The Next Now

Chapter 31: Girlfriend

Henrietta's P.O.V

I sit up really quickly. My heart was beating erratically in my chest.
Sweat trickled down from my now soaked hair.
That's how much I'm sweating right now.

I look around my wide room that is now dark and quiet, save for my uneven breathing.

I drag a hand through my hair and make to get up from the bed. I turn on the lamp by my bedside and check the time on my phone to see it's a few minutes past 3.
I then decide to go downstairs to get a glass of water.

I hated when this happened.
I didn't like the dark at all, so you could imagine how frustrated I always was when I woke up in the middle of the night due to a Nightmare that I was sure to forget as soon as I woke up.

Yes, I don't remember the nightmare that had just woken me up.
For no reason

It was like 'Your dreams are made only for when you were asleep, as it has no business with the real world'

It infuriated me to hell when I tried to remember what it was but I just ended up drawing a blank.

Losing your childhood memories was one thing, but not remembering your nightmares too? It pained me to think about it.
What if it was a memory coming in form of a Nightmare?
But that would mean that I didn't have a very good childhood, and honestly, I didn't want to imagine how it really was when I was little.

I grab a glass from the cabinet and put it under the faucet to fetch water before bringing the glass to my lips.
I finish all the water in the glass before returning it and turning back to go upstairs.

The cold wind nips at my skin and I look down at my attire. I was in short shorts and a pink panther pajamas shirt covering half of the shorts.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I see a figure cross our lawn to the street and I feel a shiver run up my spine.
I rush up the stairs to my room, taking it two at a time.
I reach my room and try my breathing techniques, forcing myself stay calm.

Who was that and what was he doing on our lawn?

*******

"You think I'd believe you?" I ask Jay incredulously

"Why wouldn't you?" He asks, exasperatedly "She's my girlfriend, Hen!"

My eyes scan the girl beside him with his arm draped around her shoulder. She's the same height as I am, she's really pretty with strawberry blonde curly hair that stops at her back. Also, her whole presence reeks of money

"I'm London" She suddenly smiles at me. "London Fray"
Did I say she's pretty? She's really pretty

All the while, she had been looking at Jay and I arguing back and forth about her being his girlfriend as if she wasn't there.

"Cool" I say, before narrowing my eyes at Jay "Since when?"

"Yesterday"

"Yesterday? And I'm knowing now?" I narrow my eyes even further "I didn't even know that you liked her"

"Uhh, well... " He scratches the back of his neck and shoots a small glance at London

"Well?" I almost yell in the empty field. I was on the bleachers eating lunch when they came to me.

"Well, I like her and now she's my girlfriend" He grins as if that would change anything

I sigh and turn to London.
"Hey, I'm Henrietta" I might as well

"I know" She beams, chocolate-brown eyes shining before me "Jay's told me so much about you"

"Well, I can't say the same for you" I say, but it comes out really harsh and I immediately curse under my breath "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean it that way"