Immortal Light: Wide Awake (11 page)

“
Yeah,” Kat answered
instantaneously. “Where do you want to go?”

“
Anywhere but here.”

***

Safely in the confines of her car, Lucy sat
back in the driver’s seat and took a deep breath. It was the
longest breath she had taken in fifteen minutes. Kat situated
herself in the passenger seat and just waited. She was so good at
giving Lucy space when she needed it. Kat gently turned to look at
Lucy, whose head rested heavily on the back of her seat. Color was
starting to return to Lucy’s face. With her eyes still closed, she
began breathing normally again.

***

The drive was spent in silence. It didn’t take
them long to get to Bandon and Lucy pulled into the parking lot
adjacent to the pier. She sat for a moment and stared out the
windshield at the ocean.

“
Do you ever feel like your whole
life has changed overnight? It feels like everything I was,
everything I knew, is changing.” She turned to Kat, who was nodding
her head to confirm that she understood what Lucy was saying. “Have
you ever felt that way?”

“
What’s going on, Lucy? This can’t
just be about Mark.”

Lucy shook her head as she watched the ocean
roll in and out. “I can’t think with him around.”

“
Who?”

“
Benjamin. Ever
since I met him …
”
Lucy stopped.

Kat’s eyes opened wide, waiting for her to
finish her sentence, but she didn’t.

Lucy could feel the tears of the last two days
finally begin their exodus down her face. Kat reached over and
grabbed her friend around the shoulders and hugged her. The two
girls sat for a moment as Lucy let out all of the emotion that had
been dammed up inside her. Everything about the strangeness of her
life hit her all at once. Kat just held her as she
cried.

After a few moments, she pulled away and
reached in the glove box for a handful of fast food napkins to wipe
her eyes.

“
Thank you. That’s so embarrassing
to get this crazy over stupid guys.”

“
No it isn’t. You’re going through
a lot right now. Believe it or not, this is sort of
normal.”

“
No it’s not. He’s everywhere,
Kat. I can’t get rid of him. He’s in my dreams, my daydreams. He’s
everywhere.”

“
Yes, it is. It’s totally
normal.”

“
No, I’m telling you, this isn’t
normal. I’ve had those dreams before, about guys, and this is way
different.” Frustration was starting to make its way into Lucy’s
voice.

“
Okay, apparently I’m not
understanding something,” Kat said, brushing the hair out of her
eyes.

Lucy cleared her throat. “I
don’t just dream about him. It’s like we’re sharing a reality. When
I dream, I’m in a place I’ve never seen before, not in real life.
It’s a forest—a rainforest. I
’
ve never been to a rainforest in my
life, but I can dream one in perfect detail. How is that
possible?
”

“
I don’t know.” Kat offered. “But
if you’ve never seen a rainforest, how do you know what it looks
like; how do you know you didn’t just make up what you think is a
rainforest?”

Lucy reached into the
backseat of the car. Buried under a pile of sweaters and coats she
pulled out a book called
South American
Rainforests
. She flipped open to a full
page color photograph and showed it to Kat.

“
Because it looks exactly like
this.”

Kat took the book and examined it. “Well how
do you know you haven’t just seen a picture like this one
before?”

“
Because the dream has way more
detail than a picture. It’s weird. I can feel it and smell it. It’s
like I’m there.”

Kat looked at her as if she’d left out the
most important part. “I don’t get it.”

Lucy sighed heavily. “It doesn’t matter; this
is all beside the point. In my dream it’s always the same place and
the same time of day. The first time I was there he ran from
me.”

“
Why?”

“
I don’t know,” Lucy answered
emphatically. “He just ran, and the weirdest part was that when I
caught up to him he had a sword.” A chill shot up her spine and she
reached for her sternum again.

“
A sword?” Kat responded with a
twisted look of confusion on her face.

“
I don’t know
that either, but the last time I had the dream he
…
”
Lucy looked
down at the steering wheel.

“
He
…
”
Kat
prompted.

“
He stabbed me with
it.”

Kat’s eyes shot wide. “He stabbed
you?”

“
Yeah, I even felt it. It was
awful.”

“
What did it feel
like?”

“
Like someone ran a giant knife
right through my chest, what else would it feel like?” Lucy was
trying not to get frustrated telling her story.

Kat sat quietly for a moment and Lucy was sure
that this was so foreign to Kat that she had no advice to offer and
was simply being nice to not answer with anything.

“
I know how
weird this is, you don’t have to say anything I
just—
”

“
No, it’s not weird,” Kat cut in.
“You just have a crush on a guy and you think he doesn’t like you
so your subconscious just supported that conclusion by creating
this whole thing where he kills you.”

Lucy’s eyes went wide.

Kat continued, “I mean, apart from the
detailed nature of the dreams, this is your subconscious letting
you get closure. Your mind wants to be over him, so, even though
you didn’t consciously create the scenario, your brain did in an
attempt to get you over him. It’s called a catharsis.”

Lucy sat stunned at Kat’s explanation, her
mouth dropped open.

“
What? So I liked that quarter of
psychology,” Kat said, a little embarrassed.

Lucy shook her head. “No, that makes so much
sense. It’s like I was trying to cleanse myself of him.”

“
Yes, that’s exactly
it.”

Lucy gripped the steering wheel. “I feel kind
of stupid.”

“
Why? I told
you, this is normal … sort of.
”
Kat smiled humorously.

“
That’s why I feel
stupid.”

