More than a student (Supercorp)

Fourteen

I wake up suddenly, frantically sitting up.

My head is cold with sweat and I'm panting like crazy, as if I had just ran a marathon under a red sun.

It was Krypton.

The last thing I remember hearing before I woke up was someone screaming. I don't know who.

I was back in my pod again, watching my home exploding. But this time, it wasn't just my parents I could see on the planet.

I could also see Alex, Eliza, Sam, Winn, James, Maggie, Lena...

I look around, realising that I'm back in my bedroom. I let out a sigh of relief as my heart rate calms down.

I lay down on my back, staring at the ceiling, trying to utter words of encouragement to myself in my head.

This is the part where I would usually go over to Alex's bed and she would hug me and let me sleep next to her.

"Alex?" I call out quietly.

Then I realise I am home alone.

I feel my eyes welling up with tears as I feel myself breakdown. I lay there crying silently to myself until I manage to fall asleep again.

This nightmare is even worse than the one before.

It's of Alex, Eliza and all the people I love dying. I'm just standing there, watching them die.

I can't do anything, frozen.

I wake up again, my breathing heavy. Tears start streaming out of my eyes. I throw my head in my hands as I wrack with sobs.

After I spent ages crying, I notice my alarm clock. 2:30am.

I don't even know why this crosses my mind. And I don't even know why I actually did it, but I feel myself reaching for my phone and before thinking anything through or understanding what I'm actually doing, I press 'call' under Lena's name.

Why? I have no clue. I could've just phoned Alex, I'm pretty sure she isn't that far away.

But no, I phone my teacher.

She answers it almost straight away, a sheen of panic to her voice. "Kara? Are you okay?"

"Lena?" I manage to croak out.

"Yeah, it's me. What's wrong?"

I feel my heart start to pound in my chest, threatening to break free.

"I," I chew slightly on my lower lip, "I had a nightmare?" I say, sounding unsure of myself. She probably thinks I'm stupid.

"Oh, umm-" she definitely thinks I'm stupid. There's a pause on the other end of the line until she speaks up again. "Do you... do you want me to come over?"

My mind short circuits, she wants to come round now? After all I had was a nightmare?

I hum quietly in thought.

"You didn't wake me up." She reassures me quietly. "I wasn't even in bed actually."

I start to ponder why she's up this late until I realise she's waiting for a response. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," she tells me softly, and I can hear her smile through the phone. "I'll be over soon."

The line goes dead and I deposit my phone on my bedside table.

Not long after, I hear a brisk knock on the door. I burst the door open, smiling watery as I pull my dressing gown further around my torso.

"Are you okay?" She asks as soon as she comes into view, stepping inside, placing my stuff on the floor before shutting the door.

My arms twist around her body before I realise what's happening. I nod against her neck.

It's quiet awkward to begin with but we soon relax and I feel the familiar butterflies in my stomach as my heart starts speeding up.

Warm tears spill onto her shoulder but she doesn't seem to care, rubbing my back in slow, gentle motions.

She brings a hand up to my face once we pulled back and wipe away the tears that had trickled down my cheeks with the pad of her thumb.

I think that might've made me cry even more than I already was.

"Let's go sit down?" She suggests before slowly grabbing onto my hand. I don't pay much attention to it at first until my skin starts to tingle as she guides me over to the couch.

We are sitting dangerously close and it is so awkward, like where am I supposed to put my arms?

She wraps an arm around my shoulders, a risky move as it causes me to lean closer into her side and nestle my balled fists between us.

"Is this okay?" She asked, becoming self conscious.

I can't even look up at her because if I do, I would freeze and become breathless.

I nod slowly against her shoulder, having to remind myself to breathe continuously. "Is this okay for you?" I murmur, risking a glance up at her.

I feel my face heat up as I notice her looking at me too, and how close my lips are to the bare skin of her neck.

She swallows harshly before gently nodding her head.

My whole body starts to tingle as I rest my head back on her shoulder, heart drumming in my ears.

"Do you want to stay like this?" She asks quietly.
I nod my head which causes my hair to brush against her jaw.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," I mutter, "It's just... I have this nightmare all the time about my parents and the only thing that calms me down is if Alex hugs me."

My voice vibrates on her shoulder and I feel her muscles tense up.

"It's okay, I don't mind, seriously. Just as long as you're okay."

My heart starts racing and I swear my whole body is pounding with each beat of my heart.

This is going to be a long night.