I woke up gasping and panting heavily. I wiped off the sweat from my face and hugged my knees as I sat on the bed and started crying silently.
"Jennifer? Hey, are you Okay?" Charlotte gently asked me and sat up as well. She switched on the lamps and gasped when she saw my messy state.
"Oh my god, Jennifer? What happened?!" She frantically asked while rubbing my arm.
"I saw a nightmare char." I cried and hugged her tightly.
She rubbed my back, trying to calm me down. "It's Okay, Jen. You're safe. I am here with you. Calm down." She pulled away and poured some water into the glass from the jug and handed it to me.
I gulped the water down and tried to focus on my breathing instead of the nightmare.
I sat there silently, not saying anything and Charlotte didn't pester me, which I was grateful for.
Once I was calm, I turned to look at her. She had worriness written all over her face.
"In my nightmare, someone was dragging me into darkness by grabbing my ankle..."
Charlotte nodded. She didn't knew about my fear of being grabbed by my ankle. I had told about that to only Zack.
"I was crying and begging the person to stop but they didn't. They tied me in chains and started beating and torturing m-" I choked on a sob.
"Its okay, Jen. You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. But it was just a nightmare. You're safe here. All of us are here with you. We won't let anything happen to you." She smiled reassuringly.
"What time is it?" I asked.
Charlotte checked her phone. "5:17 a.m." She yawned and I giggled.
"Sorry to ruin your sleep." I apologised.
"Hey. It's Okay. Don't think twice of waking me up if it happens again."
"Thanks, Char. I'll just go out for a walk." I started getting out of the bed.
"No. What if you get lost in that forest?"
"I won't. Don't worry and just sleep." I didn't stay there to hear her reply and quietly walked out of the house.
You did get lost in this forest remember?
Yeah. I can never forget that caterpillar and spidey.
The wind blew, making me shiver. It was winter time now...why did I just come out in my pajamas?
Because you are-
Dumb. I know.
I started walking and noticed my surroundings. The chirping birds and the beautiful dawn sky.
I was quietly humming to myself when I saw a silhouette of a person coming towards my direction.
I froze.... There was a figure dragging me in my dream-
Jennifer breathe. Calm down.
He tied me to chains and-
No. Don't think about that Jennifer.
They were beating me. I was bleeding. There was blood all around-
All you have to do is scream and everyone will be here if anything happens, relax Jennifer.
"Jennifer?" The person called and I immediately relaxed.
That voice..
Zack ran up to me and held my face in his hands. "What are you doing here? At this time?"
"I can ask the same to you."
"I asked first."
"Doesn't matte-"
"It does." He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Stop being a baby." I teased.
He pouted and stomped his foot on the ground, still standing with crossed arms.
I couldn't help but laugh loudly at his antics. He joined the laughter as he hugged me, pulling me closer.
"You're so cold." He said in concern.
"Oh.. I thought I was hot..."
"Not that silly." He rubbed his nose against mine. I couldn't help but give him a cheeky smile.
"Tell me. Why are you here?"
"I had a nightmare." I said.
"How was it?" He asked, looking worried.
"Nightmarish?"
"I think I already knew that nightmares are nightmarish..?"
"It was nothing Zack. Just a stupid dream made by a stupid brain."
Hey! Who you calling stupid huh?!
"And why are you here?" I asked him.
He pulled away from the hug and walked behind me. I was totally confused by his actions but then he wrapped his arms around me from behind and I melted in the softness and warmness of his arms.
I rested my head on his chest as he kissed the top of my head.
"Wasn't able to sleep." He shrugged and we started walking like this.
I wasn't feeling as cold as before being in his arms and this feeling was more soothing and relaxing than anything in the world.
"Hey, Zack?" He hummed in response and looked down at me, who was still in his arms.
"Are you Okay?" I softly asked.
"Huh?" He looked so confused.
"You keep asking me if I am okay. If I need anything. That you're always there if I need you. You always try to look out for me but... What about you?" I placed my hand on his cheek.
