Friday.
Day 1.
Issa.
I wake up with the covers over my face, blocking out the unwanted view of my room.
I was crying all night before passing out, but felt amazing this morning, not at all like I usually felt after waking up from a night of bawling my eyes out. This time was different.
Everything felt so different, even the darkness underneath my blanket. I stretch, still half awake under my covers when my foot becomes uncovered. Suddenly I feel a cool breeze on it. Quickly realizing I didn't have a window in my room, I throw away the blanket I was under and look around desperately.
I scream out loud in shock at what I see, not able to completely understand. I have to blink many more time until it becomes torally clear to me what I saw. I wasn't in my room at the school anymore. I was somehow back in my dorm room.
I jump out of bed looking around my old room frantically. What was happening? Why was I suddenly back? Was I just dreaming the whole time? Had I finally gone crazy? Definitely the last one.
I glanced back to my bed and just now noticed that my bed sheets were the same ones I had from the school. How had I not noticed before, they were identical. I must have actually just been dreaming the whole time to be that oblivious after almost a week there.
I couldn't believe it. I didn't know whether to be sad or happy. I was relieved to be back and not kidnapped anymore, but everyone there felt so real. Everything felt so unbelievably real there. I felt like I was going crazy and was about to crawl back into bed when my door flung wide open and in walks my roommate Jo.
She ignores me and walks to her closet and starts throwing out her clothes onto her bed across the room from mine. I watch her, amused yet scared at everything happening. I couldn't refrain from asking the one question traveling nonstop around my brain; How the actual hell was I here?
Jo then finally turns around, noticing I was watching her creepily.
"Um hello? Weirdo. Why are you looking at me like that?" I sit there, wide eyed and mouth agape, saying nothing. Seeing her only confirmed to me more that this was really happening. Jo rolls her eyes at me and continues what she was doing.
"I'm trying to find a cute outfit for tonight. Speaking of, why are you even still in bed? It's literally 3 in the afternoon girl." I snap around and look at my night stand. My alarm clock reading; 3:21 pm is there. Next to it was my phone plugged into it charging. My phone!
I open it and look at the date. It was a Friday. To be more exact, it was the day it was when I first arrived at the school, like no time had passed here at all. What the hell was happening? I turn off my phone and layed back down taking a deep breath, ready to pass out yet again.
"Oh no you're not! Get up and get ready. You're coming with me lazy ass!" Jo walks up to me and yanks me up. She tosses a black skirt on me then gives me a 'put it on' look. It was the black skirt. The one Cam hated me getting so much. Oh my god.
Why did the dream feel so real if it clearly didn't really happen? Still staring at the black skirt that weirdly scared me now, a shirt comes flying at me, hitting me straight in the face.
"That'll look good with it." I rub my forehead where the shirt hit me and finally snap out of it and grab the outfit blindly. I start to take off my clothes then realize I'm wearing the clothes from when I went to the last party that landed me at the school; plaid pajama shorts with a tank and a casual white sweatshirt.
Was the party I went to last night the party where I got kidnapped? I shake away the idea, knowing it couldn't be real since it was obviously just a messed up dream and finally get up.
I put on the clothes Jo gave me and look in my mirror, still hating how almost everything was identical to the schools room. At least what I had on wasn't a perfect replica of the outfit from my dream, then I would really be losing my mind right now. As if I wasn't already.
I then realize, I no longer have any remnants of the scratch from when I was slapped by Cam. It was completely gone. It really must have just been all in my head. Just a crazy dream.
"Looks okay, I guess." Forgetting how much I honestly couldn't stand Jo, I find myself missing the school, and Lectra.
Lectra and Wes. It was weird knowing my mind created them. Even weirder, how it created Cam and George to be too.
"How's this?" I look at Jo and see she's posing outfits for me. It's a pink tank top and black leggings with long boots. I barely even move and she's speaking over me instantly;
"Eh. You're right. Too safe. I need to wear something that will force people to want to stare at me." Jo was pretty, but she had a reputation of sleeping with random guys at parties, so guys typically avoided her. Most of them at least.
