My alarm buzzed annoyingly in my ear. I guess it needs to be annoying or it wouldn't be an alarm... I stretched and yawned before I opened my eyes.
"Oh my god," I yelled, seeing a small boy looking down on me.
"Scared you," he shrieked.
"What are you doing in my room?" I asked anxiously. I looked around and noticed I did not recognize this room. The room was pale yellow, a large worn dresser pressed against the corner and another full size bed against the window.
"Mom said to get you up." The little boy smiled.
"What?"
Before the little boy said anything, a girl walked into the room.
"Come on Andie, I want to get to school early today," she begged.
I pinched my arm…crap, that hurt…Did that really work, pinching yourself to prove you weren't dreaming? Maybe it was an old wives tale…I had to be dreaming.
"I'm not feeling so good. Maybe I should stay home," I said to the girl. I would need to figure out the dream or try and wake up.
"You were so excited this weekend. You can't tell me you don't want to meet the new girl on her first day?"
I looked at the little boy. "Can you excuse us?"
He grinned and hopped out of the room. The girl closed the door. She was tall, her light brown hair hung loosely around her face. She sat next to me on the bed.
This is a dream…I repeated in my head. Should I play along or give up? I couldn't imagine why I would dream about people I don't know or a place I'd never been. I decided to try and be honest.
"I don't know who I am," I blurted out.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't know who you are. I'm not sure I know who I am."
"You hit your head pretty hard yesterday, but you were fine last night."
"You think I have amnesia?" I asked sarcastically. I guess it was better than dreamland.
"I think I am going to get mom."
That couldn't be a good idea…A parental figure could make even a dream intolerable.
"No, please. I don't want people to think I am crazy. Well, more crazy then I feel."
"What do you want to do?" she asked standing with her hand on the door knob.
I thought again about my options...I would play along and let the nightmare continue.
"If you're right, then it should be temporary. Can you just help me through the next couple days until my memory returns?" I asked.
"What are sisters for?"
"Ok, sister, what's my name and what's your name and who was that boy?"
"Wow, you really have lost it." She laughed before her face became completely serious. "You are Andrea. We have two brothers, Isaac and Joshua and I am your twin sister Angela. Our mother and father are downstairs and if you don't hurry they will come up here."
I nodded standing up from the bed. I made a circle, like a dog chasing his tail as I looked around the room. I didn't know what to wear or where my clothes were. Angela pulled some jeans and a sweater out of the closet and handed them to me.
"A sweater?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, it's fall in Forks. Do you want to catch a cold on top of your amnesia?"
Forks...Angela…
"Angela Weber?" I asked
"Thank god, your memory is coming back."
"Yeah." I couldn't speak another word. This was a nightmare. Maybe I was in an accident, and my mind broke into this Twilight world to protect me or maybe I'd finally gone crazy, as Gwen always predicted. There had to be an explanation, some random reason my mind picked this place to ensconce me in.
I pulled on the dark blue jeans and green sweater. Angela pointed me to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror looking at a reflection that was not mine. My light red hair and green eyes were transformed into brown hair and eyes.
You'll be fine. You'll wake up, and it will be a really sad story that of all places you ended up here. You have to wake up. I told reflection. I grabbed a brush and turned away from the mirror.
The thought of Angela brought the issue with my dream…This wasn't right. First - Angela didn't have a sister, much less a twin sister. Second - how could I, of all people, get sucked into my sister's wildest dream? What cruel joke of a nightmare was being played on me? If it was Gwen, she would be upset she was not Bella's sister. I thought. That would have made my crazy nightmare even less tolerable.
I straightened up and left the security of the bathroom. Angela was waiting for me. She led me down the stairs and to the kitchen. She threw a backpack at me. I assumed it was mine. She handed me an apple and grabbed a banana.
"We'll see you after school," she said to who I assume are her parents. Then pulled me out the front door. "We walk to school," she informed me.
"I don't know where we're going. How am I going to find my classes?" I realized I was going to have a rough pretend dream day.
"We have two classes together, but you have a few with Jessica or Mike." She paused. "Our first class is English, then Eric can walk you to Algebra and Government. You will need to find Spanish, but it will easy. We will have lunch, I will walk you to Biology and Mike can walk you to gym. It will be a piece of cake."
