The Yellow House

Chapter 7: The Day Before

Anna’s P.O.V.

It is Christmas Eve today, and it’s very weird to not be preparing with my family for my favorite holiday. Dan has been avoiding me recently, for a while now. I’m a bit lonely, because he’s my only companion. I know that he’s trouble, I know that he’s no good, but somehow I just can’t stop my feelings. I don’t know why Dan is avoiding me, but it’s not a good sign.

But when I head downstairs, and find him rooting through the cupboards on Christmas Eve, I want to know what he’s up to. He’s standing on the counter, looking in one of the cupboards. So I say. “What are you doing?”

He very nearly leaps off the counter, banging his head on the cupboard door. “Damn it!” he swears, before turning around, and I have to cover my mouth as a giggle threatens to escape.

He glares at me. “Oh shut up. You know, it’s obvious.” He says, rubbing his head as he turns back around.

“What is?” I ask.

“You love me, and it wouldn’t have been any more obvious if you’d been drooling!” He says, his voice in a teasing tone, but with an undercurrent of seriousness. “You’ve been making goo goo eyes at me for weeks now, and you think I haven’t noticed?”

I blush, just as he turns around. He doesn’t say anything, he just raises an eyebrow.

“Urgh I hate you.” I say turning away.

He looks up, a distant look in his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing.” I mumble. Then before I can stop myself, I blurt out the words. “Dan, what’s wrong with you?”

He tenses. “Why do you ask?”

“I want to know why you keep pushing me away. I want to know what’s wrong, so I can help.”

“Nothing.” He says, and I hear him mumble as he turns away. “Nothing you can help me with.”

I surprise myself by putting my hand on his shoulder. “You can trust me, now please… tell me what’s wrong.”

“I just had a dream.” He says. He looks down. “About someone I love.”

“I see.” I say, being no stranger to nightmares. “Well… Thank you for telling me.” And before I do something stupid, I leave the kitchen.

Dan’s P.O.V.

I can’t get my mind off of Kaitlyn, the final horrifying image of cradling her dead body in my arms. Every time I try and get over it, it comes back to continue haunting me. Every time I close my eyes, the image is waiting for me. It’s not like I can tell Anna that, though. No matter how much she supposedly “loves” me. I have this odd feeling over the course of the days after my nightmare. I don’t even know why I told Anna about it, it’s too personal even for me. I just have a feeling that Kait is going to come looking for me.

She’s not that stupid. I remind myself, then another thought hits me. Yes, but she doesn’t know about the current situation. She might be looking for me. For us. I have to remind myself. No matter what my feelings are for Kait, (and I’m not sure what they are), she is Anna’s supposed best friend. Not that any of this actually matters. I cannot allow her to die for me. So what do I do? Warn her? Break out with Anna? I can’t escape with Anna, because then I’d have to tell Kaitlyn, and I really don’t want to tell her I’ve kissed her best friend, especially if she really is looking for me.

I have to decide. It’s her best friend. I say to myself. You like Kaitlyn, more than Anna. But do I?

Yes, you idiot. You didn’t spend a weekend with Anna. No, you spent weeks with her. I’m not sure what’s more disturbing, that I’m right, or that I’m arguing with myself. I spend the next few hours, sitting at the table in the kitchen, scrawling plan after plan, but with no real clue of what to do.