Blood Stained Rose

Distractions

​I pull out my bag and my keys out of my locker. Thank goodness the day is over. After what happened at lunch I haven't been able to think about anything since. Everything seems so strange. I close my locker and turn to leave but accidentally bump into Braydon.
​"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. My mind is somewhere else."
​"I can see that," Braydon says, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my face. I give him a smile and try to move past him but he steps in front of me. "Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself at the house?"
​"I will be fine, Braydon. Don't worry about me," I say giving him a convincing smile.
​"Okay, I'll talk to you later then."
​"See you, Braydon." I head out to my car, humming a song to keep my mind busy. I toss my keys around in my hands.
​"Alice, wait!" I turn around to see Shaun jogging towards me. He catches up with me and I take in his outfit. A grey shirt that had a logo on it once upon a time but now has faded and shows a couple of brown stains and baseball pants.
​"Hey, what are you doing?" I ask tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
​"You can't go home alone. Please stay and we'll hang out later."
​"I have homework so I am going to head home and just eat something out of the fridge. Maybe tomorrow we can go to dinner." Someone calls Shaun's name and he turns to look at Eddie, one of the guys on the baseball team.
​"I have to go. I'll call you later to check in on you." I nod and he jogs off. I watch as he meets up with Eddie and they start talking and laughing. He glances back at me and I think he winks. I roll my eyes and get into my car. The memory of the incident earlier haunts my mind. I analyze the situation until my head hurts and my knuckles are turning white from gripping the steering wheel. The first thing I do when I get home is make sure all the doors are locked. I head into the kitchen searching for a snack. I decide on a diet soda and a cheese stick. I grab my bag and snack and plop down on the couch. My mind still reels about earlier. I ease my mind by convincing myself I had too much caffeine this morning that induced my weird daydream. I pull out my math book and start my homework to keep my mind off things.
​At 6:30 all my homework is done and put away. I look around at my empty house and decide to get up and do something before my mind starts reeling again. My hand brushes against a dusty table so I decide to clean. My mind is blank as I busy myself dusting, vacuuming, and decluttering anything around me. I finish doing all that I can and meander into the kitchen for the possibility of dinner. After scrounging around the fridge, freezer, and pantry for something interesting enough to eat I head back to the living room empty handed. I settle onto the couch with a blanket and flip through channels. About the nod off I hear something break upstairs. My heart seizes and my mind begins to race with possibilities. A burglar? A killer? Dad? I didn't hear him come in. I call out to him but don't get a response. Taking a deep breath I head up the stairs to investigate. Slowly, one room at a time, I search for the intruder. I find nothing, the house is empty except for me. I remain awake on the couch with all the lights in the house on until my father returns home from work. The TV buzzes to fill the silence, as a sit planted on the couch hugging my knees to my chest. I jump when I hear the lock turn and the door open.
​"Alice? What are you doing still awake, sweetie?"
​"Dad, I'm so glad you're home. I could've sworn I heard footsteps upstairs and when I went up there, nothing. But I swear I saw a shadow run past me."
​"Honey, I think you're hearing and seeing things because you're frightened of staying here alone. Why don't you hang out with your friends after school?" Dad asks.
​"They all have their own stuff going on." I say, shrugging.
​"Daniel isn't doing anything. Not from what Jared's been saying."
​"Okay, yeah. I'll talk to Daniel about hanging out. I'm heading up to bed. Good night, dad."
​
​I glance over my shoulder at my clock. 7:01 is what it reads. I have about twenty minutes to get ready for school. I pick up my mother's necklace and debate whether I should wear it or not. I set it down on my dresser and head to the bathroom. I brush my teeth and I feel naked without the necklace. My fingers linger where the necklace would rest on my neck. I get back to my room and pick up the necklace again and drop it immediately because it's so hot. I examine my fingers and they don't look like they've been burned. I bend down and carefully pick up the necklace. It's not hot anymore so I put it on my neck. I let out a deep breath and head downstairs. When I get to the bottom of the stairs I see dad's glasses. I pick them up, touching where the glass is broken. I hear someone rummaging through drawers in the kitchen so I assume its dad.
​"Good morning. Are you looking for these?" I ask. Dad looks up at me and squints to see me holding up his broken glasses.
​"Yes! Where were they?" Dad asks. He puts them on and then squints.
​"They were at the bottom of the stairs. Did you drop them?" I ask. Dad shakes his head.
​"No, last night I put them on my bedside table and this morning they were gone. I was down here looking for my spares. They don't work as well since they're old but they're something. Looks like I'm going to have to use them anyway since mine are broken."
​"How strange, glasses don't just grow feet and fall down stairs."
​"Don't over think it, honey. I'll just order a new pair during my lunch break today."
​"No, dad, I'll go by right after school. It will give me something to do." I say.
​"Thanks, Alice." I nod and open the fridge.
​"Looks like I'll be going grocery shopping tonight, too. Anything sound good for dinner this week?" I ask.