I stopped walking. Eric...Jessica...Mike. What fresh hell had I found? I couldn't even have a dream where I wasn't in a made up high school occupied by sparkly vampires…Could I be dying, and this was the only way my mind could cope? Was I laying in a hospital bed or on the side of the road…there was no way I would dream about this voluntarily…maybe I'm unconscious and Gwen is reading her drab stories to me… There must be some un-crazy explanation.
"Thanks for doing this for me. I can't believe what a bother I am," I said trying to find a reason why I stopped and probably looked afraid.
Angela draped her arm around my shoulders. "We're sisters. It is no bother. But if you don't have your memory by the end of the week, I am telling."
"Deal." I would have to figure out how to wake up…remove myself from the nightmare.
Angela and I walked to English. She pointed at a seat and I took it.
"Hey Eric," she greeted. I turned to the boy behind me. He had bad skin and greasy hair. I grinned, knowing it was just like the book. I should have read them more closely or more than once.
"Morning, Eric," I said.
"Have you seen the new girl?" he asked.
"Nope."
As the word left my mouth, a tiny brunette walked into the room. Her skin was turning from pink to red as she handed her slip to the teacher. She walked to the desk in the back near Angela. I was curious why Angela and I were not sitting together. Even if Gwen hated me, she usually sat next to me in classes we had together.
The teacher droned on about the fictional romance novel. Again, I had to kick myself that this is what my mind would create. Not only high school, but crap novels and homework…Yep definitely must be on my death bed.
The bell rang ending class. Eric turned and introduced himself to Bella. She corrected her name, which again reminded me of the book. He offered to walk her to her government class.
"Yeah, we can walk you," I said, inserting myself into Eric's proposition. He glared at me, but I couldn't care. I needed him to walk me to class to keep up the façade.
I listened as Eric made small talk with Bella. I chuckled when she said her mom was albino. Eric didn't look too amused. Bella smiled at me thankfully before she went into her class.
"Why are you walking with me?" Eric demanded.
"I was being nice to the new girl," I snapped back.
"You made me look stupid."
"Eric, it was a joke. You should have laughed."
Eric stormed off with me close behind. After Algebra, Eric was not happy I followed him again. I was beginning to think we weren't friends. How would I have known that, I didn't exist. After Government, I wandered out alone. I walked in a circle trying to avoid other students. When the tardy bell rang, I was exactly where I started five minutes ago. I leaned against the wall trying to decide what to do. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths trying to prevent the tears from escaping.
Since waking up, I was alone. If I was dying what happened to Gwen or my dad. I couldn't die, I couldn't leave them with another casualty. Was I stuck here until I was better? Stuck in a place with no friends, no sister, no family. To top it off, I was lost in the smallest school I had ever attended.
"Do you need some help?" a soothing southern voice asked.
Hearing the southern draw gave me a tiny bit of hope. I missed Houston and the twang everyone seemed to pick up. I opened my eyes to a tall, lean, pale blonde boy.
"Seriously?" I asked myself. "Can this get any worse or more awkward for me?"
"So you do need help, but not the kind I can give," he joked.
Wait...he joked. No that can't be right. If this was Jasper, which I was pretty sure it was, he did not joke. He didn't talk to humans either. But then again, this was my dream…my coping mechanism…I couldn't be dying, I thought. The only valid explanation I had.
Tears slipped down my face. I remembered what Angela said about hitting my head. That had to be the connection, I'd hit my head and this was the similarity, this is what linked me to the random person I became.
"I hit my head yesterday," I said as more tears slipped down my face. The more I ridiculed myself for being so emotional, the harder the sobs became.
"I'm sorry," Jasper said awkwardly.
I slid down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest. This wasn't a happy - fun experience for me. I wanted to be home, and I couldn't comprehend something being wrong with me. I looked up at Jasper. His back was pushed against the wall as far from me as he could get. Pain covered his face.
Good going, Andie, I ridiculed myself. I was hurting him. Wait, why do I care? I'm seriously losing it caring about a fictional character.
I wobbled my way to my feet, wiping my cheeks several times to remove the moisture. I knew it didn't matter much, I was still upset. I walked feverishly toward an exterior door. If I could get outside, maybe he would be ok. I pushed the door open letting the cool air sting against my cheeks. What did I have to do to wake up, to go home? What would a normal person do, enjoy the dream, fight the dream, try and change the story… Maybe if I let it play out, just went with the flow, let my mind relax so I could heal, since I knew the only explanation for this dream was I had to be hurt. I already changed something considering none of them ever talked to anyone, much less Jasper.
