The next morning, I'm exhilarated. Julia's been in such a good mood since our talk that she let me drive her caddy to school. On the way in I accidentally swipe a few garbage cans in the parking lot. This causes me to arrive late, but luckily there's no damage to the car, or the bins.
My first class of the day is history. Before the bell rings, I rush down the hall to pick up the class's gargantuan book. Opening my locker, I don't see Donna Walker approach until it's too late. I'm startled when her husky contralto voice yells next to me, "Hey Freak!" Moving quickly, she darts forward to slam my locker shut.
By habit, I always wedge my foot in the bottom of the steel door to foil her stupid pranks, but today I'm wearing soft Skechers. "Ow!" I yelp as the metal door painfully catches my foot.
Suddenly, I hear a familiar, masculine voice behind me. "Donna! What the hell are you doing? Leave her alone!" Turning, I see Dylan's broad, muscular frame appear behind the school bully. He grabs her arm mid swing, pulling Donna away from me. When her nasty Joker's laugh is cut off mid cackle, I can't contain my pleasure. Someone's finally standing up to this psychotic bitch! Seeing the reigning school bully put in her place, I quietly repress a smile.
I know by the perturbed look on Donna's face she's upset by this turn of events. I don't have to be psychic to know she cares what Dylan thinks about her. She's always trying to act cool in front of him. For his part, Dylan seems indifferent to her attractive, yet slutty, blond appearance. Confused by the school loner intervening in one of her drive by attacks, she quickly decides to leave. "Later Loser!" Turning on her heels, she flings her blond ponytail behind her. Pink Candy stilettos clicking, she departs down the hall without a backwards glance. I watch her leave, her blond hair swishing from side to side like the tail of a mean pony.
Dylan turns to me. "Are you ok, Elizabeth?" Looking down at my foot, I cautiously flex it.
"Uh, yes. Thank you, Dylan." I certainly could get used to this kind of treatment. For years I've endured the brunt of the cool girls bullying me. I've also learned nature's survival skills 101. Ignore them and try to keep my head down. Contemplating today's surprising outcome, I lift my chin a little higher. "I guess I should get to class." I venture a reluctant smile at him, but before he can answer, I feel myself grow pale. Over his shoulder, halfway down the hall in the shuffle of students, I see someone looking at me. It's his sister, Lyndsay. I recognize her screaming face from my dream.
"Elizabeth?" Dylan's trying to get my attention, but everything goes quiet around me as the fierce girl's eyes lock onto mine. When I finally look at Dylan, the spell's broken. I search the hallway, but the macabre figure is gone. Did I imagine her? No, I'm certain that I didn't. That was definitely the girl from my nightmare and this phantom wasn't dressed like a typical Dresden Union High student. She had on western style garb, a black hat and duster. Everyone else in the hallway is wearing shorts with light tops due to the heat. Why am I seeing her ghost?
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