Evelyn ate breakfast and ducked out of the house as quickly as she could. Although no one had rushed into her room the night before at the sounds of her waking screams she also knew the thin walls would have done little to mask her outburst from her parents. Talking about the nightmare or listening to their concerns about her pale face and the dark bags under her eyes was the last thing Evelyn wanted to do to start her day. All she wanted to do was forget the terrible images and put the night behind her.
Yet the dream stayed in her mind all through the morning, like a tiny thorn stuck in her shoe during a long run, it stabbed itself deeper into her waking thoughts. A miniscule irritation that grew in intensity until it completely dominated her thoughts, no matter the effort she placed in pushing the memories away.
Unlike any nightmare before, this one felt real. Its memories and sensations stalked her like a hungry wolf. Remembering the face of the tall king was like looking into the face of a long lost friend, the memory of his death felt like the death of close family. She could still feel the cool, damp air of the battlefield against her skin, could almost taste the spray of blood and hear the clang of metal as swords collided. The smells of death and fire followed her no matter if she was outside or in, filling her nostrils and masking even the sweet scent of syrup on her morning waffles.
Rushing herself outside and into the sunshine, Evelyn hurried to school. She wanted to find Brandon, wanted to feel his kindness in hopes that the warmth of his friendship would melt away some of the ice that even then seemed to frost her spine. She knew he would listen, and even if he couldn't understand her exact feelings, she knew he would do what he could to comfort her. And somehow she knew that would be enough.
It was a need that was both new and alien to Evelyn. This desire to connect with someone other than her parents, to share with another her deepest secrets. The need almost seemed to grow by the hour, the pull to Brandon almost magnetic. It wasn't some love at first sight deal; at least that much she knew for sure. Besides, it was still far too early to decide if her feelings for Brandon would grow past friendship. But it was almost as intense. Opening up to Brandon had unearthed an emptiness within Evelyn she had long ignored, a blank space on the canvas of her life that now demanded attention.
She found him outside the main drive into the school, walking towards her along the narrow sidewalk silhouetted by bright rays of sunlight penetrating the morning mist. The yellow rays illuminated small tufts of slightly messy hair and gave him an almost haloed appearance. That, combined with the warm sensations emanating from Brandon as he saw Evelyn approach drew her towards him with more eagerness than she had intended. Surprising both Brandon and herself, Evelyn pulled him into a tight embrace when he was within arm's reach, the longing for comfort superseding her usual apprehensions.
"Well hello to you too." Brandon said, his voice a mixture of amusement and surprise. But he was glad she had embraced him, she could feel it. Warmth surrounded Evelyn, penetrated the icy chill of the terrifying dream. Between their pressed bodies Evelyn could feel her jewel begin to vibrate against her skin, felt it warm itself to match the comforting sensations that were coming from Brandon. Instantly she let go and jumped back with surprise, the jewel had never done that before. At least not when she wasn't tapping into her powers.
Brandon looked as shocked at her sudden movements as he was with her sudden embrace, only this time the welcoming feelings of warmth were replaced by the tingling sensation of worry. "I'm sorry, did I do something?" He asked.
"No, no. Just a little rattled this morning." Evelyn replied truthfully. "Bad night, that's all."
Brandon nodded, nervously reaching his arm around Evelyn's shoulders and pulling her back in gently. His nervousness at the gesture made Evelyn smile, his feigned confidence was cute. "Anything I can do? I'm a good listener and we have about a half hour before school." He said, giving his phone a cursory glance.
"Yea, I'd like that thanks." She said, pulling away and motioning towards a concrete bench just outside of the school.
As they made their way over her jewel ceased its vibrating and cooled off once more. Evelyn wondered if Brandon had felt its movement as well, although if he had he had given no outward sign. It had acted like that before, vibrating, creating its own heat, but to do it when she had done nothing more than hug someone? That was a first. By the time they had made it to the bench Evelyn had forced herself to push it to the back of her mind. It was just another piece of the quickly growing puzzle that was her rapidly developing powers, something else to ponder over when she had more time.
"So what happened last night that has you so upset?" He asked as they plopped down on the cold bench.
"You ever had a dream that didn't feel like a dream? One so real that it felt more like a memory than something your mind came up with?"
