The Dream Crashers ✓

02 - The Dream

"I have no clue." 

We both filed out of the classroom and to our lockers.

"Luke, you've got to stop misbehaving in history or he's going to keep you after school every single day."

"I can't believe Mr. Grant actually gave me detention!" Luke grumbled. He slammed his locker shut. "I thought he liked when I slept. Then I'm not awake to bother him while he's teaching. Win-win situation!"

"He hates you," I reminded him.

"How can anyone hate me? C'mon, I'm so lovable."

"For starters, you are a horrible student."

"But that's because he sucks at teaching. And why the hell does he talk like that? 'Sure to give you plenty the opportunity to rest,'" Luke said mockingly. "Normal people do not talk like they have sticks up their asses all the time."

"Do you really have to be so vulgar?" I said, shaking my head in disgust. "And I did warn you..."

"That old man is the devil reincarnate." Luke sighed and tapped me on the shoulder apologetically with a textbook. "I can give you a ride home tomorrow after detention. If you don't mind waiting around, that is."

I shook my head. "My mom has her interview tomorrow so I want to get home early to keep an eye on Connor. I've been worried about him. He hasn't been acting like himself lately. I think it's cause he misses Dad."

"He's a tough kid, just like his sister. He'll be fine. On the other hand," he said, placing his hand on his chest dramatically, "a handsome guy like me is going to be eaten alive in detention."

I rolled my eyes. "You're going to detention, not prison. And don't act like you haven't already been there a dozen times this year."

"I keep trying to get away, but she just keeps calling me back. Damn you detention, you succubus," he said, waving his fist around. "Curse my bad boy allure."

I laughed out loud. "You? A bad boy? You were sent to detention for sleeping in class. And I'm pretty sure I saw you drooling into your book."

He pretended to scowl at me. "Can you just humor me? Even a little?"

I elbowed him. "Come on. Let's go home. I have a lot of homework tonight and I am so lost in chemistry."

---

That night, I finally crawled into bed after struggling with a chapter on acids and bases.

I slept fitfully. Ever since I started experiencing the strange nightly episodes, it became harder to fall asleep. I dreaded it. I could feel myself constantly twisting around, becoming tangled in my sheets. The temperature in the room fluctuated between hot and cold.

And then I was dreaming.

Where am I?

Everything was so foggy and colorless. I edged forward slowly because I couldn't see the ground through the thick haze. Each step was a cautious one.

"Hello?" I called out. "Is there anyone here?"

I couldn't tell if I was inside or outside. There weren't walls, but there also wasn't sky. Everything seemed so surreal that I must be dreaming. That was the only rational explanation. And I wasn't sure how long I walked for. Time didn't seem to matter in this place. The laws of physics didn't apply.

Then suddenly, silhouettes appeared several yards ahead of me. They emerged from a blinding light, and I had to shield my eyes because it was too bright. The glow manifested into the shape of four teenagers.