​"Get whatever I don't mind," Dad says. He glances at his watch and then kisses the top of my head. "Got to run, love you! You know where the card is for groceries. I'll be home in time for dinner tonight."
​"Have a good day, dad!" I yell after him. I grab a notepad and pen and make a grocery list. I tear it out and wrap it around the grocery card and put them both in my wallet. I check the time. I wash out my coffee mug and stick it in the dishwasher. I head for the front door and stop short when my keys aren't sitting on the entrance table where they always are. I look around frantically. I dig through my bag and check all the drawers. I pull out my cell phone and dial dad's number.
​"Hey, do you know where the keys to my bug are?" I ask. I wait for a response. "No, they're not on the entrance table or in my bag. I checked all the drawers and they're nowhere to be found."
​"Take your old pickup truck? Well, I guess it's better than nothing. Thanks dad, bye."
​I let out a sigh and grab the keys to my dad's old pickup truck. It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I get in and cringe at the sound of the old thing trying to start. Man, I miss my bug. It's parked on the side of the house because we don't ever use it. Dad thought about selling it but decided against it because he thought we may need it someday. Dad says it's a very reliable truck because never once has it broken down on him. Well, with my luck it will break down on me. Fortunately I make it to school in one piece. I lock the old thing but I don't see the point. Anybody who would take it would be doing us a favor. I head to my locker and put my bag up. I grab my math book from my bag and set it on the shelf next to all my other books. I grab my English book and head to class. Aiden is waiting for me with a smile on his face.
​"Hey," he says, gesturing for me to sit down. "You look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?"
​"I was kind of restless. Weird things are happening around my house lately."
​"What kinds of things?"
​"Yesterday, dad was working late so I was home alone and I swore I heard footsteps upstairs. I went up there to investigate and found nothing. But I did think I saw a shadow run by in the corner of my eye. Almost like someone or something was teasing me."
​"That is strange."
​"Then this morning dad couldn't find his glasses. He always puts them on his bedside table and when he woke up they weren't there. I found them at the bottom of the stairs. The lenses were broken like someone had thrown them down the stairs."
​"Who could've done that? It's only you and your dad in the house."
​"Exactly, then I couldn't find my car keys. I always either put them in my bag or on the entrance table and they were nowhere to be found! I was so frustrated and I had to drive the old pickup."
​"That's a lot going on. What started this? Do you have any idea?"
​"No I don't. You know something strange happened with my necklace this morning too. I picked it up and it was extremely hot. I picked it up again and it was perfectly fine."
​"You have some strange things going on. You know what...never mind."
​"What? What is it?" I ask. He shrugs.
​"I was just thinking that this all started happening after you had that weird vision. Very strange and I don't think it's a coincidence. It sounds like something paranormal to me." Class begins and I mull that over in my head for a bit. Could there be something paranormal in my house? Mr. Ross calls on Aiden to answer a question and I decide I better pay attention so he doesn't call on me. The bell finally rings and I get to talk to Aiden again for a short period of time. He begins to gather his stuff and I stop him.
​"There is really no way something paranormal is in my house, right?" I ask.
​"I don't know. I'm not an expert I could be horribly mistaken. Don't get too worked up about it. I bet it's nothing, I really shouldn't have said that." Aiden gathers his stuff and leaves. I let out another deep sigh and gather my stuff and head for my math class with Mr. Bennett.
​Braydon pulls me off to the side during lunch. He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the cafeteria. I glance back at the rest of my friends who have the same puzzled expression as I do.
​"Where are we going?" I ask. He glances at me and doesn't respond but just keeps walking. He leads me out the front doors and we finally stop and sit on a bench in front of the school.
​"Hey, are you okay?" Braydon asks.
​"Yeah, I'm fine. You dragged me all the way out here to ask me that?" I ask.
​"No, well yes, but I also wanted to talk just you and me. Is that okay?" I nod and he smiles.
​"Aiden told me that weird things were happening around your house. I don't like that your home alone, it makes me very uncomfortable."
​"Well things happened while my dad was home too. Not as severe as when I'm home alone but still. I'll be fine."
​"No, I still don't like it. Please stay and watch my practice today. Afterwards we can go eat dinner and hang out."
"That's really not necessary Braydon. I'll be fine, really."
​"I'm not going to let you go home to an empty house."
​"I'm not going home I have to go grocery shopping and then go to dinner with dad. I won't be home alone today at all."
​"Okay good. Well I guess that's all I had to say. I guess we can go eat some lunch, shall we?" I nod and lead the way inside. When I walk through the doors the guys give me a very puzzled look. I shrug and take my seat.
​"Oh, the little love birds off on their own," Josh says in a mocking tone. Shaun elbows him.
​"Shut up," Shaun mutters. I roll my eyes and Aiden slides my tray towards me. I smile at him and he winks. I eat and listen to the normal conversation the boys carry on.
