Chapter 8

Diana groaned as a bright light forced her awake, a light that impaled through her eyelids unwelcomingly, forcing her to open them. Blinking her eyes rapidly to adjust, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her hands pressing against a rough, hard surface. Concrete? Her eyes finally focused allowing her to see that she had indeed been laying on concrete and the bright light that woke her was that of the sun beaming down on her.

She looked around the squared area, seeing no one. Of course no one would be here, she thought to herself. Why would anyone be on the roof anyway? She was. She couldn't remember exactly how she got up here or even why. Maybe it was to get some air and to relax and in the process, fell asleep. She shuddered lightly as she remembered what she dreamed. A hideous ghost of all things, chasing her and something about someone named Jack. More of a nightmare in the daytime really. The strangest part was of her and Martin. Definitely a dream that she decided to keep to herself. Not even Jenny should know about this one.

Slowly, she got to her feet, shrugging off the dream for now. She had better things to do than worry herself over some stupid nightmare. She walked over to the door and entered it, her thoughts still lingering on the dream as she descended the stairway. She'd had dreams that felt like she was really in them, but this one beat them all. She could feel the fear that she had, she could feel Martin.. No, no, no. She wasn't even going to go there. It was...sick. Her and Martin? Together? Cute, yeah he was. He could even be sexy in his own little way, but... She laughed softly to herself as she left the stairway and entered the hallway. Martin Mystery and Diana Lombard, stepbrother and stepsister, an item? Talk about ruining a reputation. Why was she even thinking about it so much?

She walked down the hallway, lost in thought. She wondered where Mr. Self-absorbed was anyway. He hadn't bothered to find her and scare her awake with Java right behind him. That was strange. Probably trying out lame pickup lines from that stupid mail order book he reads. At least he was reading something, although he definitely had bad taste in reading material..

She moved quickly out of the way as a group of boys rushed past her, turning to give them a cold glare. People could be so rude when they were in a hurry, she thought as they disappeared around a corner. She looked around the hall at the students, wondering if she was even in the right place. This was Torrington, she was sure of it, she just didn't recognize any of the people standing in the hallway. She continued to walk down the familiar hallway, receiving sympathetic glances from almost everyone she passed.

"Am I missing something here?" she asked, glancing at the students. Some shook their head in silence as she passed, others simply looked on.

Something was up, that much was clear, and it seemed to have something to do with her. She quickened her pace. The sooner she got to her room, the sooner she could call somebody and find out what was wrong with these people. With her room in sight, she took off running for it, longing to be behind the door, safe from all these people with staring problems. She reached the doorknob, turning it.

"I wouldn't go in there!" a guy with chin length black hair called out to her.

Why did that sound like something someone would say when Martin Mystery decided on doing a little redecorating? It had better not be silly string again. She had a time last year trying to get that stuff out of her carpet.

She walked in, expecting slime or some other substance but instead found something much worse.

"Oh my---" She cut herself off, a hand going up to her mouth. Maybe she got the wrong room.

In the bed was a couple, the girl apparently naked and the guy halfway, still in his white boxers. At her sudden entrance, they scrambled around, trying to keep from revealing what shouldn't be seen by her. She could hear curses coming from him as he tried to untangle himself from the sheets, failing several times miserably. She was stuck gaping at the two with wide eyes. Her feet refused to move, like they had been glued to the floor. Embarrassed could not describe how she felt.

The boy resembled Martin, the same eyes, the same pouty lips, the same clueless expression as he looked at her in surprise. She didn't get a good look at the dark haired girl as the boy had gotten off the bed just as the girl sat up and blocked her view..

"I can explain," the boy said in all seriousness like his mother had just busted him.

"Explain what?" She felt her face burn from embarrassment and she quickly turned away. "I was the one who barged in here. It was my mistake." Once word got out about this, no one would ever let her live it down. Martin especially. She could see him now, on the floor laughing at her expense at having ruined a couple's chance to be alone.

Outside the room, people were looking in, watching in silence. The boy frowned down at her in confusion and she glanced between the doorway and him. Something was odd about this scene, she just couldn't grip it. She'd think about that more later. Right now, she just wanted to run and hide until she graduated and was off to college.

"Well, okay then," she laughed nervously and leapt awkwardly toward the entryway. "Again, I apologize for interrupting...whatever it was that you two were uh...doing. I'm just gonna go and---"

The lights went off, leaving everything pitch black. Even the sunny skies outside that surely would have illuminated the room disappeared. It was only half a second before they came back on, but it was long enough to worry her. Where did the sun go in those few seconds? An eclipse maybe? But she didn't remember reading or hearing about one of those. Any and everything space was Martin's area. He lived out in space a majority of the time.

"Diana."

A shuddering breath escaped her at the whisper of her name. That tone, that voice for over a week had tortured her, permanently etched into her mind. It told her that the last week hadn't been just a nightmare, but a reality. She got it now. She understood. Waking up on the roof, the black dress, the unfamiliar people in the halls, this room, the couple... It made sense now.

"You wanted me to see..." Diana whispered, slowly looking around the room. She was here. She could feel her.

"I want you to feel." The words were harsh and demanding, echoing in the room. She appeared in the far corner of the room, smiling menacingly as she pointed at something. "You want to see? That can be arranged."

Diana bit her lower lip, her eyes following the direction of Natalie's finger until she found what Natalie wanted her to 'see'. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to a gasp at what she saw. She backed up slightly, continually shaking her head.

"It's not true. It's just an illusion."

"If that makes you feel better, then tell yourself that."

"But...Martin?" Her lips trembled as she looked at him, tears forming in her eyes. "You wouldn't do this. Not to me." She glanced over at the girl wrapped up in a white sheet to keep from revealing herself. "You." Jenny avoided her eyes, choosing instead to stare the other way. "Of all the girls here, it had to be her?"

"Diana, I... I'm sorry." Martin reached out for her, but she quickly moved away before his hand could touch her. He sighed deeply, not knowing what else to do. "Just please let me explain what happened, Di."

She closed her eyes, allowing the tears to fall freely. Let him explain? Explain what exactly? Explain that the girl he'd been chasing finally decided that he was worth the chance and now she was nothing to him? Or maybe 'it just happened'. That was a popular one. Either way, she refused to hear any of his excuses and explanations.

"Betrayal. He lied to you. You meant nothing to him. You will always be seen as his know it all stepsister, even to him." Natalie appeared just inches in front of her, mock sadness on her face. "Truth hurts, doesn't it? Can you live like this? Seeing someone you love with your best friend? Knowing you'll have to face him everyday, that you'll have to see them together?"

Diana lowered her gaze and shook her head. "No."

"You're finally beginning to see, Diana."

Her eyes shot open at the sound of the roaring thunder and the soft melody the rain was making as it hit the concrete surface. She sat up, emerald eyes searching the perimeter for nothing in particular. He wasn't here and he wasn't coming. No. He made his choice.

She forced herself to her feet, staring straight ahead off into the darkness. She took a step, ignoring the numbness in her legs, the weakness that wanted to claim her. The only thing she could feel was pain. The pain of seeing him with her. Everything he said to her that once had the power to help her get through anything meant nothing now. He had betrayed her, broke his promise and that shattered her heart to tiny pieces that couldn't be put back together.

She reached the railing, stepping up without a thought as to what she was doing. She didn't care. She couldn't remember how to care or to think for that matter. Rage and pain swallowed any care she had left. She never wanted to see him again and that would be impossible. They lived in the same house, went to the same school, so seeing him would be inevitable and she couldn't have that.

She stepped off onto air, the wind pushing against her as she fell. It would be all over soon...