Dreams to Come

Chapter One - Like a Pack of Wild Unciorns

All I remember is a sharp intake of breath as my body flings itself forward. I gasp as I look around and sit up in bed. I notice my throat is drier than Arizona and my body is frigid. I glance around desperately, this time in search of water. My search comes up dry and I throw my blankets off myself, wincing as my feet touch the icy hardwood.
My legs wobble beneath me as I shuffle to the kitchen, grab a cup and start to fill it with water. I take large gulps that burn as they go down, but quickly begin to soothe. I swallow a few more gulps before I breathe deeply.
I clutch the table and look at the floor, noticing little droplets of water falling from my face. I bring a hand to my cheek and notice it’s wet and warm. I'm crying?
Weak is the word the comes to my head as I think about how I feel. Without warning I begin to wretch and that’s when, like a pack of wild unicorns, it all comes flooding back.
-----
“Happy Birthday Dear Licia, Happy Birthday to you!” a chorus of voices sings. My parents and my best friend look at me expectantly, waiting for me to blow out the lit candles flickering in front of me. I inhale the sent of the cake as I the push the air out extinguishing the mini fires. They clap and laugh as someone turns on the light in the kitchen of my tiny apartment.
“Thanks guys.” I smile at them and begin to pull the candles out. “Our little girl is so old.” My mother sighs. I look up at them to see my parents smile at each other, then, before I can think to stop it, the back of my head is pushed forward and I have just enough time to close my eyes before my face smashes into the cake. I taste sweet, but I feel sour. I lift my head out of the cake. “Savre!!!” I shout as I turn around trying, blindly, to grasp him. My finger tips graze him, but he flees from my reach. “You dirty hoe!!” I scream at his direction. Someone hands me a wet cloth and I hear them all giggling. I wipe the frosting from my eyes and the rest of my face as I hear my Mom speak.
“Licia, I think we’re going to head out, it was really fun, thanks for inviting us over, but you know we've got a long drive.” My mother laughs, “And we don’t want to be witnesses to a murder.”
“Smart move, because there will be blood spilt tonight.” I smile menacingly, finally regaining my sight as I wipe off the last bit of frosting. Savre is standing behind my parents attempting to use them as a shield. I calmly walk to my parents and give them each a hug, continually shooting a look that could kill at my best friend behind them.
As soon as my apartment door clicks shut and I lock it, I yell, “You’re dead meat!”  I run, as much as I can with the dress I'm wearing, in the direction of the kitchen, looking for something I can use for my revenge.
I open the fridge and find a can of whip cream. This will do. I think as I spray the whipped topping onto my hand. I head in the direction I saw him last, keeping my eyes alert to any shadows he might be hiding in. I begin to slow as I enter the hallway leading to the bedroom. “Come out, you coward.” I shout.
I hear creaking in my bedroom. I break into a run again and push the door open. It thuds against the wall as I switch on the light, illuminating the empty room. Ugh, that man, he infuriates me, always picking on me, but I love him. SHUT UP- No I don’t. He’s in the closet!
“Savre!” I laugh, “are you going to come out of the closet?”
“I'm not gay!” He exclaims from behind the closet door. I laugh as I open the door to the closet and he tries to push past me but I grab his shirt with one hand and smear the whip cream down the side of his face with my other hand.
I take a step back from him as I laugh. He wipes some whip cream from his jaw and looks at me. The combination of the mischief in his eyes, his dark tousled hair and the suit he is wearing make him look almost terrifying.
“Oh crap.” I mutter, before he grabs my arm and smears cream on my neck. I attempt to wiggle from his grasp as I wipe the cream off my neck. He doesn’t budge, but wraps his other arm around my waist, making it impossible for me to escape. He smiles knowing I'm trapped. I shove the whip cream I wiped from my neck in his smug smile, my fingers accidentally grazing his lips.
We lock eyes, his gorgeous blues almost look like they're flooding, like a dam of emotion has just broken. He lowers his face and brushes his lips against mine before I can register what’s going on. His hands move to cup my face and he kisses me again, this time harder, longer. Hot tears stream down my face, I've waited so long for this, years of imagining this moment. I smile against his lips and put my arms around him. He pulls back to breathe.
“I love you, Camber.” He whispers, then his lips connect with mine again. His kiss is so intoxicating that I barely register that he called me Camber, not Licia. I pull away from him, shoving him off. I take a step away from him. He looks at me bewildered.
“Camber?” I ask as more tears flow, this time for a different purpose. It wasn’t real. He thought you were someone else. He’d never love you.
He opens his mouth in shock, looking panicked.
“Oh no, I can explain. Well…” he trails off rubbing his forehead and not making eye contact.
“Who the hell is Camber?” I demand. The panic on his face molds to sadness, defeat almost.
“You really don’t know?” he asks searching my eyes for something.
“Am I supposed to know?” I ask, even more confused.
“I guess not, It’s nothing Licia, just forget about it, Okay? The whole thing was a mistake. I'm sorry, I'll be leaving for a couple days. I'll call you when I get back.” Savre walks past me. I hear his footsteps behind me till they stop. I pause before following him, almost expecting him to be gone, but he’s standing in the door way with the door open, facing away from me. “I need you to understand that meant nothing to me. You're like a sister to me, and I never meant to jeopardize that relationship.”
“It’s it a little late for that.” I whisper as I wrap my arms around myself. I can’t bear this hurt, what he’s saying is tearing a hole through my heart. I won't ever let this happen again. “Savre,” I pause and he turns to look at me, taking another step outside. “Don’t come back.” I say as I shut the door in his face.
------