​The rest of the day passes by quickly. I head to my dad's truck, twirling the keys in my hand. I get in and pray that it starts. I start the engine up and a group of juniors laugh at my heap. I grip the steering wheel so tight my knuckles go white. I have to find my keys to my car because this truck simply won't do. I get out of the school's parking lot and crank the music up. The truck may be a piece of crap but at least the radio works fine. I make it to the Wal-Mart parking lot and shut the car off. I dig around in my bag for the card and the grocery list. I look over the list and head into the store. I grab a basket and start my shopping, I bee line for the produce aisle. I decided on a week full of easy to make dinners. I make it to the check out with everything I need. The woman at the checkout counter looks me up and down and rolls her eyes. What's her problem? She rings me up and gives me my total. I hand her the card and grab my grocery bags. I make it out to my truck and put the groceries in the passenger seat. It looks like it's about to rain and I don't want them to get wet.
​I almost forget to drop by the eye doctor to pick up dad's glasses. Luckily, he called during his lunch break because I have no idea what his prescription is. They have already charged his card over the phone so I had to do nothing but walk in and grab them, easy enough.
​I get into the house with armfuls of grocery sacks. I set them all on the kitchen counter and lock the door. Dad won't get home for another hour and a half. I'll start dinner in about forty-five minutes. I sit on the couch and grab the remote. After watching a rerun of Friends I turn off the TV and head into the kitchen to start dinner. I pull out a pot and pan. I fill up the pot with water and set it on the stove to boil. A knock at the door stops me cold, I'm not expecting anyone and dad doesn't knock unless he forgot his keys. Hesitantly, I move towards the door. I check the peep hole on the door and let out a sigh of relief. I open the door and Braydon steps in.
​"I thought you weren't going to be home alone." Braydon says moving past me.
​"Nice to see you too, Braydon," I say shutting the door and locking it.
​"Why did you lie to me?" Braydon asks. He turns around and faces me.
​"I didn't intentionally lie to you. I just didn't spend as much time at the grocery store as I thought I would. I'm fine, see?" I gesture at myself and he rolls his eyes.
​"You shouldn't be alone at all. I'm not leaving until your dad gets home." I head into the kitchen.
​"You might as well stay for dinner then. We're having chicken fettuccine alfredo."
​"Okay, sounds good. Thank you. I'll call my mom and ask." I toss him the phone and he catches it, effortlessly. I turn back to preparing dinner. I take out everything I need and try to focus. I listen as he speaks with his mother. Naturally she lets him stay. He ends the call and puts it back on the hook. Braydon wanders around the living room, aimlessly. He's obviously unsure of what he should be doing.
​"Braydon, would you like to give me a hand making dinner?" I ask.
​"Yes, of course!" Braydon says. He's actually a big help. We finish making dinner and I call dad to see where he is.​
​"Hey, dad, where are you?"
​"I'm on my way home."
​"Okay, dinner's ready. Is it okay if Braydon joins us for dinner?" I ask.
​"Of course, I just pulled into the driveway. See you inside. Bye." I hang up the phone and dad steps in the door. I start preparing three plates. We sit down and have a nice dinner. Our conversation flows naturally and we have a great time. After dinner Braydon helps me clean the kitchen. He makes me laugh so hard while we are washing the dishes I almost drop a plate. Braydon dries the last glass and puts it away. He rubs his hands together and claps.
​"Well, I better be getting home."
​"You sure you can't stay a while longer?" Dad calls from his recliner.
​"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sure my mother wants me back and it's a school night. Thank you for offering, I appreciate it. Thank you both for the wonderful dinner."
​"I'll walk you out," I say and lead him out. I walk him to the car and he stops. He looks me deep in the eyes and gets real close to me. My heart races and I think he's going to kiss me.
​"Thank you, Alice." His warm breath feels wonderful against my skin. I glance at his lips and let out a soft sigh. He smiles and gets into his van. I watch as he drives away. I tuck my hair behind my ear and head back inside. I close the door behind me and lean up against it, trying to catch my breath. Dad gets up from his recliner and raises his eyebrows at me.
​"Don't give me that look," I say and he chuckles.
​"You really like that boy." I nod even though I know it wasn't a question. "Get some rest, kid." I roll my eyes and head upstairs. In my room I get ready for bed but the only thing on my mind is him. I'm falling for my best friend.
​My alarm screams at me to get out of bed. I groan and roll out of bed. I get ready pretty quickly. I head down stairs and stick two pieces of toast in the toaster and pour a glass of orange juice in a glass. The toast pops up and scares me half to death. I take one piece and drop it on the counter because it's so hot. I pick it up carefully and stick it in my mouth. I look around the house and find a sticky note on the counter.
Alice, I found your keys. How about dinner tonight at Casa Blanca at 4:00? Love you, Dad.
​I grab my keys and head out the door. My phone rings in my purse. I glance at it and listen to it ring. I get to school and park next to Braydon's van. I search for my phone and finally find it. I have a missed call from dad. I look at the time and call him back.
​"Hello?" Dad answers.
​"Hey, you called?" I ask.
​"Yeah, have you left the house yet?"
​"Yes. Why?"
​"Just wondering, did you see the note and your keys?"
​"Yes, I did. Thank you for finding them."
