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Chapter Six
I soon found myself having the same voice greet me the rest of the week every time that I went to sleep. I never saw him, though his voice both calmed and irritated me at the same time. I did not like how his name brought a delightful shiver upon my spine, as though I would never tire of him saying my name. I knew that I didn't want to feel these very things because I didn't feel as though I was in control.
These dreams weren't meant for my pleasure.
It was meant for the man who owned the voice. He was the one who was supposed to be happy with seeing me. He already thought that I was meant to know him through The Moirai, that they had made sure I would be welcomed with this man. He made it sound like we were going to meet eventually, in the future, outside of this dreamscape world that had been created for us.
I didn't tell Mom or Dad about it. I found no reason to do so. I knew that Mom had already thought that Dad was torturing me with practice lectures in the beginning, and Dad would have thought that I was cursed because of my name. He was odd in that manner, but I still loved him despite him naming me after a tragic Greek myth.
"Uh...Icarus, are you still there?"
Turning my head, I noted that Julito had his eyebrow arched upwards as he looked at me. We were currently eating lunch, and I was sitting with both Julito and Chloe-Rae away from the area of the cafeteria where Haiden and Kendall were.
"Sorry," I sheepishly apologized, finding that Chloe-Rae was currently sipping on some soda with a crazy curly straw. She always carried crazy curly straws around with her incase she just wanted to drink with one. I never questioned her odd items she always brought along with her in her purse.
"You haven't been getting any sleep lately; I was talking to your mom. Apparently you have been having some odd dreams that wake you up," Chloe-Rae suddenly piped up, earning a groan from me. It would be my luck that Mom would end up having some time with Chloe-Rae; they must have been doing yoga lately.
"Why must you do yoga?" I almost demanded from her, earning an eye roll from Chloe-Rae before she took a long sip from her soda. It was Pepsi.
"There are very few things that I enjoy doing, Icarus. Yoga just happens to be one of them," she responded with a shrug, sitting her Pepsi can down onto the cafeteria table. The straw was a brilliant red, matching with the red in the logo. Her nails were still black though, still as onyx as ever.
I rolled my eyes, "I guess to each their own." I knew that I wouldn't get anywhere with Chloe-Rae, she'd just point the obvious truths. One of those obvious truths happened to be that she enjoyed yoga.
"But yeah, I have been having some weird dreams. They never last long, I get closer to the person who speaks to me in the dreams but other than that nothing happens," I admitted, earning a nod from Chloe-Rae. I was thankful that she wasn't pulling out her spiral notebook and scribbling down everything that I was telling her.
"So someone is talking to you in the dream? And you don't ever see their face? Or you haven't seen his face?" she probed to me and I nodded my head, in confirmation, before a light smirk danced across her lips.
"Interesting, more research should be made from this," she mumbled to herself, before she reached down and began to dig through her backpack so that she could search through her leather journals for some Earth Bound books that had to talk about interpreting one's dreams. Julito gave nervous glances at them, but most things that went against the Catholic religion in his household made him nervous.
"I don't believe I said anything about allowing myself to be used for research," I remarked to her, earning an eye roll from me. "I'll let it happen though, if it makes you feel any better, Chloe-Rae. It would kind of help to have someone else try to see what the hell is happening with me."
Chloe-Rae didn't say anything, though I knew that she was pleased with the knowledge that I allowed it to happen. For anyone else she would have done it without their permission but since I was her best friend she cared about me. In her own way of course, so she had asked for permission.
She contemplated looking through the dream books but considered otherwise a moment later. She placed the books back where they came from and took another long sip of her Pepsi. Her black painted fingernails danced across the metal a second later, her eyes flickering towards Julito. He shifted uneasily in his cafeteria seat, as though he was expecting her to ask him what his dreams were.
I was about to ask them what they were going to do after school, because I had missed hanging out with them, only for me to hear the sound of screaming resonating in the cafeteria in the middle of the room. I turned my head, finding that it was Haiden and Kendall that were arguing with each other.
It had been a common occurrence when they first started their friends-with-benefit thing, but over time Kendall and Haiden decided that they wouldn't bother with confronting each other whenever the other was jealous over the latest fling.
