I saw him everywhere. Or, that's what it felt like, at least. He was never the same each time though. Even so,

I knew it was him.

His beautiful green eyes never changed. They were always piercing and watching me with the same quiet awe that I didn't quite understand. Chills would run down my spine and I would feel my feet root themselves to the floor. He would quickly break eye contact and follow different people down the street before he would disappear when I would blink.

I wanted to speak up.

I wanted to ask him so, so many questions. To stop what he was doing.

A set of fingers snapped in front of my face, pulling me from my memories. Angela's eyebrows were scrunched together, her freckles puckering out.

"You okay? Where did you go just now?"

Panic wrapped tightly in the center of my chest as I struggled to come up with an explanation for spacing. I offered her a slow smile instead. "Just daydreaming of my bed."

Angela rolled her eyes, clapping an arm across my shoulder. "Oh, I feel the same. You would think Mr. Banner would let up with all of that homework with our big game coming up."

The knot in my chest unraveled, letting out a gust of air, letting it come out as a laugh. I let Angela lead me away, feeling a set of eyes dig into my back as I walked away. My mornings had been stranger and stranger lately. I felt like I was sleeping more and not getting any rest. Charlie didn't really know what to do anymore. He was in favor of seeing a doctor. Internally I recoiled at the thought, the largest sharpest needle coming to mind.

"You need to wake up," Angela pulled her hair ina ponytail, the ends swishing against the tops of her shoulders. "You have the game tonight."

I nodded as a couple of people waved and gave me friendly smiles. "You forget," I muttered through gritted teeth, making sure it was loud enough for her to hear. "You're also part of the team."

Angela grinned, unhooking her arm from my shoulders. "That may be true, but I am not the one that the crowd is watching." She mimed shooting a basket into the open air.

I laced my fingers together and pushed my hands up in a satisfying stretch. "That's true. I AM the star of the show."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Careful, your dad would have a cow hearing your humility."

I grinned, a vivid image of Charlie's stern face with his arms crossed over his chest. "You're just lucky that he likes you better."

Angela sighed. "He could shoot me and I would apologize a thousand times over if it meant that he would keep inviting me over for lasagna night."

"You're stupid."

"I'm in love." Angela sighed, turning around to walk side by side with me. "With that lasagna, that is."

"You know I'm the one that makes the lasagna, right?"

Angela tilted her head back and let out a laugh as the bell trilled, signaling the start of the next period.

I had seen him in the street a month ago.

He was standing by the ambulance, the red flashing lights not affecting him. But this time he looked different. He was taller, older. His nose was more pronounced as his face was shadowed by the white hood that loosely draped over his head.

To the untrained eye, they looked nothing alike. But I saw the bewilderment in his eyes, confirming what I already knew. A cold chill slid down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. Our eyes met from across the street.

His jaw tightened, his head snapping down, breaking our connection. His focus was now on the inside of the ambulance. Lifting his pale hand from under his robes, he curled his fingers outward. A soft glow spread outward from his hand, sending the paramedics into a frenzy as he disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

"Bells."

I snapped my attention back to the dinner table. Charlie stared at me from across the table, his mustache twitching as he struggled not to smirk. "You've been in your own head a lot lately. Anything you want to tell me?"

I stabbed a broccoli tree a little harder than I meant to. "No, not at all."

There was silence from across the table. I groaned internally. Charlie and I were really similar, so it wasn't unlike him to use silence to his advantage. But I was used to Renee's constant worry and babbling filling the air. Tonight she was out with her girlfriends, but I did have to admit that I must be spacing a lot for Charlie to bring it up.

I sighed, putting my fork down."I just have a lot to do. Midterms are coming up, the game tomorrow determines play-offs and my guidance counselor says that I should look at college apps now. Is it too early? I don't even know what to do."

Charlie took a swig of his beer, keeping his eyes on me as he swallowed. "Bells that's a load of horseshit."

I internally cursed. I picked up my fork again and chewed on the tiny tree, giving myself previous seconds to think how to phrase my next words.

"I'm not sleeping well," I muttered.

Charlie leaned back, hearing me loud and clear. "You having those dreams again?" He asked gruffly.

I nodded. Both Renee and Charlie had watched my suffer sleepless night due to nightmares since I was 5. What was confusing was that the dreams were not regular dreams. I had seen every specialist in the book, taken every vitamin and natural sleeping aid known to man. But nothing explained it.

It wasn't technically a lie. My dreams had recently become more active, more intense. But I didn't want to worry Charlie.

Charlie sighed, getting up from his chair and taking his plate to the kitchen. "I'll grab some extra Melatonin when I come home from the station tomorrow. Maybe an extra dose will help you."

I kept my eyes trained on the plate of cold food. It felt like a heavy stone was sitting in my stomach.

Charlie nodded, making his way to the living room so he could start settling into tonight's game. I slipped upstairs, unable to eat anything past the lump in my throat.

A/N: Please review! Let me know. ~NNN