​"They were right there when I left for work this morning."
​"That's strange."
​"I was thinking the same thing. So what do you think for dinner tonight?"
​"That sounds good to me. I have youth group at 5:30 so you don't have to worry about me being home alone."
​"Okay sounds great. Well I have to go, honey. I'll see you tonight."
​"Okay, bye dad." I end the call and put my phone back in my purse. I lock my car and head inside. Braydon catches up with me.
​"Hey, how are you?"
​"Good, thanks." I open up my locker and put my bag inside.
​"Are you going to youth tonight?" I nod and he smiles. "Are you going to stay for practice?"
​"No, I'm going to eat dinner with my dad at 4:00."
​"What are you going to do for thirty minutes?" I roll my eyes and push Braydon away a little bit.
​"Right after school I'm heading to the police station. Dad and I can leave and go to dinner from there. Don't worry about it I won't be home alone."
​"Okay, I'm just making sure." I roll my eyes again and the bell rings.
​"Crap." I grab my books and we both make a mad dash to our first class. I take my seat, quietly and Mr. Ross doesn't notice. Unfortunately, Braydon trips and falls face first, making a huge disruption. Kids giggle as Mr. Ross reprimands him. He lets Braydon off with a warning because Braydon hardly ever gets in trouble. Braydon takes his seat and then turns to me. I give him a small smile and his cheeks turn pink. I giggle a little and Aiden elbows me. I turn to him and stick my tongue out. Aiden gives me a disgusted face and smiles. I direct my attention to the front. I watch Braydon take notes and him occasionally whisper to Shaun. He flexes his jaw and scribbles something down on his paper. Shaun elbows him and subtly passes him a piece of paper. I watch as Braydon reads the note and responds. I wonder what they're talking about because Shaun isn't impressed with Braydon's response. Aiden clears his throat and passes me a note of his own. My eyes scan the perfectly scrawled letters. A smile stretches across my face and I pick up my own pencil.
​Somebody has a little crush. You can't get your eyes off Braydon. What's that about?
​I don't know, really. He came over to my house last night and we kind of hit it off.
​Interesting, so are you going to let him ask you out?
​I would say yes if he did. Dad even noticed last night that I liked him so I have to be making it pretty obvious.
​Yes, you are. We'll talk later.
​I slip the note into my binder and Aiden winks at me. I smile at him and watch Braydon again. Aiden elbows me and tells me to pay attention. I roll my eyes and he chuckles. The bell rings and I gather my stuff.
​"I'll get that," Braydon says grabbing my books.
​"Braydon, you don't have to do that." He turns to me and gives me a crooked grin.
​"But I want to," He says with a wink. I turn to Aiden and he smiles like he knows a dirty little secret. I roll my eyes and look at Shaun, he shrugs his shoulders and I follow Braydon.
​"I have math with Mr. Bennett next," I say.
​"I know and I'm walking you there." We walk together and Aiden and Shaun break out of the group to go to their classes. Braydon stops at the door of Mr. Bennett.
​"Thanks, Braydon." I say taking my books.
​"No problem. See you, Alice." I watch Braydon walk away. I walk through the door and take my seat in between Josh and Brian.
​"Are you and Braydon a couple?" Brian asks. I shake my head and Josh glares at Brian.
​"Why'd you ask a stupid question like that, loser?"
​"Why do you guys hate each other so much? I swear I'm taking you to therapy," I say. Brian rolls his eyes and Josh crosses his arms. Michelle walks in the door and Josh and I disappear in Brian's eyes. He watches her take her seat and I swear he drools a little. I pinch his arm and he yelps in pain. Michelle turns around and looks at him. Josh and I die laughing. Brian doesn't think it's too funny and turns bright red. Michelle giggles a little and turns to her friend. Brian turns and glares at us which only makes us laugh harder. Josh and I lean up against each other, cracking up. Mr. Bennett comes into the classroom and shuts the door behind him.
​"Is there something funny Ms. Moore and Mr. Evans?" Josh and I shake our heads. I have to bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing again. I sneak a glance at Josh and let out one last laugh. Mr. Bennett raises his eyebrows and we straighten up. "Please take out your work from yesterday and two sheets of paper for notes."
​I take notes and pay attention this class period but Braydon is the only thing on my mind. I let out a sigh of relief when the bell rings. I hate math so much. I gather my stuff and head out the door with Josh. Brian tries to catch up with Michelle. Josh and I start laughing watching Brian make his way through the crowd to get to her. Braydon stands at the door waiting for me.
​"Oh, you scared me!" I say. He smiles and takes my books. "I have to go to my locker to get my camera for yearbook." We walk together to my locker. He sets my books down gently in my locker and I grab my camera that I got for my sixteenth birthday. It's a nice camera and I use it a lot. I also grab my thumb drive from my bag. He walks me to Ms. Washington's yearbook class. He gives me a hug and walks off. I love yearbook because I love editing and taking pictures. Ms. Washington really likes the work I create. I take my seat in front of the computer I always use. I put in my username and password and put in my thumb drive. I open up the file and start editing pictures of the band concert last weekend. The period seems to fly by and before I know it Ms. Washington is instructing us to shut off our computers. I finish editing the picture I'm working on and log off. The bell for my next class rings. I let out a frustrated sigh.
