Crooked (girlxgirl)

Chapter Eight

Bea

I awoke with a bloodcurdling scream, but quickly silenced myself. Panting, I glanced around, taking in my surroundings as I reminded myself of where I was. It was too dark in here. Slipping out of bed and turning the light on, I sat on the edge of bed, my heart not slowing its race. What time was it, anyway?

Exhaling shakily, I tiptoed into the tiny kitchen and poured myself a cup of water, chugging it and wincing at the brain freeze.

"Bea? What are you doing?"

I was skittish and my brain was still in Flight-or-Fight mode, and decided to go with flight. I dropped my cup and with a shriek took off, sprinting past Anna and diving for the comfort of the closet. Grabbing a blanket off of the floor and tossing it over my head, I curled into the corner of the closet, trying to practice the breathing exercises Jax had taught me. Since the sun hadn't come up yet, it was safe to assume Jax was still asleep, and as terrified as I was, the guilt I would feel by waking her would eat away at me.

A light knock on my door made me stiffen and hold my breath as I listened attentively.

Anna's voice was gentle and soft, as though if she spoke too loudly I would be panicked enough to dive out the window; even still, I was tempted.

"Hey Bea, it's me, Anna. I'm going to clean the mess in the kitchen and go back to bed okay? You probably don't want to be around anyone right now, but if you need me I'll be here. No one's going to hurt you."

I sighed, and forced my body to relax. It was just Anna, who had been nothing but kind to me since I came here. Even now, she wasn't angry that I had abruptly woken her from her sleep in the middle of the night.

After what felt like an eternity, I dared to creep out of the closet and out of my room, planning to watch television until the beginning of class since it was impossible for me to fall back asleep.

I went to sit on the couch, and saw the back of Anna's head.

"Anna?" I whispered, clutching my blanket closer around my body as a shield.

She turned and gave me a goofy smile. "What's up?" Her voice was groggy, and I wondered briefly if I had woken her up, again.

"Can I join you?"

"Of course!" I moved around the couch and she patted the space next to her, where I sat. Not too close, and not far enough that I felt detached. She made no move to get closer either, which I appreciated. Although I was a lot calmer, if anyone besides Jax touched me right now I would probably chicken out and run away.

A moment passed and Anna, without turning, broke the silence, making me jump. "What did you dream about?" she asked casually.

I peeked up at her from under the blanket. The smell of Jax - which was stained into the blanket - was ridiculously comforting. "I'm not sure."

She glanced over, and as though deciding it was better for her not to look at me, she looked back to the TV. It was the right choice; if she made eye contact I would have felt as though she was interrogating me. "You screamed."

"Yeah, I uh," I rubbed my arms, curling my legs up to my chest, "I get pretty bad night terrors."

"Night terrors?"

"Mhmm. They're like nightmares except I never remember any scenes or anything...I just feel like the world is going to end or I'll...I'll die or something."

"Ah." I waited for more questions but Anna didn't press, so I relaxed back into the sofa.

"Anna?" I hesitated. "Thanks."