Echo

Chapter 12

           A few days of research later, I finally knew all the different meanings of my name. Except, now was the difficult part. To select the one the dream dimension gave for me.

          I made a list, their meanings on one side and the language they're in on the other. The most prominent ones that I found were: Aina meaning eyes derived from the word ain in Arabic. Aaina/ Aina meaning mirror in Hindi and Bengali and lastly, Aina meaning that which feeds or country in Hawaiian.

           I still am not able to select any one of those. I just can't seem to pin point any particular meaning. There should be some clue or atleast something that could help me out with this! This is a lot more difficult than I thought.

           Why is the dream dimension playing with me? Why can't they just tell me what they want to on my face?

            Maybe grandpa knew any of these languages, so that could be a clue? I've gotta ask dad about this. It should lead me somewhere.

            Shaking my head of these thoughts, I walk out of my room with my bag in hand.

            It's been more than two weeks since school started and a lot has happened since. I didn't get much information from Ian though, apart from the news that uncle Steph's passed away, of course. He now lives with his mom and step dad. He also doesn't seem to remember me from the dream dimension.

            I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't feel a flicker of hope when I saw him in the school hallway for the first time. Somewhere deep down, I thought, more like hoped, that maybe now I'd have someone to share this with. Someone who would relate. But, I guess that's a privilege I can't afford.

          With so many thoughts in my mind, it didn't take me long to reach school. I walk in and towards Cade's locker when I spot Ian walking in my direction. He didn't notice me, not yet. But just as I was about to turn back to walk away, I hear him call my name. Dang it! So much for avoiding him.

          He jogs up to me leaving his friends who walk away in the other direction.

"Sup Aaina", he nods.

           I ignore his greeting and sidestep away from him, walking ahead. I know I'm being a rude bitch but who said I'm anything but. No but really, I've been trying to avoid him since I got the information that I needed. I know I shouldn't be so mean, but I don't want to be friends with him, especially since he is someone I know in the dream dimension. It's just plain awkward. I don't want to maintain two identities with him cause that's exactly what I'll have to do if I do get to know him. I won't be able to control much in the dream world just like when I took the sword for him. And then in the real world, I'll have to act like nothing happened and I don't even know him much. I don't know why that is, but I just can't do it. I won't be able to.

"Hey, wait up! Why have you been ignoring me?", he asked, geniunly confused.

"I haven't. I'm getting late, I'll talk later", I walk faster towards Cade's locker, hoping she could save me from this.

"Oh come on. I can literally tell you're ignoring me, even now. But why though, I mean, you were the one who suggested we get to know each other"

"Yeah, about that. In the past few days, I've learnt that our friend circles are quite different, we are too. So maybe we should go back to not giving a fuck about each other", I say, in the most indifferent tone I could.

"Wow, okay. Atleast tell me where I've seen you before? Earlier, when I said I think I might have seen you, you didn't deny it. So, tell me, when? where?", he asked, growing impatient by the minute.

"I never agreed to it either. So to anwer your question, no, I've never seen you before we met at school. I guess that's it now. Let's not talk to each other now that we're done", I say, a little too rudely. I didn't want to, but I also don't want him to talk to me, I can't let that happen. So if he hates me, then be it.

         I walk away as soon as I'm done talking, not giving him a chance to speak.

"Have you ever looked in the mirror, I'm sure you saw a bitch. Cause that's what you're acting like!", he grunted, frustrated. I don't blame him, I rea- wait...... Mirror.

            Realisation hit me. Holy shmuck. I look back up at Ian with a smile as big as the Pacific on my face.

With a disgusted face, he said, "Seriously, does it look like it's funny!" and walked away from me. Oh, shit. I call out him but he doesn't listen and continues ahead. I really have fucked this one up.

           Sighing, I walk back towards my class, not wanting to talk to Cade about this. But, atleast there's one positive side. I finally know what meaning my name stands for. I had such a big clue but I didn't even focus on it. Of course it means a mirror. The dream dimension gave me a clue in that dream, the one where I had to choose. I think it was always meant to reveal my name cause there were so many mirrors there. And Aaina means a mirror in hindi. Finally, I'm one step ahead.

           But, there's still a lot more to this. A lot more to figure out. Am I even ready for this? And, someone special? I can barely keep my own shit together, god knows what they were thinking when they said it! But first things first, I've got a whole day of school to tackle. So, buckle up, Aaina!