When dreams become reality

Chapter 18: I don't understand

Jesse's POV

"So now there's one thing that I have to do."

I looked at Jacob. "And that is?"

He reached for my hands and held them in his. "Will you go out with me tonight?"

I smiled and looked away, of course he'd ask that...

"What?"

I looked back at him. "I wanted to ask you the same thing, actually."

"Really?"

I nodded. "My parents want to meet you." He already wanted to say something, but I continued. "I know they already know you, they just want to meet you as my boyfriend."

He seemed to understand it now, and nodded. "Yeah, sure." He smiled. "So they'll basically see if I'm fit to be your boyfriend?"

"Kinda." I smiled. "But don't worry, they're so desperate to get me a boyfriend. They'll be happy with you."

"Yay, I guess." He chuckled.

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That evening, I prepared myself for the dinner date. I chose my best outfit, I took care of my hair and even put on some make up. I really did everything possible to make this a good evening, and to show my parents I was serious about this.

I didn't expect it, but I was nervous for it. I thought that finally being the daughter they wanted me to be, I'd be fine and relieved. Yet, I was nervous. Because what if they aren't happy with Jacob?

But why wouldn't they though? They knew him, they knew he's a good guy. I'm probably just nervous about being in a real relationship.

That's when I looked back to my bed. Sidney. I still haven't forgotten about her. I still love her so much. It pains me that I lost her, just like that. I really wanted this to work out. I really wanted... Maybe I didn't want it enough. Sid was very clear when I last saw her: I thought she was fake and our world was fake.

But I didn't think that. At least, I never think I did. Maybe I never realized that before. Maybe being with Jacob opened my eyes...

"Jesse, Jacob is here!" mom shouted from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" 

I looked back at my bed, for one last time. I love you, Sid. And I'll cherish our moments together forever.

I went downstairs and saw Jacob standing at the door, my parents smiling nervously at him and me.

"Hey." I smiled as I hugged him.

"Hey Jess."

Soon we pulled back and I looked at my parents. "So, shall we have dinner?"

They nodded and led us the way to the table. That evening my parents were so happy and so proud. They were smiling and laughing all night long. They were so interested in what Jacob and I had to say, they were invested and focused just on us.

In all my years of having dinner with them, I had never experienced this. This amount of love. They really were so happy and so proud.

However, something in me kept saying that this was just a cover. Because my parents were proud and happy tonight, but they weren't seeing the real me. But maybe it's better the real me gets destroyed alongside Sid and our dreamworld.

After all, that's what everyone expects me to do.

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Nicole's POV

"I can't believe this is happening."

"Me either."

I looked at Joyce, she was sitting on the only chair in my room. Her legs and arms crossed while her head was low, her eyes looking down. She seemed upset.

I walked to her, to kneel in front of her. "It's going to be alright though, we'll wake her up." I caressed Joyce's cheek, but she didn't seem to react to it. "Hey?"

She slowly looked at me. "Why is she doing this? That's not her."

I nodded.

"I don't understand this."

I sighed. "Me either." I looked at her, caressing her cheek once again. "But we'll get her through this, we just - "

"No, we won't!" That was the first time she actually had an outburst... She really cares a lot about Jesse.

"Babe, we will."

"No, we won't." She got up and paced around my room. "She told us she loved Sidney - "

"Not again... Babe, that Sidney girl doesn't exist, she said it herself."

Joyce stopped and looked at me. "She's real to Jesse. Who are we to stop her from believing that?"

"She can't date a dream person. How is she supposed to build a life with this person? All in her dreams? Sure..." I rolled my eyes. "This is ridiculous."

Joyce let out a breath, she was annoyed. "What's ridiculous is that no one is listening to her. We're all just assuming and then deciding for her. What should Jesse do now? Oh I know, she can do that... That's not right!" She went to sit down on my bed, once again letting out a breath.

I went to sit down next to her. "So what are you suggesting we do?"

She looked at me. "We help her get to Sidney. Or we help Sidney get to her."

"How?"

She looked down. "I don't know..." She sighed. "Maybe..." She looked around, she seemed to be thinking a lot about this. "Maybe we can trigger something?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Trigger something? Like what?"

"We have to talk to Jesse, maybe we can find her Sidney in this world."

I scooted closer to Joyce. "So you think that this Sidney person is actually someone on this world but they meet in the dream world?"

Joyce nodded, proud with her answer.

I nodded. "Maybe you're right." To be honest, I wasn't too convinced but seeing Joyce so proud with her solution... I would be a bad girlfriend not to agree. And who knows, maybe Sidney is somewhere in this world. After all, she can't just appear out of nowhere. "Maybe Jesse based her off of someone she met before."

Joyce nodded again. "Exactly what I thought."

Slowly, I smiled. "You're a genius."

"Tell me that again when we have found Sidney."