Chasing the Browns

Chapter Seventeen

‘Why is she a Mrs when you say she’s a single mum?’ I asked Poppy as we slowly pulled out the large block.

She frowned, clicking the block into place, and stood up. ‘I never noticed that, actually. Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to know.’ She shrugged. ‘Or maybe she and her husband haven’t done the whole divorce thing yet.’

I stood up, climbing over the first row of seats as I began to set them up. I gestured for Poppy to do the row above so I could tell her about the dream.

‘Hey, Poppy, I need to tell you something.’

Her face sparked with curiosity as she waded over a seat into the next row to be closer to me.

I lowered my voice. ‘I…I had a dream last night that me and Nick—’

‘So you’re having dreams about him now?’ Her voice was incredulous.

‘No. I haven’t had one before.’ My face flushed as I pushed up a couple of seats, clicking them into place. ‘Anyway, we were just talking and stuff, but then he said that he loved me, and—’

She gaped, cutting me off. ‘He said that he was in love with you?’

‘Poppy!’ I smacked her arm playfully. ‘It was only a dream. Anyway, you once said that dreams foretell the future or something, right?’

‘Yeah, that and they sometimes reflect your feelings and stuff.’

We moved along our rows, clicking seats into place. I gulped. ‘They reflect your feelings?’

She smiled a little. ‘Yeah, all the hidden ones and subconscious things.’

Ooh, la, la! So that means you’re subconsciously in love with your boyfriend’s twin? Nice.

If that voice had a face, I swear I would have smacked it by now.

Poppy’s smile faded. ‘What happened next?’

I bit my lip, clicking another seat into place. ‘I-I…I said that I loved him back.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Does that mean you—’

‘No!’

She frowned in thought. ‘Maybe it was Jack. That would make sense, right?’

It would, but I knew it hadn’t been Jack. The only way to tell them apart was by their clothing and smiles. I knew Jack well enough to tell him from Nick, and I knew that it hadn’t been Jack in my dream last night.

‘It wasn’t Jack,’ I said firmly.

We finished our rows and moved onto the next ones up.

‘Maybe it was, Lea. I mean, they’re identical.’ She raised her eyebrows.

‘Trust me, Poppy. I know it was him.’ I paused in the middle of clicking two seats into place. What if she was right about dreams’ abilities to foretell the future?

That’s ridiculous, Lea.

It was less ridiculous than listening to a voice inside of my head.

Hey! Last time you didn’t listen to me, you nearly crashed your dad’s secretary’s car!

I winced. ‘What does that mean, then, Poppy?’

‘What does what mean?’

I finally clicked the two seats into place. ‘The dream.’

She made a face. ‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s saying that you’re confused because they both look the same…’