Chapter 6

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! My alarm rang shrill and high as early morning sunlight filtered through my window and onto my white plush carpeting. I felt numb lying in my bed, still remembering the dreams of last night. I had to write it down somewhere. I sat up hurriedly. A tremendous headache burst through me and I lay back down with a moan. Where was some paper and a pen? I was already beginning to forget…
It was then that there was a loud knocking on my door, and in stepped my dad. Since when was he around in the morning?
“What…why…?” I muttered.
“I have the week off,” He said cheerily. Something felt off about him.
“Really?” I replied, incredulous.
“Yup.” He grinned.
That was it. Daddy was never cheery.
“Why are you in such a good mood?” I snapped, my head still throbbing.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” He scratched his balding head, then turned to walk downstairs.
“Hurry up, you’ll be late for school.”
I wanted to punch him in the face for some odd reason. Why was he annoying me so much?
I grudgingly left my bed and walked over to my closet, ready to throw on the first thing I saw. But I couldn’t find anything. Too much pink and glitter and designer. I eventually came across an old black sweatshirt, jeans, and some converse. I didn’t even bother to put makeup on, just brushed my hair and I was out the door with some apsirin and keys.
“Bye,” I called.
No response. Figures, I thought to myself.
It was a beautiful day out. Sunlight, cool breeze, fresh air. I felt like I hadn’t been outside in ages. I spread my arms out wide and looked up into the sky, not knowing why I was doing so. Not knowing where I was going or what was happening, I just enjoyed the morning. I felt like I hadn’t enjoyed a good morning in a while. And I took the scenic route to school.

When I arrived, there were people everywhere, bright light, and noise. I suddenly felt very dizzy and stumbled over to a wall nearby, where I closed my eyes and tried to conjure up some sort of memory from the dream I’d had last night. But it was all gone. Something about it lingered, though. Something important. A flash of something that I couldn’t describe taunted my in my thoughts, begging me to remember.