I breathe in heavily, choking on tears. I clutch my stomach as I slump to the ground my back leaning on the fridge. I look at the kitchen floor, and dry heave again.
Why would I dream something like that? Something so specific and so horrible, that my body physically wants to reject it.
I tremble as I wipe the tears. I look at the time shining into the dark kitchen, on the microwave. 6am.
I should probably call Tracy and ask her to sub for me, there’s no way I'm emotionally prepared to handle a room full of kindergarteners.
I will my limbs to move, but they don’t obey, so I just sit there, trembling, hot fresh tears streaming down my cheeks.
That wasn’t just a bad dream, that wasn’t just a nightmare, but what was it?
A knock sounds on the door of my apartment. I look up in surprise.
“Licia it’s me, I'm coming in.” Savre calls through the door.
Why did I give him a key?
The door clicks open and I'm grateful I'm wearing my warm PJ’s (the long sleeve fuzzy ones) because he brings in the cold air with him.
“Licia?” he calls, and I realize it’s just dark enough for him not to see me on the floor.
Maybe if I keep quite, he won’t notice me and he'll just leave. Wait-why is he here though?
“What are you doing here, Savre?” I ask attempting to sound annoyed, but my voice crackles and I immediately know he knows that I've been crying.
“What the hell?” he turns the light on in the kitchen to reveal me crumpled up on the floor. He rushes to my side, crouching, “Licia, what happened, are you okay?”
“I, uh, I'm fine.” I can’t even look at him, it's too fresh and it felt too real. More tears escape and I wipe them with the back of my sleeve. “Why are you here?”
He sighs, sitting down on the floor next to me. “Licia it’s your Birthday today, I'm here to make you breakfast, did you forget?”
Duh, Licia, you just had a horrible dream about it.
“Oh yeah, great.” I say with no enthusiasm. I'm still looking at the floor.
“Licia,” he grabs my face, “look at me.” He forces me to look at him. “Why are you crying?”
I sigh, “I had a bad dream.” I cringe as it comes out, I sound like a child. He let’s go of my face, but I continue to look at him.
“What was it about?” he asks sincerely, concern on his face. I look away from him again.
Oh crap, what am I going to say? You kissed me and I freaked out.
“Well, if you wanna talk about it, I'm always here. Plus you'll probably tell me eventually, since you tell me everything.” Savre says as he chuckles and I look back at him. He winks at me, then puts his arm around me. “Its okay, it was just a dream.” He whispers in my ear. I grab him around the middle with both my arms turning to rest my head on his shoulder. He brings his other arm around returning the embrace.
Ugh, this stupid, annoying, beautiful man always knows what to do to make me feel better.
I continue to cry as I hug him, not letting him let me go. We sit there on the floor of my kitchen for what seems like hours.
I love him, which is why that dream is so scary. He could really break my heart.