Deadly Love

1. Can't Stop

I wake up gasping for air as I feel a bead of sweat roll down my forehead. It was just a dream.

I sit up in bed, breathing heavily for a bit. My hands go straight to my neck, feeling for any cuts or swelling but I remind myself it was just a dream, or nightmare for that matter. My brain is foggy with the memory of him. Him. Who was that?

My thoughts are running wild as I hear my mother yell, "Cadence Maria Rubio get out of bed this instant! It's 7:40 and school starts in 50 minutes. Eric will be here shortly."

Shit.

I jump out of bed and hurriedly get dressed, thankful I took a shower last night.

Running to the bathroom, I brush my hair and teeth as I look in the mirror. My dull green eyes have dark bags underneath them. I look like I haven't slept in days. I sigh, noting that my pale blonde hair falls limp against my shoulders this morning. It's the first day of my junior year and I have no time do anything with it.

"Honey, Eric is here!"

"I am coming, mom!"

After rushing downstairs, I see Eric, my best friend since forever, waiting for me in the kitchen with the biggest smile on his face. When is he not smiling? I wonder to myself.

I run up to him and hug him, ecstatic to see him since he was away all summer. He hands me my Iced Caramel Macchiato, still grinning.

"Thanks for this, I really need some caffeine this morning." I grin in return.

"Hey no problem Cadi. I missed you."

"I've missed you so much! How was band camp?"

He smirks at me and signals that he will tell me later, presumably when my mom is not around.

"Come on you two. You need to get to school already or you will be late."

"Okay mom, I'll see you after school. Don't forget to pick me up at three."

Eric and I hop into his silver Jeep and he immediately begins rambling. "Okay Cadence. You will never believe the summer I had. Want to hear everything?" He glances at me from the driver's seat and gives me a sly smile.

"Of course! Start talking; I want to hear every single detail. Don't leave anything out."

As Eric starts babbling about how he hooked up with almost every girl at the camp, I find myself thinking about the nightmare I had. Chills cover my body from just the thought of that unidentifiable man. I run my hand over my neck, seemingly unable to shake the feeling of his nails jabbing into me.

"Cadence? Are you listening? I'm telling you, this girl, the things she could do with her mouth. Damn, she got on her knees and-"

"Ah! Okay, okay! I get it, no need to hear more. Your summer was much better than mine," I mumble as Eric brings me out of my uncontrollable thoughts with his disgusting story.

I think about how far Eric has gone in contrast to me. The farthest I've ever gone was kissing a boy in fifth grade. I cringe just thinking about it.

As much as I love Eric, I can't help but think how much he has changed and it doesn't seem like it's for the better. Aren't we a bit young to be having sex anyway?

"Here we are! The happiest place on earth: Roosevelt High School. Seattle, Washington," he says sarcastically with a wink.

Looking outside, I see that it started raining. Happiest place on earth, my ass.

Before I can step out of the door, Eric rushes to my side with an umbrella and walks me into the school.

"Thank you, sir," I say smiling at him.