..our couch was even up against a wall." I can look back at the day now and laugh, but that was pretty embarrassing. She smiles at me as her shoulders danced with laughter. I feel her hand close over mine as we lean into one another.

"Awe, that's kinda cute..we should see that movie sometime." I laugh gently, not knowing how else to answer. After a moment of quiet she looks at me and mumbles a few words.

"You know, you're the only one I trust. " She looked at me warmly, I can tell she is touched by that however, she still has yet to say anything. Her response comes but it isn't a verbal one. She leans in and closes her eyes. I lace my fingers through hers and press our lips together. Our mouths move in perfect harmony and I begin to smile. The kissing lasts for a long time before she pulls away. She is smiling almost as much as I am.  I lean in for another kiss but instead of pressing our lips together Roan licks the whole side of my face and repeatedly licks my eyelid with a warm wet tongue. I pull away and give her a wild eyed glance. She simply yaps like a dog in response.

"Arff!"

I sit bolt upright in bed, launching an unsuspecting Killian from my chest and onto the floor. I run a hand through my sweat soaked hair and with a deep sigh utter, "What the hell?" That's when I notice that Noah is sitting on his bed, observing my little crisis. "Why are you watching me sleep? Why are people always watching me sleep?!"

"Wait what? Who was watching you sleep?'' He says, looking disturbed.

"Cam was a couple of weeks ago."

"Alrighty then." He laughs. "So what were ya dreaming about?" The confusing dream suddenly rushes back and I can't stop myself from sighing again.

"Oh my god."

"What! What is it? Tell!"

"I was having a conversation with someone then they started licking my face like a dog." I make a sour face at the unsettling feeling that dream leaves in my stomach. I decided that it is best not to tell Noah that the someone in question was my best friend and that the dream ended with the two of us making out. Never the less Noah is rolling with laughter.

"Dude that is so funny cuz I was watching you freak out so bad when Killian started licking your face."  I shoot the dog an icy glare before rubbing the slobber and sleep from my eyes. The dream proceeds to bother me all morning. I am extremely confused by the image of kissing Roan in my head and more so by the images of her kissing me back, it was like watching a movie from the middle. I don't know who the people in my dream were and why they were doing what they were doing. To put the icing on this cake of emotional and physical confusion, I am not totally sure this was a nightmare. I actually felt happy up until the part where she started acting like Lassy. I had that same warm, longing welling in my chest only stronger, more real feeling than a dream should be. The sense of elation that this theoretical situation brought on isn't one I can link to an old happy memory it was an emotion that was totally alien to me. That newly discovered warm, bright feeling was also made traumatic by the mental image of Roan's dog-like tongue running up and down my face and getting drool in my eye. The dream is stuck in my head like a bad song and is leading me to avoid Roan at all costs. By noon I have run out of cleaning and busy work keep me secluded from her. Thankfully Joan comes into the now spotless and alphabetized store room to tell me needed to report to Blind for training. I was thankful for the excuse to stay away from her a few hours longer.  It was a warm day and the bright sun reflecting off of the pavement made me squint horribly. I walk out to the overgrown parking lot near the loading dock that stands as the  designated  smoking area, where I officially met Noah. Blind sits waiting for me on the edge of the lot, perched on a large cement block that was left there for who knows what reason. The middle aged man is halfway through eating a large slice of water melon. I can see him separating out the black seeds behind his cheek.  A crooked smile appears on my face as I watch the unusual sight.