A/N: I'm glad you guys like this. Thanks for the feedback!
And here we are with the final chapter. I might do another chapter depending on how many of you have questions. Feedback would be amazing!!! Thank you to everyone who has sent in feedback and suggestions!! They really mean a lot.
A HUGE thank you to Kathyt22 for the idea in this chapter. I hope this is what you envisioned!!!
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!!!!
October 17th, 2027 6 am Albuquerque, NM
"TESS!!!" I heard someone familiar calling me as I woke up.
"What?" I asked pushing my hair out of my face.
"It's time to get up and get ready for school." A vaguely familiar female voice told me as I forced my eyes open.
"Gabi?" I asked pushing open my eyes.
"Or more formally known as mom." She said looking at me with a weird look on her face.
"Troy come get your daughter up! She's being a slow poke again." Mom yelled down the stairs.
"Troy?" I whispered to myself as I shook my head a little and pushed myself out of bed.
"Come on Tess. I know you want to sleep the day away but you have to go to school." My dad said standing in the doorway.
"Dad?" I asked him as he smiled at me.
"Yes sweetheart?" Troy asked coming to sit by my side.
"Nothing." I told him quickly shaking my head and going over to my closet.
I got dressed quickly before heading downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed the cereal away from my 14 year old brother, Jacob and took a seat before pouring myself a bowl.
"I was reading the back of that you know." Jake told me as I rolled my eyes.
"Wow you finally learned. I'm impressed." I told him as he rolled his eyes at me.
"Hahaha you're funny this morning Tess." Jake told me as mom, dad, and my little sister, Aubrey who was 10, came into the kitchen.
"Behave you two. World War three doesn't need to go down in this house this morning." Mom told us fixing her hair and tugging at her scrubs. She was a nurse at the local hospital.
"Yes mother." We recited as Aubrey joined me and Jake at the table.
"So what was with the Gabi and Troy comment this morning?" Dad asked me taking a sip of his coffee.
"I'll explain later." I told them taking a sip of OJ before picking up my book bag and headed out the door.
"Have a good day, Tess." Mom called as I threw my hand up in the air.
I got into my 4-Runner and started for school. I shook my head and tried to figure out what had happened since last night into today.
"It must have been a stupid dream." I told myself while pulling into the parking lot and heading inside.
"Hey Tess!" I heard the voices of Meghan, Chelsea, and Alexandra as I walked towards my locker.
"Hey girls. What's happening?" I asked them as they traded glances with each other.
"Nothing much. Nolan was looking for you and he didn't seem too happy." Chelsea told me as I nodded my head at her.
"Oh thanks. I'll meet you guys in Anatomy." I told them before heading down the hallway.
I didn't realize where I was going until I bumped into someone. I mumbled sorry but didn't get much farther.
"Tess is there something wrong?" My grandpa Jack asked me as I quickly shook my head.
"No I just didn't get much sleep last night." I told him pushing forward a fake smile.
"Celebrating that victory too much?" Grandpa asked me as I quickly nodded my head.
"That's what I was doing. I'm planning on going to bed early tonight." I told him smiling.
"Good girl. I'll see you in a little while for Anatomy." Grandpa told me as I walked away.
I walked up to the secret place only a couple people knew about. I listened my heels click as I walked up the stairs. I took a seat and sighed loudly.
"How did that all happen?" I asked myself shaking my head.
I replayed everything in my head and shook my head. Everything in that dream had felt so real. It felt like I was walking through real life instead of a dream.
"Hey." I heard a voice call as I picked my head up and looked at the person who interrupted my thoughts.
"Hi. I'm sorry I didn't come find you." I told him while standing up and walking over to him.
"That's fine. The girls told me you were acting a little strange this morning. Everything ok at home?" Nolan asked me as I quickly shook my head.
"Everything is fine. I just had this strange dream last night." I told him.
"Anything we need to be worried about?" Nolan asked me as I smiled at him.
"There's nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. What's up with you?" I asked him.
"I was just worried when you didn't call me last night." Nolan told me kissing my forehead.
"After the party, I went home and crashed. I didn't even hear my alarm go off. Mom had to come wake me up." I told him.
"How are you awake? I'm about to fall asleep at any moment." Nolan told me.
"Well your moment isn't going to come for a while. We've got my grandpa first thing this morning." I told him grinning.
"Oh joy. Let's go. I don't want Grandpa Bolton down my throat." Nolan told me as I smiled at him.
"Wanna walk a pretty girl to her first class?" I asked him batting my bright blue Bolton eyes.
"I'd love to. Let's go pretty girl." Nolan said lacing my fingers with his.
We walked down the stairs and headed to class. I had a smile on my face the entire walk to our Anatomy class.
"I'm glad to see my granddaughter feeling better." Grandpa told me as I walked into his classroom.
"Grandpa stop!! Are you still coming to dinner tonight?" I asked him as he laughed.
"Of course. What's your mom making?" Grandpa asked as I smiled at him.
"I don't know. She was off to another shift at the hospital. I think dad's cooking it." I told him making a face.
"Hopefully Abbie, Sarah, Michele, and Jordan will go help him." Grandpa told me as I shook my head.
"Doubtful but we'll see." I told him walking over to my seat and taking it.
He started the class with a warm up activity before launching into a lecture. I smiled as I watched him do what he loved to do. Dad owned the restaurant with Zeke, Jason, Chad, and Ryan while grandpa taught. They were always on me on what I wanted to do when I grew up. All I knew was that I wanted to play college hoops for a DI school.
