CHAPTER16

The howling wind rattled the windowpanes in the bitter, damp night outside. I twisted and turned under my thin covers. My teeth chattered in the chilly air around me. I couldn't sleep. I went to the kitchen because I needed to have a drink. For some reason, I was back in my parent's house. I opened the fridge, got my juice and began drinking it when I heard the doorbell. I looked up, it was two forty a.m. I don't want to answer it but a strong force is pushing me to the door. I open the door and I immediately slap my hands around my mouth to stop me from screaming as I witness the murder of a man who is being repeatedly stabbed and shot another man in a hoodie. I turn around in a haste, trying to get back into the house only to find it locked. So I banged the door in hope that my parents can rescue me from this sight. After some minutes of screaming for help and no one came, the hooded man ran away, leaving me and the corpse so I did the only thing I could do. I walked silently in tears to the body and I screamed when I noticed the face and the damage done to the corpse "No no, no wake-up Leon wakes up" I screamed at him with tears. My sweat dripped down my forehead and my heart was thumping hard at my chest. "He's gone" I heard my parents say from behind me "He's gone Lorrie " I kept hearing like an echo "He's gone, Lorrie-" "Lorrie Lorrie Lorrie wake up" I heard Melia yell as I jerked awake in fear. Then I began panting for breath. "Breath Lorrie breathe" I did as told for ten seconds until I got my breath back. That's how it has always been for the past three years. The nightmares were the unbearable ones. It comes on nights I least expect. Once again, my parents don't have a clue about this because they think I'm better after I went to that place. "Look into my eyes Lorrie and repeat after me" Melia spoke gently and I did as told. "What I saw wasn't real and nothing terrible is ever going to happen to Leon" "What I saw wasn't real and nothing terrible is ever going to happen to Leon" I repeated and she smiled. This is our normal routine every time I wake up after a nightmare. It helps me to calm myself so that I don't start overthinking and I start falling back to where I was then. Melia helped me up and I swear I caught a glimpse of Lexis by the doorway but when I looked, he wasn't there again. "Why are you even here?" I asked in all seriousness because this is a Saturday morning and the only place you'll find her is on her bed. "I just wanted to check on you because we haven't seen you at school for three days and after I haven't gotten the chance to ask you why you suddenly left the apartment the other night" she replied as we walked to the kitchen. Shit, she remembers!. That's why I was avoiding them. I know that if I see Melia I would be forced to tell her because I don't know how to lie to her and I don't want to hurt her. Plus, once she finds out that I went to meet him, she'll murder me. "Uh- I-Uh um had some stuff to do" I stammered. "Oh like what" she says interested. "Psht you know like take care of my fiancé?" I say unconvincingly. "Really? of all the excuses you could bring up. Your fiancé?" She deadpanned. "I'm serious I g-uess" I say, my words faltering. "Well now that I know that you are alright, I better head back to work. Joanne seems to be asking of you a lot giving that you hardly show up to work and trust me she's more pissed that you didn't tell her about lexis than anything but I couldn't say anything because it's not really in my place to talk so" she said. "Oh shit, please let her know that I would be coming on Monday and please tell Carter and Brooke that I'm sorry for going poof on them" I say, emphasizing the poof with my hands. "Okay will do and I won't forget to tell them about your lame excuse" she laughs heading towards the door as I follow her. "Come on, it's not that lame." I speak. "Whatever" she shouted as she walked off. "You should tell your friend why you were avoiding her you know" a voice presumably lexis said startling me. I just glared at him. I haven't spoken to him since that night I saw him drunk. "Oh God, so much tension in this room" Ryan, his best friend laughs. "Oh, and the loner has a friend. Please to meet you and here I was thinking Lexis was going to die alone " I retorted sarcastically. "Ooh feisty, I like this one, can we keep her?" Ryan asked Lexis and he just glared at his friend as he flipped me off. ........... "So what you're trying to tell me is that Amelia likes Carter but he doesn't?" Brooke asked as we took our Sunday walk. "Yep. It is what it is " I answered. "Man that's hard, you cannot tell Amelia-" "Can't tell Amelia what?" Carter said from behind us startling us both. "What are you doing, you almost killed me" Brooke said placing her arm on her chest. "Yeah sure. So what can't we tell Amelia?" Carter asked again, intrigued. "Uh um why don't you talk Lorrie?" Brooke said, totally pushing everything to me. "Well yeah um the thing is, we don't want to tell her that we are planning an um surprise party for her" I quickly said. "Uh you know Looney, her birthday isn't for the next four months" he asked, totally confused. "Well the earlier the better" I said. "Okay weird. Well, I'm off to the apartment. You guys coming?" Carter walks ahead of us. "No, I got stuff to do" I said. "Like what? Take care of your fiancé?" She burst into laughter, Carter following her. "I'm not going to deal with you two" I stormed off. Feeling extremely tired, I decided to use the bus back home but unfortunately, the bus is deciding to take its precious time. "Ugh" I groaned out loud. "If you want to go home so fast, you should walk, you've been doing that since" an unfamiliar voice said to me. "And you are?" "A very friendly neighbor, who happened to have been watching you for some time" he smiles. What?????