CHAPTER TWELVE: Exams

*le time skip: early/mid-December*

I blink and sit up from the bed. All my other furniture has disappeared. I look around my room. It's still dark, so I check my watch to see when morning will come.

It reads noon.

But it's so dark! I don't understand.

I pull my comforter off the bed to wrap myself in, but it disintegrates as soon as it leaves my sheets. I hear someone, a boy, call my name from down the hall. It's a voice I haven't heard in a long, long time. I make my way to the steps. For some reason, the mirror in the hall remains, even though all other furnishings are gone. I glance at it, just out of habit.

It's like someone put me through a time machine! I look exactly like I did my junior year of high school. That seems like it should be important, but all I can focus on now is the deep voice that keeps calling my name from the kitchen.

I get down there and flip on the light.

He's leaning against the wall in jeans, a v-neck t-shirt, and black sneakers.

"Took you long enough," he says. He walks over to me and pins me against the wall with his lithe body. He's quite a few inches taller than me, which is why I'm finally able to place him in my memories.

It's Aaron.

I had a mini-crush on him during my junior year, only because of his amazing back and incredible blue eyes. It might sound stupid, but I even once wrote a poem about his eyes. I didn't really like him that much, but (as any fangirl knows) when something is compelling you just gotta write about it. Before I can look at him more closely, his mouth crushes mine in a kiss. My eyes stay open out of pure surprise, and I find myself staring into his bright cobalt irises.

Wow. I'd forgotten just how beautiful his eyes were.

Then everything changes.

His pupils tremble and divide, becoming two in each eye, then four, then melting back into one. I can't bring myself to look away, even though I'm quickly running out of oxygen. It feels like I'm drowning. His eyes, blue like deep water, are drowning me. I can feel myself getting weaker, but I still don't look away. My hands rise up and scrabble at the wall behind me, but it's no use. He's too strong. Almost of their own accord, my hands find their way under his shirt and onto the small of his back.

Or, at least, where it would be if he had one. All that greets my fingers is bone. His eyes begin to glow and I feel myself falling headlong into them. Black spots dot my vision and I am finally snapped back into my own head, breaking the kiss just long enough to scream.

I'm still screaming when I wake up.

Lizzie comes in, as she always does. Just the sight of her comforts me, but I'm still shaken. She offers me a smile as she sits down on the corner of my bed and turns on my bedside lamp. I sit up and take the water she offers while she rubs my back.

"That's the third time this week," she says. I nod and take another sip. She gets a small notebook out of the nightstand along with a pen. I flip to a page titled "Aaron's Eyes" and make a tally mark next to the heading. It's the fourth one there; I've had this particular nightmare only four times. Most of the other ones are into the thirties and forties now.

"It's exams," I say, finally able to speak. The nightmares always come more frequently when I'm stressed, but I never go more than a few weeks without one.

No matter what.

It sucks, but I know that other people have way worse problems, so I don't complain. Not much I can do about it anyway. Lizzie offers one more smile and heads into her own room. I settle back down, glad that I'll have a peaceful night now. I usually sleep best after a nightmare.

The problem with my nightmares is I just keep generating more of them. I dream the poetry I have written. This might sound cool, and I guess it would be if I dreamed the nice poems I've written. But I don't. I only dream the ones that are disturbing or haunting, which is an issue as that's most of what I write. I was a very angst-y person when I was in high school, and my poetry shows it. It doesn't help that I liked being the adorable, happy-go-lucky little girl who wrote dark poetry about death and stuff when I was in middle school. Put those together, and you've got a great recipe for major issues and bad dreams. I managed to escape the major problems part, so I guess it's just karma that I get nightmares. I'm used to them by now, so what does it matter? Just another part of my life.

-oO0Oo-

*MITCH'S POV*

I finally found it: the address of Lily's college. I'm planning to go down there – sorry, POWER MOVE IT down there – at the end of exams week and surprise her. Hopefully she won't mind me crashing on her couch for a few nights. I doubt it though. Our friendship is pretty strong, and we do talk every day. She sends me really funny Snapchats of her making really unattractive faces during her lectures sometimes. It's a new experience, having a guy friend who's a girl (if that makes any sense).

It's becoming second nature, talking with her. Heck, we change into our PJ's half the way through our Skype call most of the time, and neither of us are motivated enough to turn off the camera. JUST TO CLARIFY, I HAVE NOT SEEN HER BOOBS. I'M NOT A CREEPER. I have seen her in her bra, though, and it felt really awkward until she pointed out that it's the exact same as a swimsuit. Then it was less awkward. I still have slight reservations about it, but she reminded me that there's a picture on Ian's Twitter of me with no shirt and unbuttoned pants, so… yeah. She clearly doesn't care. She doesn't even look. I will admit to a fleeting second or two of attraction the first time she stripped (wow, that sounds awkward), but it was only a second. We're like siblings, and incest is gross. And illegal. But mostly gross. Besides, like she says, it's only awkward if you make it awkward.

Anyway, I was driving down to Pennsylvania anyway for Christmas and New Years, so I figured I might as well stop over in Michigan. It doesn't really make sense, but if it did it wouldn't be a power move. I'm hoping to record a little bit while I'm with her, in any case. I'm excited to see her again.

Well, really, for the second time I guess, since I've really only seen her once in real life, at Minecon. She was still just a fangirl.

Also she fell asleep on my shoulder, which was adorable. In a little sister way, of course.

Well, kinda.

I also might see Ashley on New Year's, which is more exciting to me. She's maybe coming to a party Jerome's having, then going out to LA. I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I feel like I have to do something. Maybe I'll ask Lily. She's a girl, they know this stuff.

I don't know.

A/N TIME! WHOO BABY! : Hey guys, QD here with yet another chapter for you. Hooray! Let's just hope that I can figure out ways to get sufficient filler chapters up on time. Also, I put a poll on whether or not I should post the poems that cause Lily's nightmares as one-shots. So, if you'd like to give me some input on that, I would love to hear your feedback (as always). Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on to the facts and fictions! WHOO!

-I did write a poem about a guy named Aaron. He's the only person who's name I haven't changed, just because the poem title "Aaron's Eyes" just doesn't sound as good with a different name. I will very happily upload that poem for you, along with any others that may or may not come along in the future ;)

-It really doesn't make any sense to drive to Pennsylvania by way of Michigan, which is what makes it a power move. DUH.

-I don't care if people see me change.

-I don't actually have nightmares, but I do write all the poems that you will see expressed as nightmares in the future.

-I actually don't care if people see me changing. Like I said, swimsuits are basically the same. IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND!

And then the fictions:

-I don't dream my own poetry. Which is really good, because some of that stuff is… it's bad.

-I have no idea why anyone would drive from Montreal to Michigan to Pennsylvania. Honestly? Just fly, seriously.

I think that about wraps it up! I am currently listening to the soundtrack for Legally Blonde the Broadway musical. Why? I don't know. Why do you need to know? Because. Thank you guys for all the continued support. You beautiful individuals mean the world to me, and your feedback makes me so happy. We're at 75 reviews and 3,886 views as of me checking right now. KEEP IT UP! You guys are crazy awesome, and I give internet hugs to you all! Much luv!

-Quiet Defiance

PS- POWER MOVES ONLY (I got my temps yay :))