Dream Lover

I need a dream lover, so I don't have to dream alone…

Jamie Russell and Casey Casio stepped into the podunk tavern and looked around. Jamie had to tighten her grip on Casey's arm to keep her from bolting. With a scowl, Casey picked a chair near the pool tables and sat down as Jamie went to the bar to order them some food.

Casey let her eyes wander around the room. There were tons of people in the place—strike one against it. Being that it was the week before her time of the month, Casey didn't feel like dealing with people.

Tossing her black hair out of her face, she slouched on the table and rested her chin in her hand.

"Lo and behold," Jamie said, sitting the plastic tray filled with French fries on the table. "That guy behind the bar is Nicky. Cool huh? It's like going to McDonald's and meeting the real Ronald McDonald."

Casey gave the girl a withering look and popped a fry into her mouth.

"I doubt Ronald McDonald would look like he could snap someone in half," Casey said, her British accent clipping her words.

"He's gotta look tough probably 'cause of the bar," Jamie said. Her southern twang ran her consonants together, so that words like 'probably' ended up sounding like 'prolly'.

Casey shrugged and sighed. She eyed the four guys at the pool table and arched a brow at Jamie. "Wanna have a game?"

Jamie grinned back and nodded. "Def'nitely."

They strolled to the table and set their quarters down, signifying that they had next game. The blond lining up a shot flicked his eyes up briefly and twitched a brow, then returned his attention to the game.

"You ladies like pool?" he asked as the ball hit the pocket.

"Very much so," Casey said. She took out a twenty-dollar bill. "Wanna play us?"

The blond grinned and looked at the other two boys. The tall one smiled and shook his head.

"Not me, man. I'll sit it out. You and Pogue go for it."

He passed the stick to Jamie and gave her a little wink, then went and joined a couple at a nearby table.

Jamie followed him with her gaze and eyed the couple he was sitting with, a nice looking girl and a guy who looked like hell warmed over.

Black lashes fringed his blue eyes and dark circles smudged the smooth skin beneath them. He looked ready to drop, she thought as he propped his elbows on the table and rested his cheeks on his fists.

"Jamie?" Casey called.

Jamie jerked out of her observation and pasted a smile on her face, slapping her 20 next to Casey's. The guys followed suit. They played the game, kept up chatty conversation, and the girls lost. The rematch was double or nothing and when it was over Casey and Jamie each had an extra 40 to line their pockets.

"Nice," Pogue said with a self-depreciating grin as he handed over his other twenty.

"You guys hustled us," Reid said. "You should feel ashamed."

"We should," Casey agreed.

"But we don't," Jamie said with a beaming smile. "Tell you what, though. We'll buy you guys and your table a coke. How 'bout it?"

"Deal," Reid said. He led them to the table and offered them a seat.

"I'm Reid," he said. "This is Caleb, Sam, Tyler, and the one who looks like a criminal is Pogue," he finished, earning a fry in the face from Sam.

"My name's Jamie Russell. This is Casey."

"It's a…pleasure," Reid purred, shaking Casey's hand. Sam snorted and shook her head.

Casey smiled indulgently.

"You'll have to forgive Reid," Caleb said, stretching across the table to shake their hands. "We don't let him out of the basement much."

"'s alright," she said, accepting his warm grip. He smelled delicious, and Casey was suddenly very hungry.

Ignoring her growling stomach, Casey drank her soda and listened as the group of friends joked and laughed. Somehow they included her and Jamie into the conversation, and neither one of them felt uncomfortable.

Jamie kept her attention on Tyler most of the time. He laughed along with the others, but it wasn't as loud or as long. From the way Sam kept looking over at him, obviously Jamie wasn't the only one who knew something was off.

As if he felt her (blatantly) staring at him, Tyler turned his head and his gaze locked with hers. Jamie felt a jolt—and not figuratively. It was as if she had literally touched an open wire. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end and she inhaled sharply. Tyler didn't act like he had felt anything, but then, he probably wasn't as sensitive as she was, Jamie reasoned.

Tyler smiled at her, and she felt like some teenybopper at a boy band concert.

"Are you ok?"

Sam's question drew her attention and she looked at Casey, who had a hand on her stomach and looked pale.

"Case?" Jamie asked.

"I'm fine," Casey said. "Just a few too many fries."

Jamie grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder as she stood.

"Thanks for the company," she told the others, "but I'd probably better get her home."

"Do you live in the dorms?"

"Dorms? Oh, at the private school. No, we're publics. Or, I am anyway. Casey graduated last year."

"I love an older woman," Reid said with a suave smile.

"Good. I'll give my Gran your number," Casey quipped.

"Beautiful and a quick wit," Reid mused. "Marry me now."

She smiled, unable to help herself. The blond was a hopeless flirt, and Casey couldn't resist being charmed.

"Maybe tomorrow," she replied. "Right now I'm going home."

"We'll walk you out," Tyler said, hauling Reid to his feet by the back of his t-shirt.

Jamie walked slowly to allow Casey and Reid to get ahead.