I paced along the walk in front of the school. I had to think...wait, maybe I shouldn't be thinking. Would I want fictional Edward to call me out, to make this dream harder on me? Would it take longer to regain consciousness if my mind attached to this dream…if only I knew anything about the human brain.
"Ah," I sighed. Why couldn't this be easier?
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jasper asked. He leaned against the metal railing. I didn't see him follow me and I was too wrapped up in myself to notice anyone. I ignored him. What would I say? Stop, I told myself. I couldn't think about anything.
"There's something different about you," Jasper stated.
I shrugged and kept pacing. Well, duh! My mind screamed. You're not supposed to be here!
My head was down as I trailed back and forth. I was caught off guard when I ran into a solid mass. I stumbled back a few steps. I recognized the two figures in front of me. The large, brawny Emmett and the pixie Alice. She was shorter than me, well then I was before I was six feet tall. Emmett had this grin smacked on his face. I was not sure if it was meant to be menacing or genuine.
"Hey Jas," Alice spoke looking at me. "I didn't see you in class. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine. Andie apparently got lost on her way to class. I have been watching her pace. I think she is still trying to remember." Again he joked.
There was few moments of silence as the three vampires looked at each other. I was sure it was only silent to me.
"It's almost lunch time, we should head to the cafeteria," Alice suggested.
"We can lead you there," Jasper teased.
"No, no, no... Why are you being nice to me? You don't talk to anyone. I can't make new storylines…I need everything to be the same with no work on my part." I vented.
I realized I sounded insane, but I truly thought my only hope for waking up was healing, and the easiest way was to let my mind play out the story easily without me having to think about it…without me manipulating or changing the outcome.
"Your memory has returned?" Jasper asked.
"Well, no...not exactly." I said trying to find an excuse. "I mean I remember you guys and my sister, but not me. I don't know where I fit in to all of this." Why was I talking? I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut. I couldn't ruin the story. Ruin the story...you are the story, idiot.
"Do you want us to help you to the cafeteria or not?" Emmett questioned.
"No...I mean yes. Just point me in the direction. I don't want anyone to see us together."
The three of them looked at each other before Emmett pointed down the walk. The lunch bell rang as I stepped away from them. I knew I had to keep it together during lunch. Edward would be concentrating on everyone to try and hear Bella. I couldn't slip up. I took a long breath before I entered the cafeteria. I swung open the door and looked for Angela. I glanced from table to table. I saw Bella. I knew from my meager reading she was sitting with Jessica.
An arm slid around my waist as a pair of lips caught my cheek. I pulled away disgusted.
"What are you doing?" I shouted.
"Come on, Andie. You're not still mad are you?" The tall boy asked. His hair was black and cropped short against his head, his eyes were hazel and he was muscular. I racked my brain trying to remember a person with his description.
"Obviously, she is still upset, Kyle." Angela took my hand and pulled me away from him.
Kyle... I thought. I didn't recognize this name. Crap. My mind was already making changes, keeping the story fluid, involving me instead of Bella.
"Andie, look, I'm sorry," Kyle bellowed.
Angela and I were across the cafeteria. We sat at an empty table.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I just don't know what's going on."
Angela looked completely guilty. Something in her eyes told me she was hiding something from me.
"Angela, what happened to me?"
Angela stared at the table, her hands twisting in her lap. "Remember how you hit your head? Well Kyle was with you. He said you slipped and hit your head when you fell into the water at First Beach."
"You didn't believe him."
"Not really. You were a mess. Your throat was so sore and you spent most of the night vomiting. I don't know what happened because you wouldn't talk about it. But when you woke up this morning with memory loss, I knew it was bad."
I thought about being at the beach. A cold unknown place from a make-believe story. I tried to picture myself falling and that Kyle boy being there. Without warning, a memory that was not mine, came crashing into me.
Kyle's blurred face above me, my body fighting against the cold salt water for breath, hands around my neck keeping me locked in the watery prison…Angela looked upset by what I was sure, the look on my face. I stood up and walked outside, leaving the cafeteria.