"You know what? I'm done with this! Because of you and your asshole ways I lost one of my best friends!" Kendall shouted, making me blink in shock at the fact that she had been talking about me. I hadn't realized that she had cared that much about me, that she would miss me.
Chloe-Rae didn't reveal any surprise though I had a feeling that she did feel shock at what Kendall was saying. Julito was shocked, his eyes flickering in my direction as though he was expecting me to snort and dismiss what Kendall was shouting. I hadn't though; Kendall apparently was really hurt this time.
"What do you mean we're done? You care too much about the sex to be done with this! And you never cared about Icarus! If you did then you would have been less of a bitch to him!" Haiden retaliated, his eyes darkening with anger. He hadn't expected though for Kendall to slap him across the face, hard enough that a hand print was left on his cheekbone.
I flinched, despite knowing that Haiden deserved it. Even though some could call Kendall a slut, which was a crude slang word, I knew that she didn't deserve to be called one. Though Haiden hadn't said that she was one, I knew that he could possibly call her one soon.
Kendall turned and held her chin up as though she would get over this before she walked out of the cafeteria. Haiden glared heatedly at her retreating figure before one of the girls that I was certain wanted to sleep with him came up to him and placed her hands on his shoulder blades before she started to massage them.
"Well that's gross. I would rather not see some chick molest over Haiden," Chloe-Rae suddenly commented, earning an agreement from Julito.
I was just thankful that he had learnt to move on in time when it came to Kendall. I was also certain that his Italian grandmother was trying to match make him with a girl that went to the Catholic Church they attended.
"Is it really molestation if he isn't against it? He seems as though he's enjoying it," Julito probed, making Chloe-Rae sigh.
"Whether or not he wants it to happen it's still gross. Thank goodness I'm Demi," Chloe-Rae admitted, making me widen my eyes. Julito merely looked at her before he spoke, "that actually makes sense. I kind of thought that you would at least be asexual, since you haven't had a crush towards anyone, so don't worry. Icarus and I will still be your friends."
Thankfully the bell rang for us to head to Gym, so I didn't have to say anything and neither did Chloe-Rae in response. It was kind of hypocritical of me to not want to be friends with her because she came out as Demi, when it was obvious and well known that I was gay.
We gathered in our small group and headed in the direction of the gymnasium. It was a good bit warmer today than it should be, though I had always said that Global Warming was real and warmer Octobers were possible. Our winters were either cold now-a-days or they were unnaturally warm.
Conversations spread around the school corridors about what had just happened between Haiden and Kendall, but neither I nor my best friends said anything about it anymore. We didn't like to surrender to gossip and become another group of gossipers that relied too much on what was happening with everyone and everything. We weren't like Kendall when it came to that.
By the time I entered the boys' locker room there were a large amount of boys that were leaning against their lockers and conversing freely. Most of them had on their gym clothes. A few of them waved to Julito, along with me, but I was certain that they were mainly focused on the darker skinned boy. It didn't bother me; of course, I had always been second or third best when it came to me and Haiden along with Julito.
"Aye, how are you, Julito?" one of the guys asked him, causing Julito to stop and turn to look at the senior. He glanced over at me, as though he didn't know how to react to this, but I merely waved my hand in dismissal before I went to my assigned locker to get my gym clothes.
I was putting my everyday clothes into the locker when one of the late students came rushing into the locker room. "Guys, Kendall Black just stole Haiden's car!"
I snapped my head away from inside the locker to see that the boy was almost jumping up and down in excitement. Apparently Kendall and Haiden had been carpooling with each other, since usually Kendall took her nice and expensive car to school. Haiden's car was pimped out; everything was updated to the latest trends for cars.
"Dude, that chick is crazy! I wonder if the school is going to contact the police!" another guy shouted, earning nods of agreements from others. I rolled my eyes, knowing that I just wanted to go out to the gymnasium and ignore them.
Quickly changing into my gym clothes, I was about to head out when the bringer of news managed to catch me. He reached his hand out to touch my arm only for me to sigh and turn to look at him.
"What?" I sighed, my eyes showing nothing more than aggravation and tiredness. He studied me for a moment before he spoke, "ah, nothing man."
