College Life (Complete)

Chapter 3: Imperial Nine

**Sang**

I'm standing in a field of Chrysler Imperial Roses, but the nine that surround me in a circle somehow feel different than the others, more important somehow. As I walk towards the closest one, the sky turns dark, thunder crackles, and lightning strikes in the distance. I have to save the nine, I don't know why, but there's a need to make sure they are safe. I continue towards the closest one, just as the lightning strikes the field, setting the flowers on fire. I try to gather them quickly but to no avail, they are dying and I can't save them. I'm suddenly surrounded in a vortex of flames, threatening to take me with them. The oxygen is pulled from my lungs, and I crumble. I lay there, dying with my nine.

I wake up gasping for air, tears streaming down my face. It was just a dream, I'm still alive, but what of the nine?

"Another nightmare?" Kayli asks, "You haven't had one in a while."

"Yes, I'm sorry I woke you." I say solemnly.

"It's ok, do you want to talk about it?" she asks.

"No," I look at the clock and see that it's just past seven, "go back to sleep. I'm gonna go for a run."

"I'm here if you need me." She tells me as she rolls back into her covers.

I get up from my bed and go into my closet to change. I pull on a pair of black running shorts and a red tank top. Grabbing my keys from my desk I make my way out the dorm and into the forest. The best thing about our campus is that it's in the middle of a forest, every corner of the campus has a path leading into it for anyone who needs it. Thankfully, one of those corners just happens to be behind my dorm room so I'm out here a lot.

I start my run trying to push away the dream, after a while it works, and then thoughts of the night before plague my head. How could I have been so stupid! I stop to rest at the bottom of a large oak tree, wallowing in my foolishness. If I was paying attention to anything by my own self-pity I would have heard him, unfortunately I didn't notice him until he was right next to me.

"Hey, are you ok?" asks a deep voice. I look up startled and notice a boy with reddish brown hair and striking blue eyes. He's tall with fair skin and broad shoulders, and arms rippling with muscles. "Why are you crying?" he asks, "A girl as cute as you should never be crying."

His kind words make me blush as I wipe my eyes free of tears.

"Are you alright? Let me help you." He says offering his hand.

"Thank you for your concern but I'm fine." I say as I stand on my own. I brush myself off and say, "I should head back..."

"Are you sure? At least let me walk you back to your dorm." He says as he gets closer.

I instinctively take a step back and say, "No, that's alright. I'm sorry to have interrupted your run, thank you though."

"No interruption at all." He says, "I was just heading back actually. We can walk together, if you don't mind."

"Um... sure, I guess. If you're sure." I say shyly.

"Let's go then." He says with a slight smile.

The walk back to the dorm is quiet, he leaves me to my thoughts and for that I'm grateful. I can't help feeling that if I say something I'll mess up again like I did last night. At this moment I curse my parents yet again for keeping me locked away, not knowing how to interact with other people like a normal person is becoming a huge burden. Maybe coming to college was a bad idea, but I couldn't stay with them another day. If I had, I wouldn't have met Kayli, or any of these boys who have shown me such kindness. I wish I was normal.