​"I'll write you a note. Here," She pulls out a sticky note and scribbles down the date and her signature. "I gave you five minutes to get your stuff from your locker."
​"Thank you, Ms. Washington."
​"Don't worry about it, Alice. Now off you go." I nod and head to my locker. I hurry off to my social studies class with Mrs. Owens. I open the door and she glares at me. I hand her the note and quickly take my seat. Aiden elbows me and gives me a questioning look.
​"I was editing," I whisper and he nods. Mrs. Owens drones on and on. This class is where everybody falls asleep. I don't think it's possible to make a history lecture "fun". It just doesn't happen. I wonder if social studies teachers get tired of listening to their own lectures. You know they know that no one else cares and that they're basically lecturing to the walls. A kid wads up a piece of paper and throw it at the back of another kids head. I turn around to see, of course, a couple of jocks in the back threw it at a nerdy kid. I thank my lucky stars that Shaun and Braydon and the rest of the guys aren't jerks like them. That irritates me so much that jocks think they're better than everyone else. They all start howling laughing and Mrs. Owens turns around. She eyes the boys in the back of the room. She picks up her detention slips and holds them up so we can see. She's trying to intimidate them with the little insignificant pink slips but we all know very well she won't write one. She never has, never will, it's just a known fact. I rest my face on my hand and take notes with the other hand. I draw little hearts on the side of my notes. Aiden writes 'B+A=Love'. I giggle quietly and write 'A2+B2=Love2'. The bell rings and everybody clears out. Aiden and I head to our lockers and then to the lunch room. My head starts to hurt a little bit so I take an ibuprofen. We get our food and sit at the lunch table. Braydon pulls out the chair for me and I sit down. He smiles at me and I give him a small smile.
​"Alice, are you okay? You don't look so good." I stare straight forward, my eyes not really focused. "Alice?" My vision blurs and instead of seeing what is in front of me I see a woman engulfed in flames. I endure the same vision I had the other day. Braydon grabs hold of my shoulders and shakes me. He shakes the visions away and I feel like me again. It's a bit strange how he can do that.
​"What?" I say.
​"You zoned out. Are you okay?" Braydon asks. He rests a hand on my forehead and it feels so good.​
​"You're hands are cold. It feels nice."
​"My hands aren't cold, Alice. You're burning up." I get light-headed and I feel like I'm going to throw up.
​"Excuse me," I say getting up and making a mad dash for the bathroom. I make it just in time to throw up. Lovely, I think. I stumble out of the bathroom stall and lean up against the sink. I look at the girl in the mirror. She's pale white and her eyes have no life in them. I touch my face and my hands are shaking. I turn on the sink and splash cold water on my face. The color returns to my face and eyes and I feel normal again. How strange. I come out of the bathroom and back to the table.
​"Alice, are you okay?" Braydon asks.
​"Yes, I'm fine." I give him a smile and he relaxes. I sit down and everything goes back to normal like nothing happened. We finish eating and leave the cafeteria. The rest of the day is just boring. None of my classes were any fun. After the last bell I head straight to my car. I'm so excited for dinner with Dad. I check the clock and its only 3:32. I drive into the police station and call dad. He comes outside with his coat and we head off.
​"So how was school?"
​"Good."
​"That's good. So I can't be home early tomorrow either. This case I'm working on is big. I'm sorry Alice. Is there anyone you can hang out with?"
​"Yeah, I'll ask Daniel tonight if he wants to go see a movie or something."
​"Okay, thanks kiddo. You're a real trooper." I roll my eyes and he plays with my rearview mirror. I smack his hand, playfully and glare at him.
​"Don't break my car, old man!" I say and he laughs. I pull into the parking lot. We enjoy our dinner and I talk to him about a couple of my classes.
​"So did you get any more acceptance letters?"
​"No, not yet, but I have a feeling that I'm going to get the one I want soon."
​"That's good." The waitress comes and takes our plates and refills our drinks. Dad checks his watch and I shift in my chair.
​"Dad, do you have to get back to work?" I ask.
​"Yes, I do but I'll wait." I take a sip of my coke and his knee starts bouncing. I put my napkin on the table and the waitress comes back with our check. Dad just gives her his card and I take another sip of my soda. I check my phone to see what time it is. 5:22, oh crap! I look up and dad.
​"Hey, do you want to take my car back to work?"
​"You want me to drop you off at church?" I nod. "How will you get home?"
​"I won't I'll have Braydon take me back to the station and we'll go home together."
​"I don't know if I'll be ready to go by then, though. Are you sure you don't want him to just take you home?"
​"Then how will I get my car home? Just don't worry about it. If you still aren't ready to go I'll take my car home. Besides Braydon wouldn't take me home alone even if I begged."
