Embers

~11~ Walls

Taylor's POV

I get home and decide to take a nap for a while; I had only been sleeping for half an hour when the bell went off last night. I'm bushed.

Besides the fact that I'm tired, I need to escape for a while. Shut off my mind. I keep replaying the conversation I had with Ellie over and over in my head. Each time, I get more upset than the last. She can't be friends with me because she finds me attractive? Is she 10? What kind of a shitty response is that?

She finds me attractive. The thrill of that realization sends shivers up my spine. I'm mad at myself for how relieved that makes me. How excited it makes me. How hopeful it makes me. All this time I've been sure that I wasn't her type. Man, the girl has a good poker face.

I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow, and I fall into a deep, dead-to-the-world, sleep. I'm having a strange dream. Ellie is in it, but she's walking away from me.

I start walking after her as a fire erupts out of nowhere. It starts to creep towards her. I yell and run as fast as I can, always out of reach of her. It doesn't matter how loud I yell, she never hears me. It doesn't matter how fast I run, I never catch her.

Smoke burns my lungs as the fire intensifies. She's going to die! I'm not going to be able to save her. All of a sudden, she's gone. The fire has engulfed her. The wall between us is a blazing inferno that I can't get through. I can't break the wall. I can't get to her.

I've lost her!!!!

"NOOOO!!" I scream as I jolt straight up out of bed, with cold sweat dripping down my face. That was the most vivid, intense dream I have ever had.

Something about it was so symbolic...I can't quite figure out what my dream means, but it was so unnerving that I'm no longer tired. I look at the clock, and I had only been sleeping for 20 minutes. I decide to get up. No way I'll be able to go back to sleep after that.

I take a shower, letting the hot water drip over me and release the muscles in my tense back. I stretch my bicep out over the water, hoping that will alleviate some of the burning I'm still having from the last call.

I stand there, letting the hot steam and water surround me, dripping off of my body, until the hot water finally runs out. I get out, wrap my favorite white towel around my waist, and head to the kitchen.

I need a beer.

I grab my beer, and head back to my room to change. I'm not going anywhere today, so I grab my gray Adidas sweats and a t shirt.

"Why are you being like this? What the hell is your problem?!" I hear yelling from the hallway.

I go to my door and use the peep hole to see what all the commotion is about. It's Alex. He's towering over Ellie. His hands are at his sides, but he's got them clenched tight into fists. She's basically on her tippy toes, trying to make herself bigger than what she is. There is no fear on her face. She's ready to fight him.

I swing my door open as fast, and as loud as I can, trying to get Alex to back up from her. I don't like how close he is to her.

It worked, Alex flinches ever so slightly, enough for me to get myself between them.

"Is there a problem, here? "I ask, inches from Alex's face. The guy has a few inches on me, but I'm bigger. I can break his jaw without much of an effort. The way he was in her face, I almost hope he tries to fight me.

"Everything's fine, Preston," Ellie says, trying to diffuse the situation that she can already sense is escalating. She shoves my shoulder, ever so slightly, to let me know she wants me to move. I oblige, but I stand right next to her—Ready to get between them again if needed.