Rebecca walked into the crowded pub as she scanned the room, not really knowing who she was looking for but knowing she was meant to be here. When she realized her friends were nowhere to be seen, she shrugged it off as she made her way over to the bar and leaned into it. Normally, she would like to hang out with her friends during the day and avoid the nightlife but they convinced her otherwise. Rebecca cleared her throat and made a move to ask the bartender for a drink when he just looked over her and went to the woman on her left. She nervously played with her fingers before she saw the drink she wanted to order slide into view.
"Were you hoping to get this?" a voice said beside her.
Rebecca turned and blinked in surprise as she smiled to him, "Charles!"
"Hello, Rebecca" Charles smiled to her, "It's been a long time"
"It has!" Rebecca reached out and hugged him, "How long has it been?"
Charles made a face before he winked, "Let's not dwell on that, what brings you in here?"
Rebecca did a nervous laugh as she looked around, "I was supposed to meet my friends here in this bar but I don't see any of them"
"Then I guess you are stuck with me" Charles raised up his glass, "Cheers?"
Rebecca shrugged as she did the same, "Cheers!"
They clinked glasses as Rebecca looked at Charles from above the rim of her glass as he too was studying her. She was thankful that her glass covered her face because she was afraid that he might be able to see her blush. She turned back to the counter and placed the drink down as music and laughter played around them. She wondered if her friends had set her up on this as they knew how much she liked Charles.
Rebecca quickly turned back to Charles, "What are you doing here?"
Charles shrugged, "It's a Thursday night… thought that it would be a quiet turn out here"
"So did I" Rebecca laughed as she surveyed the crowd, "Guess we were wrong"
"But I am glad I made the decision to go out" Rebecca turned to Charles as he lightly touched her arm, "Otherwise I never would've bumped into you"
"Funny how fate turned out to be" Rebecca smiled back.
Charles waved off towards a table not too far away from them, "Come, let's sit down"
Rebecca turned and followed Charles as he led the way over to the table before she blinked for a couple of seconds. For some reason she felt that there was something wrong about this night but she couldn't place her finger on it as Charles pulled out the chair for her. She walked over and sat down before Charles moved over to the other side and sat in front of her.
"It's weird how we got a table this easily on a crowded night like this" Rebecca told him.
"I think it has to do with people wanting to get drinks more than sitting down and chatting" Charles replied.
Rebecca smiled, "So you decided to come to the pub by yourself?"
Charles asked, "Would you have wanted me to have come with someone else?"
Rebecca immediately shook her head, "No! It's just I never knew people would actually do that"
"And yet, here you are" Charles said with a little twinkle in his eye.
"Here I am" Rebecca breathed out.
Rebecca took this time to take a drink and look around the pub, she didn't know what she was looking for again as this time she hoped her friends would stay away. She turned back toward Charles as he placed his drink down before he smiled and leaned in.
"I have an idea" Charles said with a twinkle in his eye.
"What?"
"Why don't we go and dance?" Charles suggested.
Rebecca blinked before she let out a laugh louder than usual before she covered her mouth and said, "You can't be serious"
"I'm pretty sure this is the most serious I've ever been" Charles told her.
"No" Rebecca said firmly before she realized that Charles was giving her a stare down, "No, no, Charles! Absolutely not!"
"Come on!" Charles laughed, "It'll be fun!"
"What if someone sees us" Rebecca let out in a hushed whisper before she gasped, "What are you doing?!"
Charles had gotten up from his chair, grabbed onto her hand and literally yanked her off of her seat and into the dance floor. She blushed and mumbled an excuse me as she passed by a few people until Charles found a spot and turned back toward her. The song was a happy and upbeat one but Charles kept his hand in hers as he twirled her around and moved in close to her. With his face next to hers, she madly blushed and looked down to his shoulder dangerously close to her nose as she heard Charles chuckle in her ear. He placed his hand on her hip firmly, bringing her in close to his body to the point that there was barely even any room for them.
Rebecca sighed and decided to give the liquid confidence a chance as she broke away from him and twirled in his arms. Charles didn't seem to expect it at first but then seemed to enjoy it as he continued to twirl her around and dance to the music with her. She let out a laugh and this time raised her head up to the ceiling and let it out, not caring who could hear her. Rebecca broke off and started to dance a little on her own as she flapped the skirts of her dress around her.
She turned and looked to Charles as he too was dancing, Rebecca took this time to watch him as she realize that she has never seen him dance before. Rebecca thought to herself as she then realize that she never even knew how tall Charles was compared to her when they were standing close to each other. Her body slowly started to stop as she felt something come over her, almost like her mind was trying to pinpoint something.
Rebecca suddenly knew what it was as she felt a hand grab onto hers and spin her around one last time before moving her far away from Charles. So far away, that she found it convenient that none of these strangers hadn't bumped into her once since she's found Charles.
Charles smiled and pulled her into him before Rebecca reached out and placed a hand on his chest, stopping him from dancing.
Charles looked into her eyes, "What's wrong?"
"Everything" Rebecca whispered, "Everything is wrong about this"
Charles watched her closely before he said, "Rebecca, what are you talking about?"
"This is an illusion, isn't it?" Rebecca looked into Charles' blue eyes, "You're in my mind"
"What are you talking about?" Charles huffed out nervously.
Rebecca stepped away from him as she pieced it together, "I don't remember what happened earlier this day, I don't remember who I'm supposed to be meeting here, and usually there is never a table open and ready without anyone standing near it"
Charles' face seemed still as Rebecca felt her throat become tight and sore as she said, "Also… I never go out at night to dance"
"Out of all the people I've tapped into… you're the first to notice the difference between reality and illusion" Charles confessed.
Rebecca breathed out as she placed one hand on her hip and the other running through her hair. She looked around but during the time that she had pieced things together, the crowd of people froze and stayed in place. Even the music wasn't playing as she turned her back to Charles and tried to regain her composure. Rebecca didn't know whether or not to be furious, sad, or okay with any of this. She turned back to Charles who was still standing there looking down at the ground before his eyes met hers.
"Wake me up" Rebecca demanded.
"What?"
Rebecca took a step toward him, "Wake me up from this dream. Do it now!"
"Rebecca" Charles told her, "I was only trying to give you a good time, you-"
"I don't care" Rebecca shook her head violently, "I want to be in the real world with us alone at the mansion, getting ready to open up the school, and-"
Rebecca bit her lip before she said, "And I want to see you back on the wheelchair"
Charles heaved in a big breath as he swallowed and whispered, "As you wish"
