Dating the Dead • lrh

31. unconditionally

It was dark and I couldn't see anything. Then I heard my name being called. But it was distant and muffled. A soft click, like a door being opened, to my right caught my attention. I spun to it and saw a silhouette. I couldn't see the person but they were calling for me. "Luke."

Shelby?

I wanted to call for her too but I couldn't find my voice. She was getting closer but I couldn't seem to reach her.

Shelby!

"Luke!" Somebody slapped my cheek lightly. "Wake up dude, your princess is here."

I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes, slightly annoyed that my dream was interrupted. "Go away, whoever you are." My vision didn't need to clear up to know it was one of my brothers. I closed my eyes and turned in my bed, hugging my pillow closer.

Ever since Shelby stopped showing up, it became a routine that one of them would wake me because, apparently, I talk in my sleep. More like shout and they said it wasn't good, health wise, so they'd wake me up. Whose health it was they were worried about, I doubt it was mine.

Eventually, they joked about her being in the house. After the fifth day sans-Shelby and the third prank, I stopped believing them. I groaned once more when I heard the piano being played downstairs. My door was left open.

I laid flat on my bed, staring at the ceiling as I listened to the music. The song was familiar.

"I'll take your bad days with your good"

The door creaked and my eyes darted to the person leaning against the doorway.

"Walk through the storm I would"

She walked towards me as I sat upright on my bed.

God, I've missed her smile.

I whispered her name as soft as the song on the piano.

"-I love you"

She sat on my bed and leaned over for a kiss.

"Unconditional"

My heart hammered against my chest and I felt tears stream from my closed eyes.

"Unconditionally"

I slid down on the bed and she was practically on top of me. If I wasn't so dazed by her blue eyes, I would have asked how she'd gotten so light, I could barely feel her weight.

"I will love you unconditionally"

She dipped her head. And I didn't realize how soft her face was until now. It was so soft it didn't feel like skin at all. More like hairs. Then, she started licking my face with her unbelievably rough tongue.

"Meow!"

What the fuck!

I bolted from my bed, landing on my ass. The damned cat had the audacity to be surprised, screeching and hissing before it ran out of my room. The piano was still playing, I realized, and thought one of my brothers fancied music so early in the day.

I felt a pang of pain just below my jaw. I brought my hand over the sensitive skin and I hissed myself.

Is being a cat contagious?

I darted towards my bathroom and stopped by the sink. The mirror reflected my bed hair, sunken and wild eyes, and a trail of blood on my jaw.

The fucking cat harassed and assaulted me.

The water felt warm against my skin and I took my time scrubbing my face, avoiding the scratch of course. I brushed my mouth thoroughly and disinfected the hole for my lip ring and bandaged my wound.

When I got downstairs, a little bit after ten o'clock, I found my mum cooking in the kitchen.

"Hey there sleepy head," she looked from her pan and took in my appearance. "What happened to you?"

I plopped on the chair, putting toast and eggs on my plate. "The damned cat clawed me! Where is it?"

"Language!" She glared at me before turning back to whatever she's cooking. "Shelby dropped by earlier and she took Lukey to the vet. He looked pretty shaken."

I tossed my toast back on the plate. "Well he should be shaken he-" I stopped when everything sunk in and I was suddenly at a loss for words. "How- what- who- who did you say took the cat to the vet?"

My mother turned to face me with the expression she always wore when students ask stupid questions. "I said, Shelby dropped by earlier and-"

"Shelby was here?" I stood abruptly, the chair screeched against the tiled floor. I didn't care about that, all I know was that my heart felt like it wanted to be ripped from my chest. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Mum sighed, like this conversation was staring to irritate her. "Actually, I sent Jack to wake you up. It's not our fault you didn't want to get up."

I grunted in frustration and headed towards the door. I let out another grunt upon seeing Jack standing by the threshold. He had a sinister smile on his face as he pushed me back to my seat.

"Eat your breakfast. Your princess will return your cat, don't worry," he said, patting my back. "Unless, you don't want to be here when she comes back."

"It's okay if she doesn't return the cat," I grumbled, picking up the toast, "and she's not my princess." As I bit on my food, Jack sat across from me.

I reached for my water while he looked at me. He, then, giggled like a school girl. "Oh really?" He sneered. "Then I guess you wouldn't mind me taking her to cousin Joffrey's wedding."

The water rose to my nose, causing me to sputter it out on the glass. I glared at my brother. "You have a girlfriend," I said through gritted teeth as I wiped myself.

"Eh, she's busy until next week." He shrugged. I don't like the stupid grin on his face.

Mum placed a bowl of corn soup on the table. She looked at Jack and they seemed to have a telepathic conversation. "You don't seem to agree, Luke." She sat next to Jack. "Weren't you just telling me yesterday that you don't fancy going to the wedding?"

Jack clapped his hands together. "That's settled then, I'm taking Shelby as my date."

"No!" I stood abruptly. The chair made another painful sound against the floor.

My mother furrowed her eyebrows. "Why? You're not dating, are you?"

"No," cold sweat ran down the back of my neck, "but I like her a lot."

If I were to apply the cinematic element of cricket sounds, I'd put it right at this moment. And I would prefer the sound of bugs or anything. Hell, I would stick on my chest the plug of our speakers to broadcast the loud beating of my heart. Only to drown out the one sound that actually resonated.

"Meow!"

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Ooooh, someone's back. Thoughts about this story so far?