Brandon nodded. "Yea, sometimes I dream of the past. Bad things that had happened, with me, with my parents. Stuff that I never really knew happened, but somehow remember happening a long time ago. Kind of like that?"
"Exactly. Only, it felt more, solid? More real? I've had nightmares before, but nothing like this. If I didn't wake up in my bed I could have sworn that I was there, that I was actually in the dream. I could feel it, taste it. Even now I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it."
"What happened in the dream?"
Evelyn shivered. "I saw someone die. Someone that felt, I don't know, like family. Like a real, blood related relative. And the way he died, it was violent, and bloody. Death was everywhere, it surrounded me, pressed against me like knives. And there was this man, this horrible, angry man. He was the one who killed the other one, the one that I felt the connection with... he was so dark, so, enraged..." Realizing she had degraded to rambling, Evelyn stopped. Still, she could feel Brandon's concern, his longing to comfort her. That alone helped more than she could say.
"I can't say I've had that kind of dream, but I've had some pretty bad ones too." He said, "My parents, well, let's just say they're not very good people and leave things at that. I lived with them until I was around seven full time, and that's back when they were doing some pretty bad things. I guess a lot of it I kind of blocked out, but every now and then I have nightmares, memories of the things I saw. Dreams where I'm hiding behind our old couch, peeking out when the worst of it was going on. I swear sometimes I can even smell the mildew on the fabric when I wake up in a cold sweat. Days like that, I'm lucky if I can concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. If your dream was anything like mine, then I know it lurks behind you, follows you. Maybe you're remembering something you've pushed into the dark place in your mind. Who knows? All I know is that when it happens, it's bad."
Evelyn could feel how bad those memories hurt Brandon, could see his eyes glazing over ever so slightly. Although she dared not ask or even guess at his story, his own pain almost matched her own. The sense of loss, the pain of what could have been. Without thinking she reached out and took his hand into her own, letting his emotions flow and mix into her own. Their combined energy mixed together in a sea of spreading warmth, transforming from the sharp agony of loss into an unspoken bond of understanding. Somehow Brandon felt it too, maybe not as intensely, but he felt it all the same. Once again her jewel warmed and vibrated against her skin as the pair allowed the moment to pass silently.
"Well then." Evelyn said, wiping a tear from her own eye. "Aren't we quite the damaged pair."
"Damaged, maybe. Broken, no." He replied.
Suddenly struck by a kind of stabbing sensation, Evelyn dropped Brandon's hand and shot her head around to find Jessica and two of her friends walking towards them. Jessica's eyes darted between Brandon and Evelyn, a cruel smirk spreading across her face. Evelyn knew Jessica's intentions even before she opened her mouth, the girl wasn't going to allow the walls of Evelyn's social isolation to crumble without a fight. Watching Evelyn suffer through high school alone was, after all, one of Jessica's little pleasures.
Without so much as a second glance at Evelyn, Jessica put on her most cheerful smile and stopped just short of sitting on Brandon's lap, pressing one of her legs firmly against the bench to insert herself between him and Evelyn. "Hi, you must be new around here. I'm Jessica, this is Amy and Sarah." She said, nodding to the two girls standing behind Evelyn.
"I'm Brandon." He said, obviously trying to appear friendly as he offered his hand to Jessica. She took it eagerly and plopped herself on the bench between them. Evelyn bit down anger as Jessica forced her to slide almost completely off the bench by twisting her body and throwing one leg over the other side, straddling the bench in front to Brandon while keeping her back to Evelyn.
"How long you been in town, Brandon?" Jessica asked, maintaining her grip with his hand while lightly placing her other on Brandon's leg. The flirtation in her voice and actions were fake, but so well practiced that most boys would have no way of knowing they were being played. Brandon was no exception. Evelyn felt a tiny zing of electricity fly out of him at Jessica's touch, meaning whether he knew it or not, he was beginning to fall for her act.
Rage began to build within Evelyn, fueled not only by Jessica's feigned flirtations but also by the whispered remarks and cruel giggling coming from Amy and Sarah behind her. She cleared her throat, loudly. "Excuse me, we were kind of in the middle of something." Evelyn snapped, trying her best not to sound overly emotional or possessive.
