Sink or Swim

Chapter seven.

☽ Reese's p.o.v ☾

My alarm clock blared beside me, my phone vibrating in a specific, annoying pattern. I was sweating and crying. My heart was racing uncontrollably. All of it, had been a dream. I never actually left, and I'm healthy. I looked around my room, feeling as if it had been months since I'd been in here. My heart rate steadied as I realized everything was okay. Almost everything, except the one true thing from that nightmare was true, Zayn and I were broken up, and he was with Gigi. But that was a whole other story for a different time. I gathered myself changing out of my pajamas, and went downstairs into the kitchen where Layla already had breakfast made. She had her long blonde hair braided and she was sipping on her peach tea as she read a book. I enveloped her in a hug, squeezing her tight.

"Good morning," She laughed, "Are you okay?"

"I am better than that actually, I'm great." I said as I scooped some bacon onto my plate. "You know I just had this really weird dream last night,"

"What about?" She said her book down, this was a normal thing. If we had interesting dreams of any type, we shared when we woke up.

I sat down on the barstool next to hers, "Remember when I had that weird black out?"

"How could I forget? We thought you'd been taken." She nodded.

"Right, okay well in this dream I was still sick after the doctors appointment. Really sick, I don't remember what I had though. So it was getting to this point to where it was really affecting me, but I never told any of you. So before you could see the physical toll on me, I left. I packed things up before hand, and left in the middle of the night. It wasn't easy though, I think it bothered me so much that in my sleep I cried. I left you guys each a letter before I went, so you knew I left on my own. There was a lot of calls and emails, I eventually changed my number. But things were getting bad with me, energy drainage, vomiting. Obviously Zayn and I parted ways, and the only person I kept in touch was with Sam. The only thing that good came out of all of it was you and Liam. He comforted you, and you got your dream job! Besides that, it was all shit." I shrugged.

"Holy cow, Reese if you ever actually did that to me... You would get more than an email from me. I don't know what I would do"

I sighed, "What's weird is it felt so real, when I think about it feels like memories, like it actually happened. In this dream it all happened in about a years time span, and I remember every little detail."

"Maybe in an alternate universe, it actually happened." She giggled.

"Did you have any dreams?" I asked biting into my bacon.

"I don't think so," She shook her head no.

"You know what bothers me most is, I never reconnected with my friends. I never told you guys what was wrong, or why I left. I just passed on without letting them know." The thought sent shivers through out my body.

"Well take comfort in knowing that you wouldn't let that happen." She suggested, but I didn't. In my dream I left so they wouldn't have to suffer. Sure I mean they would by not knowing, but it seems better than them dealing with a person who is withering away.

"Yeah. So what time do we leave for New York?" I couldn't remember the times for departure, because usually we drove but Liam insisted we fly this time.

She looked at her watch, "In about an hour, are you sure you're up for this?"

"Layla, I am fine. I'm most likely going to run into him again someday being friends with his best mates and all. Sooner than later right, just rip the band aid off right?" I smiled.