​"Okay. Well let's go or you're going to be late." Dad and I get up from the table and dad goes to get his card. I go get in the passenger seat of my car. Dad gets in shortly and I hand him the keys. He reaches to take them and I pull away.
​"Drive safe. Don't hurt my baby," I say and hand him the keys. He laughs and pulls out of the parking lot. I turn up the radio and stare out the window. Dad pulls into the parking lot of the church and I get out. "See you later, dad." He nods and waves and then drives off as soon as I shut the door. I walk through the doors and all the guys are sitting at a table with sodas in hand.
​"Hey, Alice, where have you been?" Shaun asks.
​"I was at dinner with my dad. Hey, Braydon, do you think you can give me a ride to the police station?" I ask.
​"Yes, of course." Braydon smiles and hands me a soda.
​"Thanks," I say and open it. Josh leans up against a wall talking to another girl. I roll my eyes and Brian snickers a little. Almost on cue Michelle walks by and his jaw drops. I laugh a little harder. One of the adults motions for us to start. A bunch of the younger kids skip to their seats and giggle. A lot of the freshmen girls like the guys; they flirt with them all the time, especially Josh. Of course, he does lead them on quite a bit. Our youth pastor, Jim, takes his seat and asks us to open our bibles to Mark 11:25. He asks if anyone would like to volunteer to read it. Braydon clears his throat and reads it. When he finishes he turns and looks at me. I give him a small smile and he winks at me. The girl sitting next to me thinks he winked at her, sending her into a fit of giggles with her friend. I roll my eyes and Braydon snickers. I take a deep breath and focus. Tonight's lesson is about forgiveness.
​Jim finishes up the lesson and we head outside in groups. I text my dad and tell him we're done and on our way. We all head to the van when a girl jogs up to Braydon.
​"Hey, my friend, Jessica, really likes you. Here's her number, call anytime." I look at her and then to Braydon. Braydon glances at the piece of paper the girl just gave him and hands it to Josh.
​"Awesome, Jessica's hot. Thanks, bro." Josh pockets the piece of paper and I laugh. Wow, how desperate could you be? Braydon falls into my pace and tries to read my face.
​"What?"
​"Me? Oh, I'm just watching the jealousy all over your face." I push him and he laughs.
​"I'm not jealous. I'm just laughing that a freshmen is coming on to you."
​"Maybe I should ask Josh for that number back, I may need it."
​"You're right, you might, seeing as that's the only girl you'll ever get; a silly little freshman girl."
​"Hey, now, look who's getting cocky and arrogant."
​"Oh, right. I'm the arrogant one." We laugh again and get in the car. Braydon drops off Josh and Brian. Daniel and I are both getting off at the police station.
​"Hey, Braydon, we should grab some tacos, after we drop off Alice and Daniel, of course." Shaun suggests.
​"We'll see." Shaun nods and looks out the window. Braydon pulls into the parking lot of the station and Daniel and I get out. We both thank Braydon and start heading for the doors. Braydon pulls out and drives away.
​"Hey, so I was thinking maybe you and I could hang out tomorrow."
​"That sounds great. What do you want to do?"
​"I don't know. How does dinner and a movie sound?"
​"Is this a date?" Daniel asks, mockingly with a smile from ear to ear.
​"Only if you want it to be, babe." We both laugh. Daniel opens the door for me and I step inside.
​"Yeah, that sounds like fun. What movie? Where are we going to eat?"
​"We can decide what we are going to eat tomorrow. The new Spiderman is out and so is the new Batman."
​"I have seen the new Spiderman movie so let's go see the new Batman."
​"That sounds great." I hug Daniel goodbye and walk into my dad's office.
​"Hey," I say.
​"Hey, Alice, look I'm still in the middle of what I'm doing so maybe you should head home."
​"Okay, bye dad." I kiss dad on the cheek and head to my car. Dad throws me the keys before I leave his office. When I get home I head straight upstairs and get ready for bed. I mess around on my computer for a while. I start shutting it down and getting into bed when my phone starts ringing. I reach over and check the caller ID: Braydon.
​"Hello?"
​"Alice. Hey it's me. What are you doing?"
​"I was just about to go to bed. Why?"
​"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize it was that late. I can let you go."
​"No, it's fine. What's up?"
​"Not much I just wanted to hear your voice."
​"Oh okay." I yawn again and he laughs.
​"I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight, Alice. Sleep well."
​"Thanks. Sweet dreams. Goodnight, Braydon." We hang up the phone and I stretch out on my bed and drift off to sleep. Alice. I open one eye to see if it's my dad calling me. I don't see anyone so I close my eyes and turn over. Alice. I open my eyes and sit up in bed. I look around my room and no one is there. Alice. I hear my name clear as day. "Dad, is that you?" I call out. I don't get a response. Alice, die. I gasp and suddenly it becomes very difficult to breath. I gasp for air and grasp my headboard. Just when I'm about to pass out dad comes into the room and turns on the lights.
