𝐄𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

"𝘕𝘰...𝘯𝘰, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦" I stumble off my bed and wake up, it was just a dream, a horrible one... I say out of breath as if I had been running. Other than the horrific nightmare, it is a quiet normal day. The clouds are aligned in the sky perfectly, and the sun covers its face.

I feel tired, I didn't get much sleep last night because of the wind causing the tree outside my room, scrape against my window repeatedly.

In that hazy, half-awake state, my mind wanders back to the nightmare. The dark, suffocating grip of shadows, the eerie whispers that seemed to emanate from nowhere. It felt like a descent into madness as if I was losing my grip to humanity.

I finally get the energy to get up and make my bed, which is supposed to be white but ever since we got our golden retriever dog Myra it has turned some variety of brown with golden blonde hair stuck to it. My room is a mess, yet organized in a way only i would understand. Posters cover my wall, pictures of me and Alice, some of which my hair was still short, now my hair is long, reaching out to the end of my spine.

I drowsily get ready for school, I tie my hair in a messy bun and take one last glance at myself in the mirror before I practically crawl down the staircase, before I exist my house a note on the fridge catches my eye...

'Not going to be home tonight till 11, I'm working night shift at the hospital tonight. Love, mom

'

I can't help but sigh, me and mom hardly get to spend time together anymore. Ever since she got the job as a nurse it's as of she had become a total stranger. I take a glance at my surroundings, a warm feeling hits my heart as I see Myra laying down in front of me, wagging her tail. She always seems to brighten my mood, it's as if she understands me on a level no ome else does.

A familiar voice catches all my attention...

"Come on Esmé, my grandmother is faster than you!" Alice says in a giggle, I can hear her being almost to proud of what she had just yelled.

I give Myra a kiss on the head before I turn around and open the door, Only to see Alice waiting ever so patiently, with her hands crossed and standimg in some sort of pose, with a face holding in uncontrollable laughter. I give it a few seconds before breaking out in laughter myself, i can never seem to take her seriously, I mean who can? She has medium length hazel brown hair with black framed glasses, freckles covering her nose and cheeks, and is about as short as an eleven year old, and if that doesn't scream adorable I dont know what does.

I've known Alice for as long as I can remember, since we were four to be exact. We have grown up together, seen each other change for better or for worse and every single passing day we grow more inseparable then we have ever been, we have the type of friendship that everyone longs for. Her laughter seems to wash away the remnants of that disturbing dream. She’s the type of girl who believes in true love and happy ever afters, quite the hopless romantic if you ask me. She's hoping to see her crush, Matthew today, and the same with every other day... For just about 6 months now, and yet she is still waiting to make a move. Meanwhile, I on the other hand am hoping we receive no math homework let alone homework at all.

Our journey to school is a daily adventure, filled with Alice's tales of destiny and love, contrasting with my quiet skepticism about the existence of such romantic ideals in the real world. As always I just nod and pretend I understand what this feeling is..this so called true love. Surely true love is just part of one's imagination played in fairy tailes that we watched as we grew older. Right..?

We barge into the classroom late as always, my eyes wonder, somryhing is different but I can't quite put my finger on it... I ignore it and walk with my head facing the ground till I reach my seat, and the I notice what serms to feel different...

In the seat next to mine sits a new and unfamiliar face, tall, brunette, with... mysterious brown-black eyes. "Nolan," a voice breaks the echoing silence. "I'm...Nolan." I stutter, fumbling different varieties of my name out, like an absolute brain dead moron, it's as if I lost my words just by looking at him. He laughs, but it's more of a chuckle, I dont even feel bothered, stupid yes..but I am to lost in his eyes that seem to hold many secrets, stories and chapters untold.

"What I meant to say... I'm Esmeray, but you can just call me Esmé its much easier." I finally cool down and remember to breathe, it felt like I was holdimg my breath the entire time. With that something struck me..I forgot my bag at home, I can't believe Alice didn't notice and told me. I try catching her attention, but she's too lost in her own thoughts to turn around and notice me.

All of a sudden I feel a cold-as-death hand touching my bare shoulder, pointing a pen my way. "Oh, thank you... How did you..?" I start, and my voice trails off in surprise.

"Just a guess," he says with an arrogant smile. His presence feels mysterious and enigmatic.

As if he could hear my thoughts...

Did I say it out loud..? Or am I just an easy read person that seems to always forget things?

A note infront of me inturupts my thinking

"𝑀𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙" written in a neat handwriting, from Nolan.