Sweet Dreams #CHONI [riverdale girlxgirl]

5

Five

"Toni Topaz." A women in a black pencil skirt and a cream-coloured blouse calls me name. I stand up from the dark chair that stands out from the clean white walls. Once her eyes land on me, she smiles and directs me to her office.

"I'm Doctor Liz, I hate people using my last name," She chuckles making the slight wrinkles on her face more obvious. "How are you feeling today, Toni?"

She waits patiently for me to speak, but I'm still in my own head trying to figure out where to start. "I'm okay. I didn't really know what to do.... like to see a doctor, or psychologist or..." I trail off unsure on what to say.

"That's okay. I can try my best to help you, and if I can't, I can definitely find out who can." She gives me an encouraging nod.

"Okay... Well basically, something has been happening lately. Someone keeps saying they are seeing me somewhere, but I've never been to that place in my life." Doctor Liz writes some things down, nodding occasionally as I speak. "And I'm just really confused because... it sounds so stupid, but I've dreamt about the place before. I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not but I don't understand what's happening to me."

I wait for her to finish writing notes. She looks back up at me. "How have you been sleeping lately?"

I have to stop myself from answering "fine" like I'm so used to doing with Aaron. Sometimes it seems like he just asks me question to complain about himself. If I say I slept badly, he has always apparently slept worse. "Not very good," I respond honestly.

"Now when you say that, do you mean you wake up continuously throughout the night, or you have struggle falling asleep or...?"

"No. Well usually I can get to sleep fine and I don't wake up a lot, but every morning no matter how early I went to bed I'm always tired."

"Tired like only got 6 hours sleep? Or tired like only got 3 hours?"

"3 hours. Even if I really get 10."

"And do you ever wake up with bruises or with slightly aching body parts that you aren't aware of hurting?"

I hesitate. I've never really thought about it before. "Yes," I reply.

Doctor Liz sighs, "Okay I think I know what the problem is." She does? Just from that? "You have a severe case of
somnambulism."

"What the hell is that?" I say a little rudely. I feel myself starting to freak the fuck out.

"It's a behaviour disorder that basically means you sleepwalk. That explains your lack of feeling satisfied with your sleep, as you really haven't been sleeping. I would say that once you fall asleep, you probably sleep for an hour or so, and then your body takes you to wherever your friend has been seeing you at. You probably feel drawn to it in someway. A lot of people who suffer from severe sleepwalking wake up in random locations unsure of where they are, but you're one of the rare cases who actually take themselves back to bed. And your random body aching would be because of the extra moving that you don't remember doing, although you remember parts of it in the form of dreams."

That makes... too much sense. "Wait but... wouldn't someone have noticed if I was sleeping?"

"That's a common misconception," She explains, "But someone who is sleep walking can look fully awake in some cases."

The front door slams shut behind me and I rush upstairs. I quickly change my shirt and peel my jeans off, replacing them with baggy shorts. The sound of my mom's feet on the floorboards grows louder.

"Honey, what are you doing?" She asks me as I speed around my room.

"I'm going out." I tell her, grabbing my earphones and shoving them into my pocket. I grab my running shoes and sit on my bed, struggling to undo the knot I somehow tied so tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know." I fumble with the laces of my shoes. She walks forwards and grabs them from my hand, expertly untying them in seconds. I weakly smile at her with gratitude.

"I'm hear if you want to talk about it, Toni."

"Thanks mom. But right now, I just want to get out of this house and clear my head." I stand up, ready to leave.

"Okay. Its nearly dark so just be safe. Text me if you need anything."

I smile again and make my way out of my house, leaving her standing in my room.