Jessica ignored her and focused on Brandon, tightening her grip on his hand as he gently tried to pull his hand away. "You're cute, Brandon. A little too cute for, well you know." The snide remark didn't go unnoticed, and Evelyn was delighted to feel Brandon's immediate irritation at the comment.
"No, I'm not sure I do." Brandon said with a hint of venom. He jerked his hand back and slid away from Jessica's touch. The tiny burst of shock that came from her made Evelyn smile. No matter what Evelyn thought of her, even she had to admit that Jessica was beautiful. Boys didn't pull back from her advances.
She feigned innocence. "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just, you're new here and don't know. Evelyn, she's kind of a freak, you know? Likes animals better than people. I'd hate to see you labeled a loser your first week." She slid closer to him and ran a finger across his leg, biting her lower lip. "Besides, I want to be friends, you know? Look, my parents are out of town this weekend and we're having a bit of a get together. Just a small thing. I want you to come and get to know us better as well..."
"And if I want to bring Evelyn?" He asked.
Jessica smiled seductively. "Oh, she's not really invited. Like I said, it's a small thing."
Evelyn was so enraged she wanted to scream, wanted to stand up and punch Jessica in the face until she was bloody and unconscious. Instead she concentrated on the ground in front of the bench. Jessica didn't feel the vine growing and wrapping itself around the tip of her shoe, didn't notice the grass subtly waving as if being blown by a breeze, breaking tiny roots apart to soften the already damp ground. Evelyn didn't know if she would focus her rage against Brandon as well, but before she could decide he answered for her.
"Well that's the problem." He said, needles of irritation flowing from his emotions in waves only Evelyn could feel. "See, I already made plans with her, and if she's not invited, then I'm not invited. Besides, I'm having a bit of trouble trying to decide if you're the school's resident slut, or just a bitch."
"Excuse me?" Jessica snapped, jerking her hands back. The sharp intake of breath from Amy and Sarah at Brandon's comment was almost as satisfying to Evelyn as the wave of shock she felt. Elation filled her, making Evelyn want to laugh out loud. But she had something better planned instead.
"I don't think I stuttered. Evelyn, did I stutter?" He asked, tilting his head to look at her.
Evelyn shook her head, unable to hide a grin. "No, sounded pretty clear to me." She answered cheerfully.
Brandon looked back at Jessica. "I guess that's settled then. Now take your little friends and go away so we can finish the conversation you butted yourself into. I can decide for myself who the freaks are in the school, and don't need the help of some bitch with a childish mean girl agenda."
"Screw you!" Jessica snapped, jumping to her feet. Evelyn clenched her hand while concentrating on the plant wrapping around Jessica's shoe, tightening its grip. "I was just trying to help you! You want to be a loser, fine, be a loser. Just don't blame me when no one-"
Her rant was cut off when she swung her leg over the bench and tried to step away. The vine gripped her shoe hard enough to send Jessica sprawling to the ground with a surprised shriek. She landed face first into the freshly softened ground with a comical splat. A group of kids who had stopped to watch the confrontation when Jessica had started yelling burst into laughter as Jessica pushed herself off the ground, soaked in mud from the waste up. Amy and Sarah dropped their bags and ran over to help her off the ground, but in her embarrassment Jessica pushed their hands away.
"You stupid, freak!" She screamed at Evelyn when she had regained her footing.
Brandon laughed loudly. "Go away little slut, go away." He said, waving his hand at her like he was shooing a dog.
The parts of her face not covered in mud turned bright red as she snatched up her backpack. "I'll get you both for this!" She screamed.
"And our little dog too?" Brandon added mockingly, bringing another outburst of laughter from the gathered crowd.
Tears formed in Jessica's eyes as she shrieked with rage and stormed off, Amy and Sarah not far behind as she pushed her way through the laughing crowd. "Wow, you really pissed her off." Evelyn said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Not as much as she pissed me off." Brandon said, watching Jessica storm off.
"So, we have plans this weekend do we?"
Brandon looked at her and grinned. "Well, I was going to ask earlier but got nervous. Do we?"
Evelyn slid back across the bench and pulled Brandon into a tight hug. "After that little show, we have plans any time you want."