"Tess come back to us!" Grandpa joked as I looked at him.
"Sorry what did you ask?" I asked him smiling a little.
"What is the answer to number 4 on the homework?" Grandpa asked me as I smiled.
"Oh it's atrium." I told him as he smiled at me.
"Pay attention Tess." He told me before I nodded my head.
The remainder of class passed by in an instant before we had another class to go to. Before I knew it, school was over and I headed out the back doors to my car.
"Tess wait up." I heard Jake call to me as I whipped around.
"What can I do for you little brother?" I asked him putting my arm around him.
"Do you mind taking me home? I don't want to take the bus." Jake told me as I smiled.
"Sure come on. I've got to go to the restaurant. I've got to talk to dad." I told him.
"That's fine. I'll walk home from there." He told me getting into the car.
The ride to the restaurant was a silent one. Jake was playing with the buttons on the radio as I drove. I pulled into a parking spot and headed inside.
"Be careful, Jake." I warned before heading inside.
"We've lived here for 17 years, Tess. I think I know this town pretty well." Jake told me rolling his eyes.
"Fine I won't be the protective big sister anymore." I told him walking into the warm restaurant.
"Hey honey. How was your day at school?" Mom asked me as she sat at the bar drinking water.
"It was fine. Did grandpa call you?" I asked her chewing on my lip a little.
"He said that you were daydreaming in his class today. You want to talk about it?" Dad asked me coming to sit next to mom.
"If you're willing to listen then yes I'll talk." I told them sitting at an adjacent table.
"Spill it. We're waiting." Mom told me giving me a look only a mother could.
"Have you ever had a dream that felt so real that you started to belief it?" I asked them as they looked at me.
"What kind of dream are we talking about?" Dad asked me as I rolled my eyes.
"It all started . . ." I started launching into my story. They both sat there patiently as I explained everything to them. Their eyes went wide at certain points. Mom looked like she was going to cry by the time the story was over.
"That's why I called you Gabi and Troy this morning." I told the two of them.
"That's some dream kiddo. Is that why you were disorientated this morning?" Dad asked me as I nodded.
"The dream felt so real that I felt like I was still in my dream when you woke me up. I'm sorry if I was rude or mean to either one of you." I told the two of them.
"Now I understand why you said that. Don't think about it too much. You'll be missing out on the real life you're living currently." Mom told me smiling.
"Thanks but it was just so weird that in the dream you were dead and you were in California . . . I can't really explain it." I told them smiling.
"I'd blame the after party if I was you. You partied too much last night." Dad told me grinning.
"Thanks dad. I'm glad I could talk to you guys about this and not think I was too weird." I told them.
"You're our daughter and you know you can talk to us anytime." Mom told me smiling.
"Thanks. Grandpa said he's coming tonight and wanted to know what you were making." I told mom.
"I better go start that. I'll see you two at home. Tess the homework better get done." Mom told me pointing a finger at me.
"It will get done. Jake walked home." I told her as her eyes went wide.
"You made him walk from school?" mom asked me as I quickly shook my head.
"No I drove him here and he said he would walk home." I told her as her face softened.
"You're bad, Tess Alexis." Dad said shaking his head.
"I know. I live for the thrill of making you and mom panic a little." I told them grinning.
"I'll see you two at home. I love you." Mom said leaning over and kissing dad's lips.
"Bye babe." Dad said watching mom walk from the restaurant and out to her Camry.
"So in your dream, I died from a brain tumor and your mom and I gave you up to a couple who moved to Illinois?" Dad asked me shaking his head.
"Yeah weird huh?" I asked him as he smiled at me.
"Through all the hard times at Duke and dropping out of school, never did your mom and I think about giving you up. You were our pride and joy. When Jake came along 4 years later, I was thrilled. I went in with four friends and opened a restaurant and your mom went back to school to finish her degree in nursing." Dad told me.
"I'm glad you guys decided to keep me even through all the hard times." I told him smiling.
"You were too adorable and you had me wrapped around your little finger." Dad told me as I grinned.
"Me and Aubrey still do." I told him while he nodded his head in agreement.
"That you girls do. Just be thankful for what you have and don't worry about a little old dream. They're supposed to scare you every now and then." Dad told me.
"Thanks dad. I love you." I told him leaning over and kissing his cheek.
"I love you too Tess Alexis. Is Nolan coming over for dinner tonight?" Dad asked me.
"I think so. He mentioned it today so I'm assuming so." I told him.
"That's good. He's always willing to get into a discussion about basketball with me." Dad said smiling.
"Hey dad, my season just ended last night. Let's not jinx it yet." I told him smiling.
"Hey you're a good subject to talk about, if I may say so." Dad told me as I shook my head.
"No you may not say so. But if you want to talk to me, I'll enjoy the company." I told him.
"How about we go home and help your mom clean up the house a little?" He asked me as I smiled at him.
"That sounds good. Let's go home." I told him standing up.
"Hey guys I'm taking off. Tess and I are going home. You guys coming over tonight?" Dad asked all my aunts and uncles.
"We'll be there. We didn't even hear you come in Tess." Uncle Chad told me as I smiled.
"I'm sneaky like that. We'll hang out tonight." I told him as he nodded his head.
"I'm looking forward to it." He said as dad and I said our final goodbyes.
We headed out to our separate cars and headed home. The one place that could make me feel completely safe no matter what.
If you have questions I will gladly answer them!!!! Feedback would be amazing. If I get 15 or more reviews for this chapter, I'll add another chapter!!!!