Missing Pieces of Me

14 Mutual Friend

Blanche

After a few minutes, I got surprised at my phone. Someone was calling me. I thought it was Alex telling me that he'll be coming back. I was surprised that it was his classmate, Bruce. I contemplated for a while if I should answer it since I don't even know him except for the fact that he's friends with Alex but I guess it's an emergency if he calls me online. I decided to take the call just in case.

Bruce: Blanche, this is Blanche right? I'm sorry to call you but is Alex there? This is Bruce, Alex's classmate.

Me: Nope. He just left for the university, against my protest.

Bruce: I was afraid of that. He wasn't viewing the messages.

Me: Ookayy. He's not online right now. Maybe try texting him.

Bruce: Yeah that's why I was calling. I don't have any load to send texts anymore. Do you mind if you text him since your messages are considered an emergency for him.

Me: Yeah sure, already did, in fact. One question though... How did you find my account?

Bruce: Thanks. Maybe I'll tell you next time when we hang out. Haha

*Call ended*

I stared awkwardly at my phone, like I always do after a conversation, and laugh. That phone call wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be. Does he really mean he wants to hang out with me or was that just a courtesy? Around thirty minutes has passed before I hear footsteps coming near the door which interrupted me from thinking about the stupid phone call. I heard it stop and the person knocked.

"Who is it," I asked in a teasing voice, trying to keep myself from laughing. It might be a tragedy for him but it was surely more entertaining for me.

"Oh shut up. You know it's me." I opened the door and revealed a highly displeased Alex. His mouth couldn't have been straighter and his face really resembled the (-_-) emoji.

"Hey, don't blame me. You wouldn't listen," I shrugged as he lets himself in and practically throws his bag onto his bed then falls onto the couch.

"So, how was school?" I said, trying to sound like a concerned mother asking her son about school, as I sat next to him on the couch.

"I was almost at the gates when I got your text and finally read the chat."

"And whose fault was that?"

"The series because it distracted me and the professors for not telling us earlier."

"Yup, that's the petty Alex I know."

"Can we just continue watching?"

"After you change. You're all sweaty again."

"Fine," he said as he went to his room and changed.

I sent Bruce a chat telling him that Alex finally arrived and he replied a message back.

Bruce: Took him long enough huh?

Me: Yeah (laughing in tears emoji)

Bruce replied with the same emoji and that was the end of our conversation.

"By the way, Bruce panicked because you weren't picking up online and called me. How did he even get my account if it's private?" I said through the door, as he changed.

"How should I know? He's just like you, a master stalker in the internet."

He came out wearing his pajamas and went back to his previous spot on the couch. I raise the volume so we can hear it better now, and just sat there.

Episodes later, I feel my eyes get a bit tired and decide to retire to room and have a moment of isolation for a while. I leave Alex to watch and after a few minutes, I hear the television turn off and his door close too. Maybe he decided to do the same.

I pick a book that I haven't read yet. I wanted to read it since it's been a while since I've actually read a printed book. Too much radiation from the phone can exhaust the eyes.

I open the book, careful not to open it too much to damage the spine. I feel around with my fingers the pages, the texture, appreciating how smooth and unwrinkled each page is. I take a whiff of the new book smell that I really love, the ones that brings back memories of me being a kid. I start to read the first pages and got lost in my own little bubble.

I may not have noticed how fast I fell asleep since I can still feel myself holding the book and yet I can't read the pages anymore. Slowly, the pages start to fade and I'm left with the empty canvass I always start with whenever I'm back in the dream world.

I try my usual tricks; starting with the sky but I notice that no change has been applied. I flick my wrist, as usual, but the images seem to refuse to appear. Maybe I'll start with the ground this time. I try again but nothing happens. This is strange. I try again and again and again but I'm still with the same black canvass. It just stayed black, like an abyss, mocking me for not being able to do something that has been a somewhat basic movement to me.

I was losing hope until I remember that Alex usually comes to visit when I call him or make a replica of him. I tried doing just a person, no background, no sky, no ground but, still, nothing happens. I tried calling him but I can't even hear my own voice properly.

I was starting to panic until I remember what UP said to me. It was something like as long as I was in the real world, my abilities will lose over time until I can no longer do it. Is it already starting to fade? It's just too soon. I can't bear it. I try to wake myself up but nothing happens still.

After what seemed like eternity, I see my image fading and I figure that maybe this is me waking up. Finally. I squint as soon as I open my eyes. I forgot that I left my lights open. I notice that I'm still holding the book I was reading. I flip for the page where I last read when I remembered why I wanted to wake up in the first place. I rubbed my eyes and sat on my bed. I check my phone for the time. The numbers flashed; five o'clock it said. I haven't even slept that long yet but it felt like an eternity. I hope that maybe it was just effects of my fever, still. I was about to lie back down when I heard a knock on my door.

Alex

I decide to sleep again since I haven't had much sleep last night. I remembered much more from my dreams when Blanche brought it up. I remember stars that don't seem to be twinkling, like the place was in a standstill, I remember me talking but I don't know to who or what we were talking about, and I remember being suffocated and feeling the world seeming to end.

I set an alarm for me to wake up later and do my homework since I haven't had a chance to do them yet since the deadline is still so far away but I have to do something productive for a change.

I lay down, with phone in hand, as I scroll through my timeline in social media, waiting for the simple tugs of sleepiness to take over. Blanche's lucid dreams seem so fascinating that I want to try it too.

I Google the tips on how to successfully do it and try my best to keep thinking it as I fall asleep. It took me a little while but I feel my body slowly relaxing and went its way through my unconscious mind to the dream world. Hopefully, this can help me remember my previous dream. 

A/N Thanks for reading the story. If you like the story please vote and comment. I want to hear from you guys.