"Do you take care of yourself as much as you take care of me? I know you prefer not to talk to me about your problems but Zack, you should. Just like you are there for me, always remember that I am here for you too. Whenever you need me." I smiled at him.
He sighed and smiled back. "Why are you so sweet Jennifer?" He seemed to ask this more to himself than to me.
"I am fine, Jen... I also had a nightmare. But I am Okay." He admitted.
I turned around in his arms and hugged him tightly.
We spent some more time walking and talking to each other in the peaceful environment around us before walking back inside the house to find everyone else except Max already awake, getting ready for school.
****
"No one woke me up!" Max yelled for the fourth time as he stuffed his mouth with pancakes.
While we all were sitting, completely ready for school, Max looked like he just woke up from a decade long sleep. His hair in all directions, his eyes still sleepy...
"For your kind information, I did. But it's not our fault that on certain days you sleep like a bear in hibernation." Liam shrugged.
Max huffed loudly with pancakes still in his mouth and choked when he took a breath. He coughed and gulped down water.
"Calm down, Max... Please..." Charlotte said, looking so weirded out.
****
We somehow managed to reach school on time, even though Max was doing everything to get us late, not on purpose of course.
He had also forgotten to feed Coco and was searching the house up and down because he couldn't remember where he had kept the cat food.
I was walking to the chemistry class with Damien as we had that class together.
Damien wasn't the one to chatter unlike Max, Liam and Zack.
He was more of a listener, so all this while I was rambling about random stuff, he kept nodding and replying wherever required.
"Can we skip this class?" I wanted this to remain a thought, why did I speak it out loud?!
"You wanna skip chemistry?" Damien asked in amusement.
"I don't feel like studying it." I sheepishly admitted.
"Well, I don't either. I have already studied everything so if you need help in anything, I can teach you." He suggested.
"Great. So.. Where should we go?" I asked.
"Library sounds fine?"
He shrugged. "I think it's fine. Peace and quiet and not much students." He said.
So we made our way to the library. As I was thinking about topics that I could talk to Damien about, I bumped into someone.
"I am sorry." The person apologised.
"Noah?" It had been so long since I'd last seen him.
"Jennifer!" He grinned.
"Well, I saw the news about you and your parents.. I am so sorry to hear about that." He rubbed the nape of his neck.
"Oh. It's okay." I smiled.
He looked nervous to have Damien with us too.
"Jennifer.. I.. Uh.." He glanced at Damien.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to go-"
"No. She has a boyfriend." Damien interrupted him.
Was Noah asking me out?!
Are you excited about that?
Heck no. Never. Not that I hate him or something but.. Just no.
"B-boyfriend?....Z-Zack?" Noah stuttered.
"Yes. My best friend." Damien stated.
"Oh... Alright then... See you around I guess...?" Noah smiled through disappointment and left.
He was so weird.
Weird like you.
No one asked.
"I didn't knew he was asking me out." I said to Damien who chuckled.
"I remember how pissed off Zack was when he had mentioned this Noah to me earlier."
"He did?" I asked in shock.
Why would Zack mention Noah to Damien?
"Yeah. It was during his basketball match time I guess. He told me how he would enjoy to crack his bones and hear the satisfying sound of it and convert his left over skin and muscles and organs into a basketball and play with it." Damien looked disgusted, confused and weirded out as he seemed to recall Zack's words.
"What?" I laughed.
"That's what he had said." He shrugged.
"I am surprised living with such weird boys hasn't rubbed off on me yet." The both of us chuckled as we continued to go to the library.
Damien looked so cute while laughing-
Miss ma'am, you have a boyfriend.
Shut up. I know.
"So.. Tell me how you and Celine had met." I said as we sat down on a table.
Though I had absolutely no interest in talking about that witch, I still wanted Damien to talk more.
His eyes twinkled at the mention of Celine. That girl seriously doesn't deserve this guy.
"I was 16 when I was sitting in a park, trying to bandage the cuts I had received while fighting with some goons when she saw me and offered to help. I had fallen for her the first time I had seen her. And it appeared that she felt the same." He smiled as he remembered their first encounter.
