Days to Insanity

Chapter Four

Nate

"Got gum?" the girl in front of me asks. I shake my head. She sighs and slumps in her seat just as the bus starts up. I can't believe this. It shouldn't be possible for me to be able to dream the future.

Today, I don't listen to Thriller. I listen to a dumb, pathetic Taylor Swift song, called 'Bad Blood'. I hate this song. I hate it so, so much.

Val sung the chorus every single time Ryland would pass by in the halls. She'd sing it even louder when Charlie passed by with Ryland. Often, I'd tell her to stop. She never listened, of course. She was never one to listen.

Valerie Nelson.

I look down at my phone - it's been an hour. I see three or four messages from Julian, but don't open it. What the hell is he messaging me for? I couldn't care less about what he wants to say to me.

Maybe that's a lie. Maybe I care a lot. Still, I don't allow myself to check.

The uneasy feeling - no, thought - that I could be reliving the same day as yesterday gnaws me like a woodpecker at a tree.

I reach the motel - it looks exactly like it did in my dream. This can't be happening, can it? I'm shaking violently by the time I get out the piece of paper with my father's number on it. My phone is switched off. This is unreal.

I take out my second phone and punch in the number, but pause before I press call. Taking in a deep breath, I shut my eyes. It was a dream. He won't be like that because this is real life. I don't know how much I actually believe it, but they say the more you tell yourself a lie, the more you'll start to believe it.

"Jonathan here."

My voice is shaky. "It's Nathan. Your son."

"Nathan?" his voice sounds like he's confused. "Why... why are you calling all of a sudden? How did you find my number?"

"I found it years ago," I reply. "Can I... come see you?"

There's silence on the other end. "I... yes, of course you can, Nathan. But are you in town? How do you even know which town I'm in?"

"That's... besides the point," I sigh.

"I'll text you the address."

Charlie

Rye is pissed. She's so mad, but luckily, Julian is with me for physics and chemistry. Whether I like it or not, he makes me sit beside him in physics. And somehow, I like it. Maybe because it means I don't have to face Rye.

"Don't you think we're being a little... too mean now?" I ask. Julian rolls his eyes.

"You know how Rye is," he's trying not to laugh again. "She'll pummel you if you try talking to her now. Let her cool off."

I catch Finn's eye as he sits down beside her. He seems upset too. 'Not cool', he mouths before looking away. Nothing about today is cool, Finn.

"Stop longing after him," Julian sighs beside me.

"How do you know I like Finn?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"Babe, everyone knows," Julian says, and I smack him on the shoulder. He lets out a laugh and Rye looks over at us. I avoid her gaze, but I find myself laughing too, only because of his contagious laughter.

"Has Nathan replied?" I ask after the laughter dies down.

"No," he says after checking his phone quickly before the teacher can notice. "Why are you thinking of Nate?"

"Nothing, I just... I'm kind of worried about him."

"Oh, don't be. He can take care of himself," Julian grins. "Before you ask me how I know, don't you remember? Up till middle school, we were inseparable. Then, well, he got involved with Val, I got into the football team, blah blah."