AN: Please read The Dream before you read this, otherwise you will be SOOO confused
This is Eric's POV
The Reality
It pays the bills. That's the only reason I take these stupid substitute teacher jobs. I'm a writer, not a teacher. But I need the money, damn student loans. The only thing making this all worth while is her. No matter how bad a day I have, I know that when I go to sleep that I will see her, my precious Lillian. Do I really love a girl that exists solely in my dreams?
As I unlock the door to the room, I'm nearly attacked by a woman who is old enough to be my mother. She starts talking to me about something; I'm not really sure what she was talking about. I can only think about that tree, and the almost kiss.
Students began to file in as the first bell rang. Thankfully the woman left, leaving me with my thoughts. I started getting my things around, glancing over the attendance sheet. I tighten my pony tail, take in a deep breath, turn around and begin taking roll-call. I go down the list until, I see a name I never imagined to be real. "Lillian Charity?" I whispered, looking around for my muse, my heart and my soul.
"Here!" she yelled, her long brown hair could not conceal her hazel eyes so full of shock when she looked up from her notebook. Holy Hell. I pulled my emotions back, so I wouldn't go and attack the poor girl, and continued with roll.
I taught the class without interruption, though I could feel her eyes on me at all times. When the bell finally rang I was thanking the Gods, but I knew I needed to talk to her.
"Lilly, could you please stay after class, I'll write you a pass." She simply nodded, as the other students finished filing out; I closed the door behind them. We sat there staring at each other for what seemed like a century. I was the first to speak, "You've had the dreams too?" once again she simply nodded, she took in a ragged breath and said,
"You're really real aren't you?" I was going to laugh and the philosophical nature of the question until I saw she was crying. "I'm not dreaming again am I?" This time I didn't care what my mind was telling me, I was going to listen to my heart. I picked her up from her desk and pulled her into my embrace making a silent promise to never leave her.
"No I'm really here, and so are you." I began to tear up myself as I said this, she really was here. I wasn't alone anymore. This time I wasn't waking up, because this was reality. She looked up at me with that glint in her eyes telling me what to do, and it broke my heart not to listen to her. "We can't." I said simply,
"Why not?" she yelled, she tried to push against me, but I wasn't letting go. "Did you lie to me last night?" she started crying again. I wiped her tears as I explained as calmly as I could,
"No, you have my heart to do what you will. I'm telling you no, because even though I love you, we are currently teacher and student. And if we were ever caught, I couldn't stand the thought of losing you." She nodded understanding my reasoning. "Why don't we wait until you graduate to become official?"
"I will agree to this on one condition." I smiled seeing the twinkle in her eyes,
"What is that?"
"Don't hold back when we are sleeping."