She grabs more clothes from her closet, finally pulling together a black crop top and a jean jacket with leggings again. This time she doesn't bother asking me for my opinion, she just glances in the mirror and looks it over. After what seemed like way too long, she nodded and turned to me.
"Okay. I'm done. You ready?" Still feeling weird having a normal conversation with Jo who I hadn't seen for awhile, I ask timidly;
"Isn't it a little early to go to a party right now?" She sighs and says;
"Were you that drunk last night? The people who owned that house said we should come around at 3 to hang out before the party tonight. I think they liked me." Jo fluffs her hair and winks at me way too cocky like. So I did go to a party last night? And just like my dream, I don't remember any of it. How the hell did I get back at my dorm if I was that wasted?
I know Jo sure as hell didn't drive me back.
Jo is eyeing me hard waiting for me to give her the signal that i was ready to leave. Giving up, knowing I won't win against Jo, I say;
"Alright. Let's go then." Wondering if I'd regret going later, I get up then Jo and I head out the door.
I told myself that the rest of the day was going to be normal. No thinking of the dream.
•••
Jo and I arrive at a secluded house pretty much the size of a castle, with many expensive cars outside. There were bushes everywhere with fancy fences surrounding the area. It was beautiful, but was overwhelming to look at too long, as there was so much going on. Jo pushes me aside and rings the doorbell before I can, then out steps a random girl.
She was short and a little chubby. She looks us up and down and calls over her shoulder and out comes a man. He looked familiar but I couldn't quite make it out. He looks at me for way too long then looks to Jo and hugs her. They laugh and he turns back to me and asks;
"Issabelle, right? We met last night but I have a feeling you wouldn't remember me with how drunk you were. I'm Brooks. Nice to meet you." Well now that made sense where I knew him from. Brooks outstretches his hand and I take it in mine. His grip and even his name said he was rich, plus the house obviously gave it away. I wonder what he did to get this loaded.
Brooks invited us in and, mainly me since I was too drunk to remember anything, showed us around the house. Eventually, he leaves Jo and I to ourselves in the living room, giving us time to talk and get comfortable.
"Why is this guy so rich?" He clearly wasn't a student here on campus. He was probably in his 30's, but didn't look all that older than me. He wasn't bad looking either, despite the age gap.
"Issabelle, you're kidding. He's the chancellor!" I couldn't help but laugh at her statement.
"And he's throwing parties for kids? Weird." She laughs in a 'yeah and so what?' way then hatefully adds;
"Yeah. He is. And we're old enough to drink. We're not kids. He'd rather throw them than have some other person throw it and not be safe. Or something like that. Who cares?" Jo sips her drink then takes a candy out of the center piece on the table and eats it. She then takes a handful and puts it in her purse. She looks at me and puts her finger up to her mouth, shushing me to be quite about it. Classy.
•••
A few hours go by and more people have arrived for the party. As usual, Jo has abandoned me for some guy. I pick a spot at the pool, dipping my feet in it. Even though I had a bad feeling about it. I was drinking out of boredom, as well as being anxious.
I moved outside since I kept getting approached every other second by some drunk guy asking for my number, which although was still very annoying, I did take it as a compliment. My one rule, maybe one of many rules, was don't meet guys at a frat party, or rather, any party. Normally all they wanted was a one night stand, and that just wasn't my style.
I'm sipping from my beer Brooks had gotten me when I hear laughing and then a group of people come out into my area. Then all at once, they jump into the pool, getting me wet. I get up and give them all looks. They all booed at me and called me lame for being uptight about it, so I simply got up to leave, ignoring them.
I walk through the living room to try and find Jo so I could go home. Why didn't I just take my own car here? Of course she would ditch me, it was her thing. I'm walking around feeling bad for myself when I see someone familiar walk past me. Without thinking, I grab her shoulder and turn her towards me frantically blurting;
"Hey-!" It wasn't my best move. She just looks at me confused at my outburst. Completely shocked at who I was looking at, I can barely speak. When I finally do, the word that comes out feels even more unreal than who I was looking at;
"Lectra?" She laughs and leans toward me now, visibly drunk.
