Episode 14
Let me walk you home. It is the least I can do for making you miss your ride.
I could hear that voice in my head again, but why couldn't I see the person? I tried my best to get closer to the person, but his face was blurry.
He grabbed my hands tightly, not wanting to let go as he led the way. I willingly followed him. I struggled, trying to focus on his face but then I got distracted when I felt someone stroke my hair.
As I turned back to look at the person, I woke up from the dream. Why did I keep having these weird dreams?
"You're awake, dear" Mom said when she noticed that I had opened my eyes.
"Yes Mom, I'm awake." I tried to sit up right, but she didn't let me. It was then that I realized that she had been beside me this whole time. I had known that she couldn't leave me alone in this state. That was how much she loved me.
She looked worried. "How are you feeling?"
I wanted to tell her about the constant dreams that I had been having and that familiar voice that always haunted me, but I knew she would only be more worried if I did.
"I'm feeling much better." I smiled, trying to sound convincing but for some reason, she was not.
"Are you having bad dreams again?" She blurted, then looked shocked by what she had said, like she hadn't meant to say it.
"What do you mean by bad dreams again?" I asked, but judging by the expression on her face, I wasn't sure she was going to tell me.
"It's nothing, dear. I heard you talking in your sleep. That's why I asked." She explained and that was okay, I guess.
"How is Dad?" I asked, still lying on my bed.
"He had an urgent meeting to attend."
I wasn't really expecting him to be home, in all honesty. I guess he was going back to work and that meant that I wouldn't be seeing him often.
Mom sat closer to me, running her hand through my hair. "You know, you don't have to go to school today if you don't feel so good."
At first, I had been happy to stay home, but now I felt the urge to go back to school, which was strange because I had never been a fan of school.
"It's fine, Mom. I do feel better. I'll be able to go to school." I said, meeting her eyes.
She glanced at her watch. "Okay then, but you'll be late."
Some people might find it strange that my mom wore a watch to bed, but I didn't. It was a old habit of hers. That wrist watch barely left her wrist. It was one of the reasons she was always early no matter what it was that she wanted to do.
I shrugged. "I guess I'll just get the penalty of going late."
"No, you aren't getting any penalty." She frowned. "I will talk to the principal." With that said, she stood up from the bed. "Get ready for school. I will go talk to the principal and explain to her why you will be coming late."
Only then did she leave my room.
I stood up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. It was a short bath seeing as I was late already and as usual, my mom had picked out a beautiful outfit for me. She must have known that I would change my mind and want to go to school anyway.
As I got dressed, an image flashed into my mind. It was too quick. So quick that I fight see the image clearly.
What was wrong with me? First, it was nightmares, then voices and now, I was seeing things.
Perhaps I was psychic.
It was a stupid thought but what else was I supposed to think?
Speaking of, why had Zachary not come over to check up on me? That was very strange. Normally, he would have called to check up on me.
Maybe he had an early class, I thought to myself.
"Ariana, come down and have your breakfast." My mom yelled from downstairs.
"I'm coming."
"I'm ready to go to school." I said when I saw my mom outside my room. She hadn't been downstairs as I had thought.
She smiled. "Okay, dear. Come eat your breakfast."
When we went downstairs, I took my seat at the dining table, picking up my spoon and shoving a portion of my food into my mouth. "Dad won't be coming home as often, right?"
"You know, your dad is a busy man, so you won't see him a lot."
"Mom, you don't really need to call the principal. I can serve my punishment" I told her.
She smiled reassuringly. "I have done that already and he seemed really nice. So don't worry about it, dear."
"I guess I won't be punished then." As I said the words, I realised that I felt instant relief. Even though I had been acting tough about facing the punishment, I guess it really had been getting to me.
"No, you won't."
I cleared the plate. "I'm done eating."
"I will be taking you to school today." Mom announced then she rose and walked away, probably to go get her keys.
If I was being completely honest, I did miss school for some reasons. I missed Sebastian's face and the way we argue in class.
It was then that I realized my phone wasn't with me. I went upstairs to my room to get it, but I searched and searched but couldn't find it anywhere.
"Where is my phone?" I said out loud before I could stop it.
I turned just in time to see Mom walk into my room. "What are you doing Ariana?"
"I'm searching for my phone." I told her, flinging my pillows and sheets to the side. My phone was nowhere to be found.
She walked over to my drawer and pulled it open. "You should have asked me." She shoved her hand in and when she brought it out, she was holding my phone. She handed it over to me. "Here you go, darling."
"Thanks, Mom." I sighed, relieved.
When I took it from her, I tried to put it on, but as it turned out, the battery had died.
"I turned it off." Mom explained when she saw what I was trying to do.
"Oh, you did?"
She nodded. "Yeah. We need to go now, else, you'll be extremely late."
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I made to walk outside with her.
"So many messages." I gasped. I had turned my phone on, the onslaught of messages popping into my phone, surprising me.
"What's wrong?" Mom asked from the front seat.
I shook my head. "It's nothing, really. I just have so many messages."
Her eyes met mine before focusing back on the road. "Oh. I forgot to tell you. Your dad and I made it clear to your school that you weren't feeling too well."
"I guess that's why I'm receiving a lot of Get Well Soon messages.'" I murmured.
Sebastian had sent me over twenty messages asking me how I was doing, which was surprising to me because of the way I treated him the last time I talked to him and he still cared about me.
However, I didn't see a single message from Zachary.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Did Zachary come over to check up on me?"
A small smile touched her lips. "He did."
My heart jumped in excitement. "He did?"
"Yeah, but you were asleep when he came."
That was fine. I mean, as long as he came, that was what mattered.
"We're almost at your school, darling." Mom announced and I nodded absently.
I didn't know whether I should reply Sebastian's message or not. I wasn't really sure what to say to him. Thinking about him was already weird enough for me.
It wasn't like we were enemies, but we weren't friends and I felt like it was best not to reply him.