“
If you don’t tell anyone, I won’t
tell anyone.” Kat leaned over and hugged her friend.

“
Thanks, Kat. I really needed
this.”

“
I know,” Kat responded knowingly.
“I love you, too.”

Lucy took a deep breath and started the
car.

***

The following day, the school grounds were
overflowing with teens heading off campus for lunch.

“
I’m going to ask him.”

“
What? Who? What are you talking
about?”

“
I’m going to ask Mark out to the
dance. I’m not going to wait. I’m doing it now.” Lucy turned her
attention in the direction of a group of boys standing around
Mark’s blue Nissan.

“
You mean now, like right now?
Right here, right now? You’re going to walk over to him and ask him
out?” Kat asked incredulously.

“
Yep,” Lucy responded as she
pulled Kat closer to the group.

“
Are you sure you want to do
that?”

“
You told me yourself, Kat, that
he likes me. Let’s find out.”

Kat just blinked as she let go of Lucy about
ten feet outside the circle of rugged boys.

Lucy firmly forced her way through
the circle and went straight up to Mark. She looked him in the eyes
and Kat froze in terror outside the circle.

“
Hey, Lucy!” Mark said, his face
lighting up.

Lucy stood right in front of him, capturing
his gaze with her pale blue eyes. “Why haven’t you asked me out
yet?” The words came out before she could think about
them.

Mark stood stunned for a moment then looked
around at his friends, who were equally shocked.

“
I… uh … I
don
’
t
know.
”
He blinked
once, then smiled widely and his face turned slightly red. “Don’t
get me wrong, I’ve wanted to ask you out since at least the fourth
grade. I just didn’t know if you … I mean …
”

“
I do, Mark, trust me.”

Mark ran his hand through his hair and
laughed. “Okay, then. Would you like to go out tonight?”

“
Yes, I would love to. Pick me up
at my house around six. I want ice cream.”

“
I would love to take you out to
get ice cream.”

“
Then I’ll see you at
six.”

“
It’s a date,” Mark
replied.

Lucy pulled his hands down
bringing his face closer to hers and she kissed him on the cheek.
Before he could say anything else, she walked out of the circle and
approached a silently stunned Kat, hooking her elbow.

Once out of sight of the boys, Kat pulled Lucy
to a stop. “What was that, Lucy? That was amazing!”

“
I don’t know; I thought it was
time to take matters into my own hands.”

Lucy’s eyes looked past Kat for a moment and
Kat turned to see what she was looking at. Walking away toward one
of the buildings of the school were the flowing locks of Samantha’s
red hair attached to Benjamin’s unmistakable figure. Kat turned
back around with a suspicious look on her face.

“
Is this because of him?” Kat
threw her arm toward Benjamin and Samantha.

“
No,” Lucy said
indignantly.

Kat suddenly looked scandalized.
“Yes it is. You’re just mad because Benjamin picked Samantha over
you.”

“
No I’m not. I’ve had a crush on
Mark for years. It was time to do something about it.”

Kat took a deep breath. “Just make sure you
did that for the right reasons, Luce.”

“
I did, I promise. I really like
him. You know that, Kat.”

Kat smiled, conceding to her friend. “Yeah, I
know.” She looked at Lucy and suddenly felt the thrill of a new
relationship. “This is so great, Lucy. I’m excited for
you.”

Lucy couldn’t help but feel Kat’s excitement.
“I know, right? I might have a boyfriend after tonight.”

***

The doorbell rang at five minutes
to six. Lucy jumped in anticipation as she finished putting on her
mascara. She immediately opened her phone and texted
Kat.

Lucy:
he’s here
.

As usual, the response was
instantaneous.

Kat:
so xcited 4 u. have fun. call me

l8r

Lucy shut her phone and went to
the door. She could hear voices downstairs. Her mother laughed and
invited Mark in. Lucy couldn’t quite see the bottom of the stairs
from her door, but to her shock and horror she heard the loud
panging sound of her father’s diesel truck pull into the
driveway.

“
Oh, boy,” she said nervously as
she took one last look in the mirror.

Chapter
6

The fresh blast of air slapped Lucy in the
face as Kat got in the car. It was a new day, and the new year had
just begun for her.

“
Well, since you
didn’t call last night … tell!
”
Kat said as she situated
herself.

Lucy smiled knowingly. “It was great. We had
so much fun, I don’t even know where to begin.”

“
Start from the part where you got
out the door of your house.”

“
Well, in terms of events, there
weren’t that many, it’s just that he was so perfect. We talked
about everything. We had ice cream, and then we went bowling. I
mean, it sounds boring, but it was so much fun.”

“
That doesn’t sound boring at all.
I’m so jealous.”

“
Why are you jealous? You’ve never
been without a date.”

“
Yeah, but the first date is so
magical.”

“
I know, isn’t it?” Lucy agreed.
The two girls stared dreamily at each other, then laughed. “Things
are going to be a lot different from now on, that’s for
sure.”

“
That they are, my dear.” Kat
responded, and both girls beamed all the way to school.

Looking out over the lot as she got out of her
car and Kat ran to Dave, the first thing Lucy saw was the strong,
chiseled jaw of the boy she could finally call her own. Mark was
walking toward her with a grin on his face that lit up the entire
outdoors. Her heart fluttered as she shut the car door and returned
his gaze with a smile.

“
Let me get that for you,” Mark
said, taking Lucy’s backpack from her.