Entering the gymnasium I fought the urge to sigh again when the school deputy came sprinting past me and towards the doors that led outside. Kendall and Haiden must have parked his car close to the football and track field then. Coach Ulster merely reached his hands up pinched the bridge of his nose, as though he was contemplating the thought of just walking out.
"I don't get paid enough for this job," he mumbled under his breath, having not expected that I had heard that. He looked over at me and groaned once more, "You didn't hear that, Olsson."
Raising my hands up so that my palms were facing him I responded, "To what are you talking about me hearing? I didn't hear anything."
Coach Ulster nodded his head, his features allowing me to know that he was thankful that at least one of his students listened to him. He never had Haiden Coleman or Kendall Black listen to him half the time. Now the girl had gone off the deep end and stolen the boy's car, so before long she would get arrested for having stolen his car. That was, if Haiden would end up pressing charges on her.
I didn't know what would happen. I knew that things were going to be ugly when Kendall decided that she should stop sleeping with Haiden but I never thought that she would end up doing it in a public place such as school. Then again the girl was always a drama queen and she would have everyone's attention if she created a scene in the cafeteria and then stealing Haiden's car.
Julito came out of the locker room, talking to some of the guys that were around them. A few of them were trying to get as much information as they could about what had gone down with Haiden and Kendall, along with me. They had asked me when our friendships had ended, but it seemed as though they would go to Julito instead of Chloe-Rae since she was scary.
It was common knowledge that most of the teenagers at my high school feared Chloe-Rae. They always got bland responses from her, and she sometimes stared straight at them without blinking until they would walk away. She always wore black and listened to heavy metal (even though she told me that she wasn't into heavy metal, she only did it because she wanted to get people away from her).
Speaking of Chloe-Rae, she was doing her stretches further away from the other girls. She was doing some impressive moves, and I had to admit that if I were into the opposite sex I would probably be staring at her for a whole different reason than just watching her because I was impressed.
"Dude, that girl is fine. Is she seeing anyone?" I rolled my eyes, knowing that it was the guy from two days ago that had claimed that he was in love because Chloe-Rae had managed to have a perfect spiral throw back at him when it came to the football that she had caught.
Turning to look at the guy point blank, I remarked, "The last guy that she dated ended up having to get a restraining order against her."
The guy took a step away from me before he looked at Chloe-Rae. She slowly straightened herself up and turned to look at us. I waved at her and she waved back before her eyes landed on the guy. He winked at her, she shot him the finger.
Chloe-Rae struck again when it came to crushing any potential suitors' hearts.
"I like a challenge," the guy spoke, only for me to reach my hand up and smack my hand against my forehead. Yes, I had made up the restraining order thing and if it weren't for the fact that everyone knew Chloe-Rae had never dated nor was interested in dating I was certain that it would have worked. Now this guy was going to be hit with reality when it came to Chloe-Rae.
Thankfully before I could even think up what to say next Coach Ulster blew his whistle, grabbing the attention of me and the rest of the guys. The girls had their coach standing to the sideline, in the middle of the side of the court where their school name was in bold lettering.
"Wrap it up girls! Come on!" she shouted, her hands cupping her mouth as she projected her voice, she had her attention focused on the girls' locker room. The last remaining girls came out, a few of them seniors with irritated looks on their faces, while others were rushing out with flushed faces.
"Olsson, move it, outside!" Coach Ulster barked, making me jump a little before I turned away from looking at the girls and Chloe-Rae. My best friend with bleach blonde hair had to pull out her rainbow hued hair extensions for Gym. She also had to pull out her piercings, like her nose piercing and the various ones on her ears.
Hurrying across the gymnasium to the open gym doors that led out to the parking lot, and to the football field in the distance, I gave a sheepish expression towards Coach Ulster. He nodded his head, allowing me to know that he had appreciated that I had done what he asked without him asking me again.
I also knew that he was strict but a lot looser around me due to my sexuality. It wasn't a common thing here in my town, I was certain that I was only one of five students that had come out as anything other than straight. So when I started high school and entered the gymnasium we had the awkward orientation from him, one that had to talk about no hate crimes being performed to anyone no matter their sexuality or their race or their religion or etc.
