Past Lives

Chapter 2 - Something Familiar

I grab a plate off the kitchen counter and hold it out for my mom to put the blueberry pancakes on to it. She has died blond hair, her original hair color is ginger but she never liked it. Her name is Lacy May her maiden name is Smith, before she married my dad. He has a dirty blond hair color and blue eyes. That's where my little brother gets his blue eyes where as I have my grandma's hazel eyes. My hair was my mom's natural color. Ginger with gold highlights.

"Where's the syrup?" I ask my mom while looking in the cabinet where it usually was.

"I think it's on the bottom shelf. Sorry honey I was in a hurry yesterday." She answered. Yesterday my mom had an interview for her job. She was heading into the Vet area. My mom was supposed to get call today so fingers crossed.

"Ah!" I say with glee as I look at the Mrs. Butterworth's.

Getting up from sitting on the floor trying to find the syrup I walk over to where my plate of pancakes sits. When I open the top of the bottle my hands get some of the left over syrup Chrystal's on them. Still wearing pajamas, my brother walks into the kitchen.

"Jamie put your clothes on. We're going to be late." My mother scolded him. "Julie, I need you to take the bus today."

"Mom!" I complain to her.

"Jules don't argue with this. It's just how today's looking. Now hurry up so you don't miss it."

I moan and stand up to get my backpack. "Where's my student ID?" I ask my mom.

"I put it on the hall table." She tells me. "Bye sweetie." She bids me off as I walk out the door. Putting on my student ID, I walk to the bus stop.

********

"What are you doing here?"

"'Hi, Julie, how are you?' 'Fine, Emma, thanks for asking." I say to Emma.

"But really." Emma asks.

"My brother had another slow day. I swear he makes sure I have to go on the bus." I tell her.

Just then the bus comes and I follow Emma onto the bus. We start to head to the back where we usually sit but someone's there. So I sit on the seat in front of my usual seat. Emma sits next to me and starts telling me about her weekend and how she went to the park with her boyfriend, Ashton. After a while I lost interest and took out my notebook. I was just doodling when Emma poked me and asked what I was drawing. After looking at her confused, she pointed at the paper in front of her. I turned my head and looked at the notebook seeing I had drawn the part of the symbol I saw in the dream.

"You drew this triangle, circle thing then I asked what you were drawing but you didn't answer at first. I asked you again and you came out of this weird state of frozenness. It was freaky." she told me. What is wrong with me?

*******

My mom couldn't pick me up so I had to take the bus again; but that was not going to happen so I walked the whole mile home. I texted mom that I was going to be late because I 'missed the bus' and insisted on walking. So here I am walking home now and thinking about the dreams and my scars, which were still there by the way.

Ever since I was 11 I got these dreams and they had me thinking all day. That's 7 years of thinking; but this is the first time I had gotten a characteristic that 'Ali' had. And what's with the symbols everywhere? I had to know what the white in the middle was. But how? Most dreams like these, where I know I'm dreaming I can't move my body. I would tell someone but that could have me end up checked into a mental hospital, the only person I've told was my dream diary, and I'm sure it thinks I'm crazy.

*******

Red. Blue. Red. Blue. I can't decide what bathing suit to get as I think of the beach I'm going to in July. My dad's cousin's, daughter was getting married. She was new in town and I got to be one of the bridemaids. I have no idea who the girl even was she could be an axe murderer for all I knew. The only reason I'm even an option is because I'm in state and I'm one of the few people she 'knows'. Suddenly I feel another body pushing me into the rack of swimsuits.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" I look up from the two bathing suits. It's a young lady in her early 20s; she has blond hair and looks strangely familiar. "Hon'?" she asks again.

"Oh. Ah, no. But have we met?" I ask.

"Um I don't believe so. Where would I have seen you? I come here often." she answers me referring to the store.

"I don't---" but I stop short when something clicks in my head. The blond hair, 5'9" or so, the deep brown eyes. What did Ali call her?

Brenna.