"Um, how do you know my nickname? I don't even know you." She was wobbling onto me so close I could smell her alcohol filled breath.
"I'm Leah. But you can sure call me Lectra if you want buddy!" She points at me with a huge smile across her face, then pretends to faint. I catch her and hold her up. How was Lectra really here? She gasps at me then lifts her head back up and says;
"You did it! That was a trust fall! Now I know I can trust you to take me home." Feeling glad I had approached her before some creep did, I ask;
"Where do you live-Leah?" It was strange knowing her real name. What was even stranger was that she even existed at all. Not in just my dream.
"I live-I live-" She then starts repeating her words over and over, not finishing them until finally she looks at me and whispered;
"I live-somewhere." Great. How was I supposed to help her get home if she wouldn't help me too? I then felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Brooks smiling at me.
"Were you about to leave Issabelle?" His blue eyes were searching me endlessly until he finally saw Lectra in my arms.
"Oh, you found my sister?" Sister? He looks at Lectra and realizes she was way gone and laughs;
"Oh Gosh. You can just bring her upstairs to her room. If you want, feel free to sleep here too." I smile and nod at him and go up to her room. Not only did Lectra have a brother she had never told me about, but she lived here with him. Guess that made my job of getting her home a whole lot easier.
Brooks had told me he had a little sister earlier but never in a million years would I think it would be Lectra. I didn't even know she was real. I'm walking aimlessly down a huge hallway, that strangely resembled the schools hallways because of how long they were, when Lectra chimes in suddenly, humming some pop song. She then sees what I assume was her room and runs inside, jumping into bed.
I was about to shut the door and leave her be when I hear her giggle. Lectra looks at me, twirls a finger in my direction then asks;
"Why do you look so-o familiar?" My heart sank. She remembers me too? There's no way she could, it was just a dream. I had said it half a million times tonight but now I wasn't even sure anymore.
"Also, that skirt was made for you! It's perfect-" She then quickly sat up and started spelling like a cheerleader;
"p-r-e-f-e-c-t-perfect!-" I laughed at how drunk she was and realized I couldn't leave her. I had to find out if she really knew me or if she was just a drunk lunatic right now. I decided then that I would stay the night here and wait for her in the morning. I grabbed an extra blanket and pillow and layed on the floor.
Lectra was now snoring, and without even thinking about it, I was asleep too.
•••
Saturday.
Day 2.
I was not going crazy-at least that what I kept telling myself as I woke up the next morning.
I couldn't bring myself to believe it, because evertime I did, I would look up into her bed and see Lectra laying there, completely real, not a figment of my imagination. She was real.
I was half expecting to wake back up in that school, living my 'normal' life again. Why was I kind of wanting to go back? I simply missed the people I met there inside my dream. I missed Lectra, Wes, and even George. Everthing he lied to me about and how much I had hated him was slowly fading away. I only missed him now.
As I sit there waiting for Lectra to wake up, I thought about what I'll even ask her. 'Do you perhaps know me from a dream you had? Because I had a dream with you in it, and it felt unbelievably real. Oh and by the way, we're like best friends.' Probably not. That's a grade A way to get the cops called on you for sounding like a damn stalker.
It was almost 4 and she was still sleeping. I was almost sure she might even be dead. Now, thinking about it, she hadn't moved in awhile. Knowing I'd regret it, I get up and slowly pace toward Lectra in her bed. At first I don't do anything when I get to her, I just look at her, making sure, for about the hundredth time, that she was in fact Lectra, the girl from my dreams.
Yep.
I finally move to poke her awake when she yawns at me. She opens her eyes and stares at me, somehow not looking terrified of my presence. All she does is pinch her eyebrows and say;
"I am so hungover right now." I let out a smile, feeling better she didn't freak out on me for being in her room.