"Have you been in Ipswich long?" Tyler asked, trying to ignore the way her red hair lightly brushed the nape and side of her neck. He'd never seen a neck so enticing…

"Not really," Jamie answered, jerking him back to the conversation. "Casey and I move around a lot, so we're never really one place for very long."

"Are the two of you..." Tyler gave a soft laugh, and then shook his head. "Nevermind. Sorry."

"No, really. Continue," Jamie said, laughing. She took pity on him and shook her head. "We're roommates, that's it. We met a few years ago and have been nomads ever since. You look shocked."

"It's just that…I mean, you're kids. What about your families? They were ok with the two of you just taking off?"

"The last time Casey saw her family they were in London and they wanted nothing to do with her. As for me…well, the Bible Belt never really suited me. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for God and Jesus. It's just the people that I had problems with."

"So you guys are like gypsies," Tyler said. "That's cool."

"Sometimes," Jamie agreed.

They stepped out of Nicky's and into the warm night. Tyler stood next to Reid as Jamie and Casey got into their Sunfire.

Reid tapped lightly on the window and Casey rolled it down.

"You got any plans for lunch tomorrow?"

Casey looked thoughtful, and after a less-than-subtle nudge from Jamie, shook her head.

"You wanna get a bite?"

"Yeah," Casey said. In more ways than one, she thought, but nipped it quickly. "Sounds good. Meet me at that diner on 7th street," she said before rolling up her window.

As the car drove away, Reid tucked his hands in his pockets.

"Did you make that date or did she?" Tyler asked, looking puzzled.

"Dude…I have no idea."

-

-

It was four a.m.

If he could make it another three hours, then he'd be fine.

Tyler rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Again.

Reid had gone to bed a couple of hours ago, and now the blonde's head was sticking out from under a massive pile of comforters, his mouth slack and his eyes twitching with dreams.

The room was cold, but Tyler needed no blanket. He was stripped to his boxers, and it was the cold that was keeping him focused.

Sleep…

He couldn't. If he did, he would dream. Unlike his friend, he wouldn't be dreaming of leggy brunettes, which is all Reid ever dreamed about.

Sleep…

He wouldn't. He had to stay awake. Three more hours and he could get up for the day.

Sleep…

He shouldn't—but he did.

He was on the parapet of his house, staring off into the night sky. The wind blew cold on his skin. He could hear the sounds of a party rising from the lawn and looked down.

It was his sister's Sweet 16. It was weird, dreaming about the future. He saw Peg on the edge of the lawn, laughing with a boy. She was beautiful. On the other side of the lawn, his mother stood with Caleb's mother. They all looked happy. He scanned the gathered crowd for Caleb, Reid, and Pogue, but couldn't make them out in the throng of people.

"It is a sight you shall never see."

Tyler's blood froze as the voice of his father rang in his head.

He watched as a cloud, oily black and thick, wound its way across the lawn, covering the party and drowning out the sounds of laughter. The fog climbed the side of the house and crept over the parapet with long finger-like wisps.

Tyler backed away, feeling along the wall for the window. He closed his eyes, knowing that as soon as the fog took him, he would wake up and it would be over.

Please, God…let it be over.

The sound of cold laughter filled his head and lightning split the sky, making Tyler flinch. He squeezed his eyes tighter as the mist caressed his face.

"Tyler?"

His breath exploded from him as he whipped his head to the window. "Jamie, no!"

Jamie clambered out, waving her hands to disperse the fog around her face. "Gah, what's with the fog?"

She stood in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "Are you going to stay up here all night or are you coming downstairs to Peggy's party?"

"I…what?"

Tyler looked around. The fog was receding. The wind blew gently and the stars shone like diamonds in the black sky.

He looked at the pale hand that was stretched out to him and took it. Jamie smiled at him and walked him to the edge of the parapet.

"This place is beautiful," she said. The wind teased back her hair and caught on the skirt of her long green dress.

Tyler leaned against the banister and watched her. "You're beautiful," he said, surprising himself.

"Thank you." She looked over at him and smiled, then turned her attention back to the party below.

Tyler took her arm and turned her to face him. Slipping his hand around the side of her neck, he drew her close. His thumb brushed lightly over her jaw, and the pulse in her throat beat a quick rhythm against his palm.

"Tyler—"

"Shh," he whispered, touching her lips with his. "Dreaming about a kiss never hurt anybody."

He kissed her gently, his mouth light on hers. When her lips parted and a little sigh escaped, he deepened the kiss. The air around them sparked and sizzled, and the wind picked up. Once again, lightning split the sky, but Tyler paid no attention to it. Jamie pulled away and the wind caught her hair, blowing a few strands across her cheek.

Tyler reached up to brush it aside—

"Tyler, wake up. You're gonna be late for History class."

Tyler jerked awake and rubbed a hand over his face. He looked at the clock. Seven fifteen a.m. A small smile curved his lips as he remembered what he had been dreaming about. Or rather, who he had been dreaming about.

"How'd you sleep?" Reid asked as he tied his shoes.

"Fine," Tyler said.

"Nightmares?"

"Not really."

"Cool. You had better truck to get in the shower. And don't forget about the graduation meeting at 1:30," Reid said before grabbing his bookbag and bolting out the door.