“Ashely!” A loud, obnoxious voice interrupted my thoughts. Mackenzie.
“How are you?” She yelled above the commotion.
“Fine,” I replied quietly.
“Glad you’re back doll face!”
I I had been gone? Was I on a vacation? What the hell was going on? Why couldn’t I remember any of it? Some part of me told me that I had been gone for a while. The day felt cooler, the sky felt darker…
“I was gone?” I murmured.
“Huh?” Lindsay bellowed.
“Nevermind,” I said under my breath.
“So how was it?” She ran a hand through her freshly permed hair and smiled showing a brilliant array of white teeth.
“It was good,” I replied before I could think of what I was talking about.
Before she could respond, Layla and Betti had raced over and joined the group. Dear God, let me out of this torture, I moaned in my head.
“Oh my gosh, Ashely, you look so pale!” Layla squealed.
“Uh…thanks?”
“So glad you’re back!” Betti squeezed me tightly and quickly so as not to wrinkle her new shirt.
“Thanks…”
“Is she okay?” Layla whispered in Mackenzie’s ear, loud enough for me to hear clear as day.
“I don’t know,” Mackenzie replied.
It was kind of rude that they were talking about me right in front of my face.
“I don’t know either,” I announced sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
Layla looked confused and Mackenzie squinted at me.
The bell rang loudly signaling first period and I ditched the girls, racing to my locker to get my books and then on to Advanced Calculus. I wondered if Mystery Guy would be there. I should have asked Mackenzie if she had gotten with him yet, but somehow I didn’t really care.
Once in class, I pulled out my notebook and a pencil and, feeling suddenly very tired, I leaned my head against my hand and began to close my eyes. A face popped into my head so quickly and vibrantly that I blinked and sat up, wondering how that had happened. They had blonde hair and brown eyes…Mystery Guy? How did I remember his features so well…and that shirt. How did I know he wore a red t shirt?
And then there he was in front of me, walking through the door all casual and normal, and I stared at him, shocked, a chill running through me. He was wearing that red shirt. Now that I thought about it, he looked a bit stressed out and disheveled. He met my gaze and for a moment he just stood there, staring at me, confusion in his eyes, and mine. He opened his mouth to say something when I cut him off.
“That shirt just…really brings out your nose.“ I stuttered, then laughed nervously.
“I mean your eyes…”
 He forced a laugh, and walked to his seat, bewildered. I mentally punched myself.
“Everyone, take out last night’s exam review,” Mrs. Hawthorn said, entering the classroom with a chorus of moans.
I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. There had been an exam review for homework? I couldn’t even remember the last few days. I felt like I was going to throw up. My hands were suddenly freezing and they were shaking all over. I flipped open my notebook. And there it was. The exam review, done perfectly and neatly, the date on the little corner, November 11th.
“Nice job, Ashely,” Mrs Hawthorn interrupted my thoughts.
“You really seem to understand uniform theorems.”
I sighed and faked a smile. She moved on to Jackie Fertino’s paper and I leaned my head against my hand.
Memory losses, mysterious work being done, mysterious remembrances…what was happening to me? For some reason I felt like it had to do with Mystery Guy. Or George.
The other classes flew by…slowly. I found myself drifting off in most or not having a clue what was going on. By lunch I had gnawed off my fingernails and had a serious headache.
“Ashes!” Layla raced up to me. “Since your vacay we totally moved spots. That table by the flowers is ours!” She squealed.
I nodded and stumbled over to it, sitting down hastily and putting my head in my arms on the table.
“What is wrong with her?” Betti asked loudly and brattily, sitting down at the table. I felt the vibration as she slammed her vegan tofu&fat free cottage cheese lunch down.
“Don’t be mean, Betti,” Mackenzie had joined the group.
“She’s probably just missing that Carribean weather.”
  Carribean weather? I was befuddled.
“Right, Betti?” Mackenzie poked me deeply on the shoulder.
“Jeez Mackenzie, that hurt,” I snapped. “Do you have to be so annoying and intrusive?” I asked, sitting up and opening my eyes to the flabbergasted faces of my “friends”.
“What?” I muttered.
“What did you just say to me?” Mackenzie slammed down her lunch(an apple and a Luna bar) and glared at me through those fiery brown eyes.
I didn’t lower my gaze and as she glared at me, I stared back with an unwavering look of nonchalantness.
Finally she looked away, and I went back to staring at the table, since I had forgotten a lunch. But I wasn’t hungry.
Suddenly, Layla snickered. I looked up again, and followed her gaze to Charlotte, at the entrance to the lunch room. She was holding a Styrofoam tray of the Free Lunch that was given to those with lower incomes, and a huge mustard colored sweater. Betti joined in the laughter and Mackenzie smirked. I felt out of place, bored, and awkward. What was so funny about Charlotte again? I couldn't bring myself to laugh with the girls, I could only stare.
“Hey, Charlotte!“ Mackenzie called. “Come over here and sit!”
Charlotte walked towards our table, smiling.
I braced myself.
As soon as Charlotte sat down, there was a silence.
“Nice sweater,” Betti said, giggling.
Charlotte’s eyes flashed up, and straight into mine. I could see the deep blue swirls and the green flecks, and suddenly timed seemed to stop and I was sent reeling back into a memory.
He had light blue eyes, and tan skin, with black hair. He was pretty hot. I mentally punched myself for thinking that at a time like this.
"What's behind your back?" He asked, starting to walk towards me. His glare was icy cold, and I knew that I was going to die.
"Nothing," I choked out. He was almost at arms length from my now, and I knew that if I threw the jewels they would make contact.
Then, in a blast of motion, the woman who was waiting by the register raced towards the door. The robber with the gun whipped around and pulled the trigger.
As he turned away, my arm flew out and the jewels zipped through the air, landing on the side of his face…

“Ashely!” Mackenzie’s voice intruded upon my thoughts and I shook my head and sighed.