PROLOGUE
I was dreaming again, a familiar dream. A warm hand touches my cheek and I can't see anything, It's dark and I'm in an empty, dark space, alone. Someone was touching my cheek and I kept asking who was there and why were they touching me, but there was no reply. As I got closer to find out who was touching me, a familiar voice spoke. "You should've told me the truth," they said, and I turned my head to look at them. The voice kept calling my name, "Emily...Emily", but I still couldn't see who was calling my name. I felt a painful pinch on my forehead and it suddenly woke me up. I was no longer dreaming and now I was back in reality. I felt a bit disoriented and confused, and I wondered if the dream meant anything. Was it just a figment of my imagination, or was there more to it than that? I couldn't say for sure, but it was certainly interesting to think about. It left me feeling a bit unsettled and confused. "Ow," I mumbled and rubbed my eyes. I felt tired and unwell, and I couldn't explain why. Elliot gave me a weird look and said, "You were mumbling in your sleep." I felt embarrassed and I didn't want to admit that I had been dreaming. I was afraid that Elliot would ask me to tell him what I'd been dreaming about, and I didn't want to talk about it. I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, and I wanted to change the subject. "It's nothing," I said, trying to downplay the situation. Three days had passed since I became a fourth-grade member, and I was terrified about having to shoot with a pistol. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps and I felt anxious just imagining myself holding the pistol and using it. I didn't want to imagine how it would feel to shoot a pistol and I was scared of what could happen if I made a mistake. Elliot cleared his schedule for the day, just so he could teach me how to hold a gun "without shooting anybody" and I couldn't help but feel a bit irritated by his attitude. I felt like he was being cocky and I was a bit annoyed by his attitude. I felt nervous since I had never used a gun before and I was worried about hurting someone or myself. "Don't fall asleep we are close," Elliot said, checking his watch. We were in the car and John was driving us towards the S.O. building. Elliot and I were sitting in the back seat and there was a large space between us. It was big enough for another person to fit in there and it was a bit awkward to be so far apart from Elliot. We were both a bit uncomfortable and we both hoped that we would make it to the S.O. building soon. I couldn't help but look at Elliot out of the corner of my eye. His beautiful, silky black hair and hazel eyes were enchanting, and everything about him was elegant and perfect. I felt stupid next to him and small and weak. He was what I imagined to be 6'1 tall and it wasn't a surprise that he was intimidating. I felt like I was in the presence of a king and I was unsure about how I should act and what I should say. "How about this? How does it feel?" The memory of Elliot smashing his lips against mine suddenly came to mind and I almost choked on my own spit. I started coughing and I was surprised that my mind had brought up that memory at such a time. I felt my cheeks heat up and I was embarrassed that I had been thinking about that moment. I tried to shake the memory off and focus on what Elliot had said. I didn't want to embarrass myself any further. "Your face is red, Don't tell me you have a fever?" Elliot looked confused and somewhat concerned. I looked away from him and tried my best to compose myself. I was embarrassed that my face had flushed red and I was a bit flustered by Elliot's response. He had looked at me with a confused and concerned look, and I felt a bit embarrassed that I had let my emotions get the best of me. I didn't want to explain why I had reacted that way and I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't quite hide my blush. "I-It's nothing, it's just my throat," I blurted out. I was trying to come up with an explanation and I didn't want Elliot to think that there was anything wrong. I was still embarrassed about the memory that had popped into my mind and now I wanted it to go away. I needed to put on a brave face and convince Elliot that I was okay. By the look on his face, he didn't look convinced. Before he had a chance to touch my forehead, I held up my hand to stop him and said, "I'm okay, seriously." I wanted to convince him that I was fine, even though my blush and my tone of voice suggested otherwise. I was anxious and I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed that Elliot had noticed me flushing and my words were coming out a bit jumbled and jumbled because I was rushing to prove that I was all right.His face changed from concern to his usual serious expression. He didn't say anything but his eye shifted away outside the window. I wondered what he was thinking and I worried that he was wondering about what had just happened and why I had reacted the way I had. I felt a bit of tension in the air and I wondered if Elliot was upset or disappointed in me. His lack of response and his silence made me feel like I had done something wrong and I was unsure about what to say or do to fix the situation. "What's going on over there?" John called from the driver's seat, and I could hear his sarcasm after he had asked the question. "Nothing," Elliot and I replied at the same time. The tension between the two of us was evident and John's sarcasm was a clear sign that he had noticed something was off between Elliot and me. I felt a bit embarrassed that John had asked that question and I wondered how much he had picked up on our conversation. I also felt like I was being watched and that made me feel a bit uncomfortable.'This is NOT how I want to start my day,' I thought to myself. I had been hoping for a smooth and tension-free start to the day but it seemed that luck was not on my side. I felt a bit frustrated and annoyed and I felt like my day had already been ruined. The tension between me and Elliot was still there and I wondered how things would go once we got to the S.O building. I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious and I worried that things would only get more awkward and uncomfortable.