​"Alice, are you okay?" He runs to my side and I can suddenly breathe again. I clutch my throat and dad repeats the questions. I nod and he holds on to me. I sob into his shoulder, shaken by what just happened. After about five minutes my sobs stop and I convince dad I'm fine and it was just a dream but deep down I know it wasn't. Something doesn't want me here.
​I wake up in a really good mood, the strange incident of last night behind me. I get ready for school and head out before dad does. My day is uneventful, nothing happens out of the ordinary. I almost completely forget about what happened. I certainly don't tell anyone in fear they may think I'm crazy. After school I sit in my car and wait for Daniel. I crank up the music and check my phone to see if he's texted me or anything. I hear tapping on the window and I roll it down.
​"Hey, what are you doing?" Braydon asks.
​"What does it look like? I'm sitting in my car."
​"You're not going home alone, are you?" My phone beeps twice and I check the message.
Hey, I'm on my way to your car.
​"Nope, I'm hanging out with Daniel." Almost on cue Daniel walks up to the car.
​"Hey, Braydon, what's up?" Daniel asks.
​"Not much just about to head to practice. What are you two doing tonight?"
"We are going to a movie and then dinner probably. Why?"
"Why don't we all go out for dinner?" Braydon suggests.
"Sure, sounds good to me. Practice is over and 5:30, right? So dinner at Schlotzsky's at 6:30?"
"Okay, great. See you guys there then!" I watch as he jogs off to the locker room.
​"Hello? Earth to Alice, are you in there?" Daniel says waving his hand in my face. I push it away and start my car. Daniel turns up the music and Glad You Came by The Wanted comes on and Daniel turns it up louder. I laugh as he sings along. We pull into the parking lot at the movie theater and we both get out of the car. I grab my bag and we walk in together. We buy our tickets and snacks and head into the theater. I love going to see movies in the theaters. It's such a different experience then watching it at home. At home you have a million distractions from the movie but in a theater there is little to none. We take our seats and munch on popcorn. Daniel throws a piece at me and it lands in my lap. He sticks out his hand and whispers that he wants it back. I shake my head and pop it into my mouth. He gives me a horrified expression and we both laugh. The people in front of us turn around and shush us. We bite our lips and then look at each other and start laughing again. When the movie starts we quiet down and direct our attentions towards it.
​After the movie we throw away all of our garbage and head to my car. Almost perfect timing we have enough time to make it to dinner. When we get there all the guys are sitting there waiting for us. Braydon saved a seat for me next to him. I gratefully take it and Shaun informs me he already ordered for Daniel and me. We both thank him and shortly after our food arrive. We laugh and mess around just like at our lunch table. I throw a piece of lettuce at Josh when my phone starts ringing in my purse. I excuse myself so I can take the call. I answer it even though I don't recognize the number.
"Hello?"
"Alice, die." I drop the phone in shock. I take a breath and then pick it up. I place it back on my ear and the line is dead. I come back inside out of breath.
​"Alice, are you okay?" Shaun asks.
​"I just got a strange phone call."
​"Who did you get it from?"
​"I'm not sure." I stare down at my food and I decide I'm not hungry anymore. I thank everyone for dinner and thanks Daniel for spending time with me. I drive home in silence and walk through the door in a sort of trance. I don't even hear dad greet me but just walk upstairs to my room. Dad knocks on my door an hour later and I sit on my bed where I've been for the past hour. I murmur for him to come in and he hesitantly walks towards my bed.
​"Alice, what's going on?" He sits on the edge of my bed and I don't look up at him.
​"Nothing is wrong, just go away."
​"Fine, I will." Dad gets up and leaves. He shuts the door behind him. The slam of the door snaps me out of it. I realize how rude I just was to my father. I jump out of bed and run downstairs. He's pacing in the kitchen and I hug him.
​"I'm sorry, daddy," I murmur into his chest. He rubs my back and assures me he forgives me. I tell him about the phone call and what happened last night. He seems genuinely concerned and offers some advice. He tells me not to answer the phone to any unknown numbers and tell him when anything weird happens from this point on. I agree with him and I also tell him I haven't been feeling like myself lately. He just hugs me and tells me everything's going to be okay. I tell him I'm really tired and head upstairs. I don't even get ready for bed I just lay down and fall asleep.
​I wake up in the middle of the night after a horrible dream. I can't remember any of it but all I know is it was horrible. I wipe away the fresh tears on my face the dream created. I eventually fall back asleep. Dad wakes me up in the morning warning me that if I don't get up now I'm going to be late. I throw my clothes on and put my hair up in a ponytail. I grab a banana and head out the door. My day is about as eventful as yesterday. After school I slowly make my way to my car. I have nothing planned today and I'm terrified to go home. Braydon spots me and makes his way towards me.
​"Hey, Alice, what do you have planned today?"
​"I don't have anything planned. Why?'
​"Why don't you stay for practice?"
​"Okay,"
​"Okay great. After practice we can hang out, okay?" I nod and he smiles. He motions for me to follow him so I follow him until he gets to the guys locker room. He turns and faces me.