"Um. Do you remember me?" Hoping for her to somehow remember me from a dream she might have also had, I wait for a response. Lectra reaches in her purse next to her and grabs out some medicine, then without looking at me she says;
"Yeah. I was super drunk last night but I still remember you helping me. Thanks by the way." Wasn't what I was going for but at least she remembered something. Now it was time to find out if she remembered me any other way.
"No, I mean, last night you said I looked familiar. Where would you maybe know me from?" Now she was looking at me, squinting her eyes to focus on my facial features. She shakes her head and eventually says;
"You-you do remind me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe some celebrity!" I let out a sigh of annoyance and sit down on her floor again. She clearly remembered me somehow, just not completely.
I had this overwelming feeling like I needed to befriend Lectra. I mean, I knew I could get along with her, we already have in my dream. I needed this girl in my life no matter what. She was important.
"You did say last night that we were friends now. Wanna maybe go out for some coffee this-afternoon?" She looks at her phone and laughs.
"Oh man. It's already 4? New record I guess." Then she looks me up and down and shrugs.
"I needed more friends anyway. All I've got is a busboy. I needed a girl-friend." As if she was never even hungover, Lectra launches off her bed at me then pulls me up and we head out of her room. She has the exact same personality as she did in my dream. I felt a rush of calmness go through me being with Lectra. It was the best I've felt since being back.
We run down her brothers many stairs and find ourselves in the living room, with already alot of people. Lectras brother is sitting down in the middle of the couch, looking annoyed, watching some TV. He sees us come down and jumps up from his seat.
"Issabelle!" He quickly moves toward me with outstretched arms but I move away and say;
"It's just Issa." Then, feeling like I was being rude, I smile at him and he smiles back. I mean he did invite me the the party after all. Lectra then moves in front of Brooks and gives him a nasty look.
"Stop hitting on my friends. You're way too old for her." Not realizing he was even hitting on me at all, I grow red. He glances at me and smiles again, only now it was obvious he was eyeing my body. Then out of nowhere, he grabs my phone from my hand and starts typing on it.
"My number. In case you wanted to be invited to one of our parties again. It was so nice to meet you." As he hands me back my phone, I feel him brush his fingers on my hand softly. I look down at my phone and see he had texted himself from my number so he would already have my number even if I decided not to text him. Smooth move, too bad I couldn't really appreciate it since I didn't want to have to actually text him, ever. Ugh.
Lectra then butts in and snarls;
"I think I can tell her when she's invited, not you. But thanks anyway bro." She then pulls me away and we exit the house. I didn't want to tell her, but Lectra's brother gave me the creeps. Not only because he was thirty something and flirting with me, and he was the chancellor, but I just got a creeped out feeling about him in general.
Even if he was still super hot.
He had bright blue eyes and a strong jawline. His black hair was slicked back, making him look professional. Even though he was probably thirty something, he looked younger. I'd have to find out later how old he really was.
•••
Lectra and I finally arrive at a cute little coffee shop with plants everywhere inside. Lectra pointed out that the theme was a rainforest, which she liked alot. I watched her as she ordered a latte with a blueberry muffin. Then she started ordering more muffins, not knowing which flavor to get. I laughed at her and she eventually finished her order.
All I got was my usual caramel iced coffee with a couple sugars and cream. When both of us got our stuff, we sat down at a table and chatted more. I pretended to relearn the things Lectra was telling me, even though I already knew all of them, which was freaky enough. Then I had an idea that I hoped I wouldn't regret.
"Lectra-you got that nickname from being good at electrical stuff, right?" She then spits out her coffee and looked at me like I had just slapped an old lady across the face. Glad she still spit out her drinks like she did at the school. I couldn't help but smirk at her.
"How did you-" She was clearly too drunk last night to remember me calling her Lectra at all, judging by her reaction. But now I was also saying I knew how it became her nickname that she never told me, so I could definitely understand the shock. That didn't matter, I was going to tell her the truth whether she thought I was crazy or not.
I needed to tell at least somebody.
