Memories from one of two familiar dreams came over me whenever I closed my eyes at night. One was a series of images and feelings associated with my boyfriend's death last year. I could remember the funeral, his infidelity, my broken promises, and the good memories that we made together. When I woke up all the feelings associated with those memories came to me: happiness, sadness, remorse, and hurt.
The second dream always began in the woods, I was running from something chilling behind me. I didn't know what it was and I'd never seen it in any of my dreams, but I always knew I had to run. I ran until my legs ached, my heart burned, and the breath was knocked out of me. I ran until I was absolutely exhausted, I stopped behind a tree and waited till I heard the growling and the hands covering my body. When I woke all I could feel was fear.
I lay on my bed, with my feet prompted on the wall in front of me as I drift off in thought and get lost in my own head. My best friend calls me from my daydream and urges me to get out of bed, "Come on, we can't be late for class again, your mother will have my head." She taps my forehead with her long fingernail as she passes me, walking out the dorm room.
I swung my legs to the side of the bed and stand up, straightening my dark uniform and smoothing my hair from the rough linen of my bed. I grab my backpack from the floor and smile at Angel, she returns the gesture and closes our room door behind us. We head down the hall and out the building towards where classes are held. Brighton was a co-ed boarding school that my mother was the headmaster of. It was convenient and annoying to have my mother around all the time.
"How was therapy last night? Any essential declaration of your sins?" Angel chuckles at her own joke but looks at me sincerely. We walk into the building, dodging students wearing similar colored uniforms. The halls were noisy and busy with the talk of the first week of classes for the year.
I let out a long exasperated sigh, I never want to talk about my appointments, much less actually want to attend them. "It was therapy, same old same old, we stared at each other. I talked, she talked, I came back, saw mom and you know the rest." Angel nodded and threw her books on the desk once we arrived to our first period.
The tattoos on her arm showed under the short sleeves of her shirt as she made quick movements to slide in the seat of her desk. Angel tugged at her long skirt, hiking it a few inches and then straightening her white polo, "Ugh, I hate these long skirts, they make me look like a nun," I laugh, looking at the knee length black wool. Every year I urge my mother to at least change uniform styles, polos never looked good on anyone. However, uniforms would only be my biggest concern for another year, then I'd have to deal with the real world.
Angel and I had been best friends since kindergarten, we were as close as sisters. Still, I was reluctant to talk to her about therapy, or talk to her about it at all. I felt as if I were a burden, whining to her about my problems. I knew my best friend would always be there for me, but I didn't want to worry her more than I already had, the previous year was too much of a mess. Instead of confiding in her I ended up pushing her away more than I've meant to.
The bell rung for class to start and handful of kids rushd in who were waiting outside the room for the last minute to take their seats. A friend of ours walks in, half his white shirt tucked in and his dark slacks wrinkled. Similar to Angel he bore a few tattoos on his arms and chest, and his wavy hair was messy and partially slicked back. He flashes a bright smile at us and takes a seat next to me.
"It's good to see you Xavier, considering that you skipped the first three days of school and arrive late to class," Angel rolls her eyes and blushes at the cute boy she's had a crush on since arriving here at Brighton Boarding School.
Xavier winked back at her, proceeding to tuck in his loose shirt and getting situated in his seat. "I was preparing to see you babe. I spent a few more days on the beach, getting golden and toned just how you like," Xavier says cockily. Angel sticks her tongue out at him and faces forward in her seat.
