Dreams or Reality?

Chapter 16: Mel's Secret

CHAPTER 16: Mel's Secret

I didn't really pay attention as I walked into school. Last night's dream kind of freaked me out. The hallucinated creepy guy is the father of my hallucinated... Other guy. Then there was the girl. Who was she? I really hoped I didn't hallucinate her, I don't think I could handle seeing her stomach. That must have been painful to get. Also, I wondered if she was dead. If she was, how did she die? Her flesh wound would probably killed her soon enough but I wasn't sure.

I shivered. The poor girl had looked at me kindly. It made me feel like maybe not all of my imagination is evil/creepy/just in general, guys. Maybe I do have a sense of feminism after all.

Standing in the hallway, I realized how weird my life had become. I had started off as a girl with sleeping problems. Then hallucinations of my nightmares. Then hallucinated people that I talked to. Then a combination of the two. Maybe I should see a therapist. Maybe they could help me. Or maybe they'll give me some drugs to make them go away and I'll end up with more hallucinated people instead. I had spent this morning jumping at every little noise. Most of the time I only jump at, like two thirds of them.

My thoughts were cut off as Mel ran up to me towing Sam behind her. "Faye!" she said, ignoring the weird looks people her her for running down the hallway and screaming while towing along Sam. Actually, it was probably just for towing Sam behind her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Beat's me. Spill Mel," said Sam, smiling, as per usual. Mel sounded a little uncomfortable when she spoke.

"I..." Mel started

"You what?" I asked

"Ate a shoe?" Sam said, unhelpfully, nonetheless, I joined her in trying to guess

"Killed your parents?"

"Burned down a house?"

"Learned how to play the banjo?"

"Have decided you want to be a lumberjack?"

"That was really original Sam," I said. "I liked that one."

"Guys?" said Mel, disbelievingly. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out what you know." said Sam, cheerfully.

"Wow. Your guesses are nowhere close." Mel said, I rolled my eyes. "I know why Katie's mad."

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Roughly 15 minutes later, the three of us were jumping out of my car and walking across the graveyard to the woods. The sun shone off and on through the clouds, casting strange shadows, seemingly of deformed monsters.

I noticed Mel was nervously playing with the edge of her shirt and Sam was whistling. Sam always seemed so happy. She claims singing makes you happier. Don't know if it's true but it seems to work for Sam. I tried not to fiddle with anything as we walked in a silent progression past the graves of the departed.

As we neared the edge of the woods we walked past my grandmother's grave. Her locket that I was wearing seemed to freeze against my skin like ice. Silver responding to it's dead owner's icy aura in a graveyard.

Now I'm just freaking myself out. When I said it in my mind it had been a joke but it didn't feel funny.

Shut up! I told my self. Just because you've had some bad dreams and a few hallucinations doesn't mean you have to believe in the supernatural. I reconsidered the whole therapist idea. On one hand, drugs that might make it worse, on the other hand nothing happens, on the third pretend hand they talk me through it and I end up fine. Yeah, still not loving the idea of a shrink.

Going through the woods took no time. We entered the clearing and I was caught up in the memory of Saturday, of Demetri appearing out of nowhere with an arrogant smirk on his face. Then I was back and sitting down with Sam and Mel. "Ok," said Sam "I'm not missing first period for nothing." I nodded my head in agreement with Sam.

"Well, um," said Mel uncomfortably. "This is awkward but, uh."

"Oh just spit it out!" Sam said, slightly exasperated. Mel shifted and started playing with her hands.

"Mel!" I said, laughing a little. "We wanna know!"

"I, um," fumbled Mel, Sam and I rolled our eyes. "Marcus kissed me." stunned silence followed as Sam and I realized what she had said. Not what we'd been expecting.

"Marcus, as in Katie's boyfriend Marcus?" I asked, unsure.

"He kissed me." Mel said, sounding like she would rather be anywhere else. "I don't even know why he'd want to! I mean seriously-"

"Mel." I said, warningly, Mel stopped talking. We all knew she was about to be mean to herself, Sam and I did our best to stop her before she could say anything.

"Do you like him?" asked Sam bluntly.

"That explains the whole 'slut' thing." I murmured to myself. Apparently my comment went unnoticed as Mel spoke.

"Do I like him?" she asked raising an eyebrow to show she thought we were crazy. "Hell no!" Sam burst out laughing and rolled around on the grass, she found unrequited love hilarious. I collapsed along side her. Eventually Mel joined us because, really, it was funny. It felt good to be normal again, laughing with my friends, it's like this weekend never happened.

Except, it did.

Eventually we called the school with varying excuses for not being there and made our way back. Five minutes until period two.

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I saw Katie coming out of the corner of my eye as I headed to lunch. I rolled my eyes, NOT in the mood for Katie's accusing and screaming. "Freak," Katie said, probably smirking in that annoying 'I'm too good to talk to you' way. I mentally groaned and turned to her.

"Nice to see you too, Katie," I attempted to smile while saying this but it turned into a grimace.

"You know something don't you?!" Katie said, cutting straight to the chase. Since she said this every time, I was unfazed.

"Nope," I said, going for my trademark response because I should really keep Mel's secret to myself.

"UH!" She said, glaring at me before turning on her heel and stomping away. Talking to Katie had one perk, I thought, and smiled to myself amidst the sea of hungry teenagers heading to lunch.

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Strange chapter, I thought you should finally know why Katie was mad. Please, comment, vote and keep reading. Thanks guys!

-Jodi