Meet Me After Class

Chapter 61: One Year!

I jolted awake, my heart racing, sweat dampening my hair.

I had a dream. And it had felt so terrifyingly real. . .

Adam and I had been trekking some steep, icy mountain trails in Nepal. I lost my footing and began sliding down the perilous slope, screaming for help. But Adam just kept walking steadily upwards, never looking back as I cried out in panic and desperation.

It was just a dream, I reminded myself.

I grabbed my phone to check the time with a shaky exhale—only 4 AM. No way I'd be going back to sleep after that nightmare. I stared up at the dark ceiling, willing my pulse to return to normal. But the haunting image lingered—Adam retreating indifferently as I reached for him in vain.

I couldn't understand why I would dream something like that about him on the very night before I was supposed to see him again for the first time in years. I hadn't had a bad dream about him, even in the immediate aftermath of our last conversation after graduation. In fact, I realized dully as I lay awake watching the minutes tick by that I had never dreamed of Adam one single time since we had parted ways.

Until now. . .

Was my subconscious trying to warn me about something? About wounds between us I had long thought scarred over? Or was it just run-of-the-mill anxiety about reopening a shut chapter of my past?

Regardless of its meaning, the nightmare only served to exacerbate my nerves about our lunch date today. I kept replaying the dream—my cries echoing unanswered off the icy canyon walls while Adam disappeared steadily into the fog.

I stayed holed up in my room until almost 10 a.m., listening to the sounds of my family getting ready for their days—particularly noticing my dad's laughter in response to something on the morning news. At one point, my mom knocked lightly on my door, perhaps to check if I was awake, but I stayed silently tucked under the covers, not ready to face anyone yet.

As I heard my sister Belle leave, she couldn't resist calling out loud enough for me to hear through the door, "Good luck getting out of the friendzone today!" followed by an exaggerated kissy noise.

I pulled my pillow over my head with a groan.

Finally, the house grew quiet as I heard a car backing out of the driveway. I was alone with my spiraling thoughts. I kept replaying snippets of the odd dream, my alarm clock minutes ticking down steadily toward my lunch date with Adam.

Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed just to have something to do besides obsess. I took extra time getting ready—a long, hot shower, blowing my hair dry, and carefully applying some light makeup. I wanted to look nice, but not like I was trying too hard.

I stood staring at my reflection for several minutes, unsure what to do with my hair. Out of ideas, I wandered back into my room and took a box down from the high shelf in my closet. It was filled with mementos from high school—notes and photos, movie stubs, and a friendship bracelet—and the book Penny had given me for my 18th birthday, The View From Venus.

I smiled faintly to myself as I sifted through the memories until my fingers brushed against a soft blue fabric. I pulled out the blue scrunchie Adam had gifted me on my last birthday with him.

"To keep every disobedient hair strand on your head together," he had said, smiling at his clever gift selection.

I gathered up my hair and secured it loosely with the scrunchie in a low ponytail. Perfect. I let out a tense breath, my heart thumping against my ribs. I was as ready for this meeting as I'd ever be.