Dangerous Vibes - Book I of the Dangerous Series [WATTY AWARDS 2012 FINALIST]

Chapter 1 - Anxious

I abruptly snapped my eyes open, panting, whilst breaking out in a cold sweat. My heart beat frantically rattled my ribcage, as I so desperately tried to catch back my breath that I'd feared I'd been holding onto for far too long.

Damn, it was just a dream.

This was conceivably the first time in years that I'd remembered a dream. It was a very rare thing for me, and it would be an understatement to say the least that it had somewhat shaken me. I mean, why the heck did it feel so real? And who, or what was that man? All I knew was that he was incredibly hot, despite not being able to make out the blurriness of his face.

Deep down I honestly wished that my life was to some extent like that rattling dream; something mesmerising and intriguing, something filled with romance and action, and not just pure loneliness and grief. I think that at that moment I solemnly should have remembered the famous statement; 'be careful of what you wish for'.

I pushed the dream to the back of my mind remembering the big day that I had ahead of me. I looked around and I was right back where I'd fallen asleep, on my grandmother's couch. I'd been living with my Nan for the past few months. Something horrific and life changing happened only a few months ago, something that I didn't want to pop up into my mind too often, it was just too traumatising. To put it simply, I lost my parents, in a vicious home invasion.

My Nan was really the only family that I had left. My dad's parents had passed away when I was too young to remember, and all of my other relatives apparently lived somewhere across the other side of the country, somewhere un-contactable. My family wasn't like most others growing up. I never got to experience those huge family gatherings on Christmas day or Thanksgiving that everybody else did. It was just Mum, Dad, Nan and I.

I would never forget the day that I received that phone call when I was at work, at that stupid perpetual supermarket. The day that I was told that I would never see them again; that our house had been broken into, robbed, and they had gotten in the way. The day that my meek little insignificant life as I knew it, had come crashing down around me. I was growing tired of dwelling over those depressing emotions, so I pushed them away so that I could get on with my busy day ahead.

I realised that my quick nap was going to make me late, yet again. Being late was something that I was particularly good at. I jumped up off of the couch, grabbed my bag and my keys, and headed directly for the door, as I'd planned to do so about half an hour ago. I'd said my goodbyes to my grandma this morning after getting up fairly early to organise everything for the big move today, which was why I accidentally crashed out on the couch when I took a moment to relax.

Being able to sleep anytime and anywhere was a serious habit of mine. I'd always find myself strangely drained of energy seemingly more so than most other people.

I jumped into the car, not being able to resist the nervousness consuming my system, and vaguely began driving towards a destination that for all I knew, could change my life forever. Today was the day that I was going to get the keys to my own apartment right in the heart of the city. And tomorrow was the day that I was going to break my collage virginity.

I had so much to put behind me this year and I felt like I was almost facing it all alone at times. Although I did have my crazy, bubbly and flirtatious best friend Summer who I could never imagine my life without. She was my rock. She was really the only person in the entire world who I could depend on and trust my deepest darkest secrets with, the only one who truly understood me. I guess I didn't have that many close friends, probably because they just didn't get me the way she would. I didn't trust people too easily either, and maybe it was my own fault that I'd shut a lot of people out. But I didn't care, quality was much more important to me than quantity.