Florida Dreams

By. Julie Junker

Prologue

The lights flickered before going out altogether, leaving me in complete darkness. Outside the cold wind rattled the old oak against the grand window on the far side of my room, opposite my king sized bed. Lightning cackled, leaving a purple trail of roots growing across the dark sky. I was scared. Each time the lightning struck, it came nearer and nearer to the house. Finally, as the sky was once again illuminated by the blinding brilliance, I felt the heat before I even heard the sound. In mere seconds nearly the entire house was up in flames, the right wing roof completely gone. I scrambled out of my chair attempting to cross the room to my door. Too late, I realized it was only getting hotter. A piece of the burning ceiling fell onto my arm. Screaming I jumped back, falling through my immense window.

Chapter 1

I gasped as I bolted out of bed. "Oh my god!" breathing deeply I ventured out into the hall to get a drink of water from the bathroom. That wasn't the first night I'd been haunted with that dream, and it wouldn't be the last. It's been a year sine that night and I'm constantly having nightmares abut it. My younger brother, Mikah, and I made it safely out of the house. Our parents did not. We all used to live up in Maine in this big house. Mom was a lawyer and dad was a doctor. We where your typical wealthy family. I went to an ultra-exclusive school and had the best clothes and most popular friends. A real Barbie fantasy. Yeah well that was then and this is now. Now we live down in sunny Florida with Aunt Cathy, and Uncle Bill. They have one girl, Diana, who is my age. They're so nice to us and Diana and I have become best friends. Mikah is ten; I'll be 15 in September. It's April now, almost the end of 8th grade, next stop, High school.

I got my drink, not bothering to turn the light on. I backed out of the bathroom tossing my cup into the trash. Just as I reached my door, I heard a quite sniffling. Crying perhaps? In the next room, Mikah's, the light was on. My face softened as I entered, the maternal side of me taking over. He was sitting on his bed curled up in a ball, crying softly to himself. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his trembling body, as he sobbed into my shoulder.

6 am came far too soon the next morning. I didn't really want to get up, but school calls. Groaning, I trudged off to the shower. A good shower can make even the grumpiest of persons perk up. After my shower, I put on a Hollister sundress in a gorgeous shade of purple, let my hair dry flat and followed the smell of bacon downstairs.

"Good morning sunshine!" was Diana's warm welcome to me this morning. She always greeted me in the same manner, although she used a different phrase each time. Where she comes up with some of them, I'll never know.

"How do you always get up so early yet act like a ray of sun yourself?" I inquired with a yawn. Diana was the school track star, so each morning she awoke at 5am and went out for a 5 mile run.

Shrugging she tossed a piece of toast and a sausage link on my plate. She was also an accomplished chef and usually made breakfast. I swear, she acts more like my mother than my cousin.

"So..." she began giving me a sly look with her warm brown eyes. That's another thing about Diana. She's georgeus. She had dark silky brown hair that fell in perfect ringlets around her shoulders. Her eyes are big and a deep warm brown. The eyelashes that framed those eyes were long and dark without the use of mascara. "So… anything new about Drew?" no matter how motherly she seemed, she was still a teenage girl, and my best friend in the world to top.

"well, he hasn't said anything yet, but that doesn't mean he won't." this thing he hasn't said anything about is the last school dance of 8th grade. Drew Preston is my crush. He is also the hottest male specimen on the face of the earth. Well, in my opinion anyway. I'd hoped we would have been together long before now. "What's wrong with me?" I exclaimed.

"I wish you would stop doing that." Diana said, "there is nothing wrong with you. He does like you I know he does. He'll ask you don't worry." It was so like her to lecture me that I couldn't help but grin. Her brown eyes loosened into a twinkling smile as she stuffed a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

"Brrrriiinnnggg!" the second bell rang out. I sighed as I darted to my class. "Arianna Baker, do you have a late pass this morning?" Miss. Darling asked upon my arrival, I shook my head no, retreating into the hallway to get a late pass from the front office. Although she could be uptight, Miss. Darling was my favorite teacher and can be really nice. She was my science teacher and homeroom teacher. That's the second time this week I've been late, and it's only Wednesday. Rounding the corner I ran into a wall.

"Oooff." A talking wall?

"Ohmygod! Drew I'm so sorry Drew are you okay?" I asked, now blushing furiously. Our books were strewn all over the hall. He started laughing. That's right, he laughed. Confused I started to pick up my things. Pencil case, text book, notebook, binder, cell phone, reading book. Still laughing he picked up his things too.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, now annoyed.

"Nah, I guess I was just kind of nervous. When you ran into me I sorta broke down a little." He admitted. Nervous?

"Why were you so nervous?" I asked, wracking my brain for an explanation8. Did we have any tests today. Nope, projects due? I don't think so. So why was he nervous?

"Well," he started, putting his hand on the back of his neck, "because I was going to ask you to the dance." 3…2…1…

OhMyGod! Drew just asked me to the dance! "So, will you go with me?" he tried again, now looking a little worried.

Composing myself I replied, "Yes, I will definitely go to the dance with you."

"Cool" he said looking relieved. "Well, I'll catch you later." I nodded watching him walk around the corner with one last smile. Eeeeeeeeeepppppp! I nearly skipped to the office. I didn't, of course, because that would be undignified. But I was just so happy.

"Arianna, you know that if you're late one more day this week, you'll get detention." Said Mrs. Merrington, pulling me down from cloud 9. She's the school secretary for Bridgewater Middle School.

"I know. I'll try harder." I replied. The detention moniters and I were well aquainted. I always lost track of time in the morning.

Classes dragged on all day. Diana was on a different team of teachers than i. last year we had almost every class together. Finally it was only the 20 minute silent reading period left. Five minutes after I sat down, is snuck out my phone. Awww. I thought sadly. My Eeyore charm had fallen off. He was my favorite from the hundred acre wood.i flipped the top and immediately started texting Diana.

Hey girl wasup? Can u belive donalsons mking us rite that ppr?

Send. I stuck the phone between my jean clad legs, looking down to admire my new red converse high tops. Smiling I went back to "reading my book". In approximately 52 seconds, my phone vibrated. I checked to make sure Miss. Darlingtons attention was not on me. It wasn't, so I flipped the top up on my phone.

Who are you?

Hmm. Is she kidding? Weird.

Ha ha. v funny D. ur kus, Arianna? Who else? Did u lose ur all ur contacts?

After I replied, I noticed the wallpaper was a picture of a brown lab with a whit spot on it's right eye. It was adorable, but it wasn't mine. Aunt Kathy is allergic to dogs. I looked through the contact list trying to find a clue. This obviously wasn't my phone.