​"I'll see you afterwards." I nod and before I could turn away Braydon pecks me on the lips. He disappears into the locker room before I can say anything. I walk slowly to the bleachers thinking about that kiss. Was that supposed to be friendly? No, it can't be because if it was he would've done it before. I take a seat on the bleachers and pull out my iPod. Baseball isn't exactly my forte.
​Someone taps my shoulder and my eyes fly open. I relax when I see it is just Braydon.
​"Is it over?" I ask. He nods and offers me his hand. I take it and he helps me up. He walks me to my car and gets in the passenger seat.
​"What are you doing?" I ask.
​"I'm coming home with you. I told you that."
​"You have your own car, though." Braydon laughs and I just look at him.
​"I know I have my own car. So I gave Shaun my keys so he can take everyone home and I'm going home with you. Well, actually we should go out to eat first." I roll my eyes and start the car.
​"Where do you want to eat?" I ask.
​"It's up to you. I don't care," Braydon says with a shrug. I pull into the parking lot of a local diner. We both get out of the car and I lock it. We sit at a small booth and talk. I order a small meal and Braydon orders nachos.
​"So how are you?" Braydon asks.
​"What do you mean?" I ask even though I know exactly what he's talking about.
​"I mean is there anything else happening?"
​"Oh, that. This is going to sound strange. Well, I keep hearing things call my name at night. One night something tried to kill me." He doesn't accuse me of being crazy he even offers some feedback. We finish eating and we get in the car except Braydon gets in the driver seat.
​"Don't wreck my car. I will never forgive you," I say eyeing him. He laughs and starts the car.
​"Don't worry I won't hurt your precious car." We pull into the driveway. He gets out of the car and locks it behind us. He walks with me to my front door and unlocks it with my keys. We both step inside.
​"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" I ask.
​"That sounds good. What do you want to watch?"
​"I don't care just put something in," I say climbing my stairs. "I'll be down in a second." I climb the rest of the stairs and go to my room. I change clothes and put my hair up. When I come back downstairs Braydon is lounging on my couch. I come down and sit in my dad's chair.
​"What are we watching?" I ask.
​"We're watching The Grudge."
​"Oh, that's scary!" I say, laughing. I get up and go to the kitchen to make some popcorn. I watch the movie from the kitchen and occasionally sneak a glance at Braydon. The microwave beeps at me and I pull out a big white bowl from one of the cabinets. I pour the contents of the popcorn bags into the bowl and grab two sodas. I set them on the coffee table in front of the couch and sit next to Braydon. He looks at me and smiles. He stops the movie and looks at me.
​"What?" I ask.
​"I really like you, Alice." I can't help but smile.
​"I really like you, too."
​"Will you be my girlfriend?" Braydon asks with a hopeful smile. I nod and he smiles. He picks me up off the couch and spins me around. When he sets me down he kisses me. He settles down and we watch the movie. He grabs my hand and I lean my head on his shoulder. I begin to drift off to sleep.
​A woman stands with her back to me. I look around wondering where I am. Nothing looks familiar. It's dark and musty and smells awful. The woman turns around to face me and I gasp. Her eyes have rolled into the back of her head but that's not why I gasped. I gasped because that's my mother.
​I wake up in Braydon's arms. He's still watching the movie and I push out of his arms.
​"What's wrong?" He asks.
​"I had an awful nightmare."
​"I'm sorry. What can I do?" Braydon asks. I look up at him.
​"Distract me." I say. Braydon hesitates and then kisses me. It's passionate and sweet and it's definitely keeping my mind off my nightmare. I hear dad's car pull up. I break the kiss and get up off the couch. I straighten up the couch and my hair. He helps me clean up the popcorn mess.
​"Well I guess I better get going," Braydon says. I nod and give him a quick kiss. Dad walks through the door and nods at Braydon.
​"Well, hello Braydon. How are you, son?" Dad asks.
​"I'm just fine, Mr. Moore. Now that you're home I better get going."
​"Well, okay. Be careful driving home," Dad says, sitting in his recliner already. I give Braydon a quick hug and he whispers goodnight to me. I close the door behind him.
​"How was work?" I ask.
​"Not so good. I had a long day, dear. Will you grab me a soda, Alice?" Dad asks. I smile and go to the kitchen. I grab a can from the bottom shelf of the fridge and take it to him. "Thanks. How was school?"
​"Good, nothing interesting to report. But I did have this weird vision not too long ago," I say, sitting on the couch.
​"What was that?" Dad asks curiosity setting in his eyes.
​"I had this vision of a woman with long red hair. Didn't mom have long red hair?" I ask.
​"Well, yes. But that doesn't mean that's her. How long have you been having these visions?"
​"A couple of times, isn't that weird?"
​"Yes, it is." Dad says, his eyebrows knitting together in thought.
​"Braydon asked me out today."
​"He's a good kid, I definitely approve," Dad says with a smile. I smile back.
​"Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed, goodnight, daddy." I kiss the top of his head and climb the stairs. I get to my bedroom and lay in my bed.

​