Seeing him smile so lovingly made me subconsciously smile too, even if it was Celine we were smiling about.
"The next day I went to the same park in hopes that I would see her again.. And Surpsiningly, I did. I sat on a bench with her but we didn't speak. It went on like that for days. We would sit together in the park and watch everyone else while we sat in comfortable silence."
He sighed in contentment.
"Then, I finally mustered up the courage to talk to her. I told her about myself and found out that she was living with a woman who had taken her in since her parents had left her when she was young.
"We started hanging out almost everyday and I found myself falling for her even more. I introduced her to the boys and they all accepted her.
"Then unfortunately one day, the woman Celine used to stay with, passed away in a car accident. Celine was devastated and didn't had anywhere to go, so, I asked the boys if she could stay with us and thankfully, they all agreed."
"That's good." I commented.
"Yeah. After a few weeks, I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes. We've been together since." He grinned.
"I am so happy for you Damien."
But that girl is a witch, if not to you.
There is something about his beautiful green eyes that just-
You have a boyfriend, blob fish.
I know. Shut up.
"I've never loved anyone as much as I love Celine. And I can't believe I am having a child with her!" He kept going on and on, telling me about his good times with Celine and though I really hate Celine, I am ready to bear her for the rest of my life for Damien.
"Celine is really lucky to have you, Damien. I hope she realises that." I quietly said.
"I don't think as much as Zack is lucky to have you." He said and Zack being mentioned made me blush.
"No really. You have brought out a side of him that we had never seen. I always knew that there was a sweet side to Zack, but he never showed it. You don't know, Jennifer, but I had never seen Zack so happy with someone.
"I see the way he stares at you with affection. I have caught him smiling subconsciously whenever he sees you smiling. He never used to smile and laugh as much as he does now."
"Stop it Damien, you're making my face burn with all the blush I am having." I whined and he laughed.
"You know, Jennifer?" Damien said, now sounding all serious.
"He had never shown this much respect to any girl before. He had been with a lot of girls but no one ever made him as happy as you do."
"Only girl he used to show respect was Celine. He used to only care about himself and us, but, you've changed him for the better, Jennifer."
Zack used to like Celine.
Damien would be so angry to find that out.
That's why Zack didn't want him to know about that.
Especially the kiss.
"Damien." I said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah?"
"How would you, I mean.. Uh.. What would you do if you like.. Ever find out that.. Uh.. Your best friend and girlfriend.. Like.. Uh..kissed..?" I stuttered out.
"What?" He gave me a suspicious look.
What in the fish are you doing, blob fish?!
"I mean.. Like.. You know if Zack and Charlotte kiss.. Ugh Char would be so mad if she hears me.. "
He laughed. "Jennifer. No. Zack and neither Charlotte would do that to you and Liam. Don't worry."
But this isn't about me Damien. I know they won't do that.
"What if Celine.. " I trailed off.
"She won't. I know she won't. I trust my Celine." He smiled kindly.
****
We were all sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch and talking about our day.
I caught the glimpse of a notification on my phone and decided to check it.
There were two messages from an unknown number:
14 days. 14 days until you loose everything. You don't deserve this life. I'll snatch it all away from you. 14 days. You better be careful..
Time is ticking.
What the duck?! Who the hell is this?!
"What happened, Jennifer?" Liam asked.
"Oh nothing. Some wrong number." I shrugged it off.
It's probably some wrong number...
Max's phone suddenly started ringing.
"Celine?" He read the caller ID, looking confused as to why she called him.
Max picked up the phone and we all stared at him.
"What?!?" Max yelled and got up from the table. We could hear Celine crying on the other end.
"What happened, Max?!" Damien got up too.
Max handed the phone to him as he rushed out of the cafeteria.
Damien put the phone on speaker. "Hello? Celine?"
"Damien!" She cried.
"Coco.. Coco is.. Someone killed Coco!"
"WHAT?!" All of us screamed at the same time.
_____________________________________
A/N: Do leave a vote and comment :)
* Sigh * I wish I had someone like Zack for me.. :')