To say the least I was beet red then, since it was my first official day of high school and not only that but my first school year where I would be out and everyone knew that I was gay. I didn't have to hide it from them anymore, and it was evident that they had calmed down a good bit over the summer—though there were still about twenty percent of the school that I had to say that were tempted to perform hate crimes on the non-straight community.
I flinched as I walked out to the sidewalk curb, my eyes having not adjusted from the luminescent light fixtures in the school and the actual sun that was outside. I stood there for a moment, letting my eyes adjust, before I jogged in the direction of where my other classmates were. Julito was being surrounded by some of our other classmates; he was conversing freely with them.
The girls' coach was heading in my direction, which let me know that the girls were going to come out to run the track field. Chloe-Rae would be able to walk around the track field with me while Julito was able to spend some time with his other friends. It never bothered me or Chloe-Rae when he hung out with some other classmates of ours, we always encouraged him.
At the mention of Chloe-Rae, she came strolling out only to pull out a pair of sunglasses from her shirt, well bra actually. Her gym coach did not look pleased, but there were more matters to attend to. Such as making sure that no other student thought to take a joy ride like Kendall Black did.
Chloe-Rae headed towards me and she hooked her arm around mine before she turned her head. The boy that had wanted to ask her out looked as though he was tempted to still come up to her but he paused when both I and Chloe-Rae gave him glares. He grumbled and stalked off with the rest of his football friends, probably to go to the sporting shed and grab a football to throw around.
"All I had done was catching the fucking football and all the sudden some dumbass thinks that he can win me over by being his stereotypical self?" Chloe-Rae grumbled, her voice sour, for once, and I could tell that this bothered her. I knew that there were boys that had asked her out before and she had said for them to find someone else, but I hadn't had found myself in a situation like this with her before.
"Maybe I can try and seduce him?" I joked to her, making her turn to look at me before she shook her head in fondness. It was nice, that even though Chloe-Rae had gotten a pesky admirer (one who probably just wanted to sleep with her); she was showing some kind of emotion to me.
"Go ahead, if he's your type," she responded, which in return made me turn to look at the guy that was over by the sporting shed with the five other guys that shared this block with him. He reached his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair in slow motion as though this was some cliché nineteen eighties romance comedy movie.
Craning my head to the side, I studied him some more. Yes, he did have a good body; anyone with eyes could see that. He had that award winning smile, the tight football logo t-shirt and exercise shorts. Yet, I couldn't really see myself going for a guy like that. He was nice to look at, but looks weren't everything.
I must have been staring too long because one of the guys elbowed Chloe-Rae's admirer on his arm, making him turn to yell at him. The other guy shoved him and pointed in my direction, which in return made pretty boy turn to look at me and Chloe-Rae. He sent a wink towards Chloe-Rae but when he looked at me he coughed and turned his attention back to the shed.
Chloe-Rae grabbed me by the arm and began to pull me towards the track, since we were on the football field. Both coaches were conversing with each other, probably over who was going to go look at the faculty parking lot real quick in order to make sure that no dumbass was trying to break into the cars.
"Don't worry, I'll pretend that wink that was meant for you was meant for me," I remarked, earning another soft laugh from Chloe-Rae.
"Wait, did he actually wink at me? I thought that he was having a compulsion or something."
I knew that I had opened my mouth to say something but I began to feel the world spinning around me. A tingling, warmth overcame me. It was strange; I never felt something like this before. It was more intense than the past nights where I kept waking up in hot sweats.
This time I was coated from the inside out with heat and my eyes rolled into the back of my head as my knees buckled underneath me. I fell onto the ground, in a heap, as Chloe-Rae screamed. It was blood curling; it was something that I swore I never wanted to hear from her ever again.
"Icarus!"
"Was that Olsson?"
"Dude, I think he's having a seizure or something!"
This was wrapping around me, these voices from other students, but Chloe-Rae screaming and then crying out my name was the only one that mattered to me. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and comfort her, tell her that everything was all right.
Instead, my mouth was clamped shut as darkness came. Yet, there was one that came and took away the darkness...him.