"It sounds crazy, believe me. Even I still don't understand what's happening. But I had a dream, and you were in it." She was wiping up her spilt drink all over herself and the table then stopped the second I spoke. She glances at me for a split second then continues cleaning herself, clearly thinking it was a joke, so I add;
"I woke up from the dream and some things that happened in it have actually been happening for real now. And people, like you, have been showing up in my life who were also in the dream." Although she was the only person so far from it to actually show up, I felt I had to milk it a little in order for her to truly believe what I was saying.
She once again looked at me like I was a crazy person and says;
"Okay-but it could just be easy to guess what Lectra means. That means nothing to me. Doesn't mean you have some 'psychic' ability." She quickly air quotes over the word, not believing me, looking far more judgmental now.
"How would I even know your nickname in the first place then?" Her response was instantaneous;
"Maybe you're a stalker?" Crap. I was hoping she wouldn't go there, and now it had.
"Way to go Leah." Suddenly, a worker at the coffee shop approaches us with napkins for Lectras spilled drink. I look up at him and almost scream. Instead what comes out is his name;
"Wes!" He jumps at my outburst then looks from me to Lectra. I too look at her now. She was looking at me with her mouth wide open. Knowing exactly what to say then, I simply state;
"Wires. His nickname is Wires. He was there too." I hear a little 'what the-' come out of Wes, then Lectra simply says;
"Holy cow!" Wes was now looking at her like she was the crazy one.
"Tell me something else!" She was now bouncing up and down in her seat smiling like I was a magician about to make a bunny disappear. I still couldn't believe I had told someone. For all I knew, I really was just going insane.
"Um. Well you already covered so much of it just today, but uh-you had an accident while working on some electronics, and because of that you have a scar along your arm." Lectra didn't say anything, she only looked at me like I had just confirmed my ability more. Especially since her sleave was covering up her scar completely.
Then I add out of amusement of one of the last things Lectra and I had done together at the school;
"You also want to kiss a girl to experiment." Instantly Lectra was silenced, knowing I had just called her out. Now Wes was looking at Lectra with bigger eyes than hers even were, exclaiming;
"Woah. Really? No way. You dog, you!" He slaps her arm a little too hard then turns to me, still clueless as to what was going on then asks;
"What, are you psychic or something?" Lectra and I laugh and at the same time and I say;
"Something like that."
•••
The next couple of hours go by extra fast. Wes got off of work so we all went to hang out at my dorm. Jo, as usual, was no where to be found. Knowing she'd probably show up after being gone for a couple days, I don't worry about it, and frankly I welcome it.
Wes and Lectra just kept asking me questions about themselves at the school, like they didn't already know it themselves. At first it was amusing to me to see their reactions, but it got old real fast.
Lectra and I filled Wes in on why I was able to know everything about them and I was feeling less like a psycho the more we all talked. Seeing them being real and here with me made me wonder though. Was George real as well?
We all decided to watch movies and were watching a horror movie when I interrupt;
"Do you guys watch any streamers named George? I don't know what his whole channel name is." Wes was the first to speak up as Lectra was still hypnotized by the too gory movie;
"Not a single clue. Leah?" Finally she glanced over quick and says;
"Nope." Wondering if she even knew what we were talking about I sigh and ignore her. I decided to leave it alone, after all, if he was real, he wouldn't want anything to do with me. He was pretty famous and probably wouldn't notice someone like me.
I look at the clock and see it was almost 1 in the morning. We had been hanging out all day and it felt good to be able to talk to my friends again, but I was tired and have been stressed from the past couple of days, understandably.
"Hey guys. Wanna call it a night?" Lectra looks at me like I had just insulted her deeply then says;
"You mean before the movie is even done?" I don't even blink, showing her just how serious I was being. I quickly nod at her then she frowns back at me.
"Alright sleepy head. Come over to my place tomorrow? We can hang some more." I nod again then Lectra and Wes both get up. They give me a hug like they knew me for years then leave my room.
Still feeling weird falling asleep at night, it takes me awhile to get to bed. After some time, when I finally do, the last thing on my mind is George, and how much I strangely missed him.
Even. the school.