An Untitled Story (Chapter 1)

A continuation of the prologue if you were interested. :)

Chapter 1

     Amanda sat bolt upright in her bed.  Her panic filled eyes raked the room as she tried to figure out where she was, but when her gaze landed on the sleeping form of her roommate, realization calmed her frazzled nerves.  She was in her room in a little dorm on the west side of campus.

     Sighing, she detached herself from the mass of tangled covers and slipped into the kitchen for a drink of cold water. As she sipped the cool liquid, she tried to put together what she has seen.  She'd had a dream and it had been anything but happy. But the harder she tried to unscramble the pictures that filled her head, everything became increasingly muddled and confused.  She was almost to the point of tossing her cup into the sink and giving up on the whole thing when Shelly sleepily wandered in.

     "It's three in the morning, Mandy." Shelly moaned, "What are you thinking girl?" Shelly was a black, southern girl and her accent said as much.  She had curly black hair and mischievous light brown eyes that made people instantly like her.

     "I had another dream, but it was more like a nightmare." Amanda confessed.  The humorous sparkle in Shelly's eyes instantly disappeared.  Dreams were a touchy subject in that particular dorm room. Amanda had been having dreams ever since she could first remember, but there was a catch.  Whenever she did dream it came true. She didn't dream otherwise.

     "Oh, honey," Shelly said pityingly, "What did you see this time?" Amanda's dreams worried her, but she didn't let on just how much.  She was actually considering going to a councilor for advice and no one went to them if they could help it. Councilors always told the head master in the end.

     "I don't know what I saw. I can't remember. And the harder I try, the further away it gets. I don't know what to do Shelly.  This has never happened before." Amanda sighed, frustration plainly written on her face.

     "I don't know Mandy, maybe you aren't supposed to know what will happen. Let's go back to bed and see if rest brings it back in the morning." They both knew it wouldn't come back, but she patted Amanda's knee sympathetically and retreated to the bedroom to take her own advice.

     Amanda sat there for a second, swishing the remaining water around in her cup. Why did i have the dream if I'm not supposed to know what will happen? She thought bitterly. Even so, she gulped down the last little bit and went back to bed. No dreams assailed her for the rest of the night and when she woke the next morning, all thoughts of the illusive dream had vanished with the rising of the sun.

     Class started at eight thirty and the two girls were in no hurry to get there. Both were eighteen year old seniors and would be graduating in little over a month.  Their first class was with Mr. Brine, a harmless old geezer with tufts of hair sticking out of his ears. His grey hair was always in disarray, and sometimes his forgetfulness caught up with him.  On those days, the class put away their textbooks and simply discussed what ever came up.  Unfortunately, Mr. Brine used to be a college professor and quite often he forgot that he was teaching high school students.  As a result, his class was one of the harder ones to pass.

     "I don't get it Mandy, how do you always get an A? He goes off and he loses half the class on the first problem." Shelly complained as the other students heading to school joined  their lazy stroll up the schools front steps.

     "He does get pretty confusing sometimes," Amanda agreed, "but I guess I just understand what he's trying to say.  I can't really explain it. I just look at him and I understand." She shrugged and continued following the crowd.

     "You see, that's the reason why I'm glad I don't sit by you.  I would just look dumb, and you-know-who would think I was dumb too." Shelly said blushing, "But then again if I did sit by you, I might get the concept better, and we could talk."

     "Shelly, I don't think Brad could ever think you dumb. It's not possible. Besides he doesn't even know you exist," Amanda paused, smiling, "yet. One of these days, you'll meet and it will be heaven.  The choir will sing Hallelujah and you'll run to each other across a crowded room. The best part is that neither of you will care if anyone sees."

     "Was that a dream I missed?" Shelly said suspiciously, "Or are you just making that up?"

     "Oh, I dreamed it.  Last night."  Amanda said seriously, fighting back a smile, "It was just like heaven." was all she managed before she busted up laughing.  For her outburst she recieved a solid punch on the shoulder.

     "Amanda, my futuer is nothing to joke about. You're just jealous because I found him first."  Shelly said smugly. Amanda rubbed the sore spot on her arm as her laughter died down to the occasional giggle.

     "Hey, I'm not the one who is head over heels for a boy who doesn't even know I exist." Amanda replied with a giggle, "Besides, I'm the sensible one. Since when do I get jealous?"

     "Girl, sensible or not, you're human.  Denial doesn't change anything." Shelly teased, "But maybe you can make for all that jealousy by helping me with the assignement after class." By that time, the two had reached their lockers and were digging out textbooks, notebooks, and writing utensils. Amanda rolled her eyes.

     "Since I seem to understand these things better than you, I guess it's a date."

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     As Amanda slipped under the covers that night, she reflected on her day.  It had continued uneventfully just like it had for the past two years.  Amanda only had that one class with Shelly and they didn't even sit by each other.  In truth, Shelly was what made her life interesting.  Without her sarcastic comments filling the air, time sluggishly slithered by in complete boredom.  She didn't have many other friends and it was at times  like this that she felt the effects.  Nevertheless, her eyes began to droop and she was soon fast asleep.

     That night, dreams sailed around her head making her still as a corpse.  A mumbled word or two would pass her lips, but other wise, she could have passed for a corpse herself. But however still she was on the outside sharply contrasted the activity of her thoughts. Pictures blurred past again and again, burning the images into her memory.  The images that reappeared most frequently consisted of a green star, a bulky blue duffle bag, the centerpiece of a fountain, and a young man sitting on that same fountain's wall.  Other pictures flashed by, but they were too quick to truly be registered.

     When her eyes slowly opened the next morning, she reviewed the things she had seen. One particular image stuck out in her mind and her face took on a mystified expression.  It was the boy sitting on the fountain wall.  She had seen his face!

     Whenever Amanda saw people in her dreams, she would never see faces. Hands, shoes, arms, and other body parts yes, but faces neer entered the frame.  The entired morning she puzzled over what she'd seen.  They had made the walk to school and were grabbing books from lockers when Shelly broke into her thoughts.

     "Hello, earth to Mandy." She said waving a hand before Amanda's eyes, "What's going on in that little head of yours that can't come out?"Amanda blinked. She had completely forgotten that Shelly was even there.

     "Oh, uh," She sputtered, "I had another dream last night."

     "That would explain it." Shelly replied, "I have been trying to talk to you all morning but you haven't said a word. What did you see this time?"

     Amanda opened her mouth to tell her friend when she suddenly felt a twinge in her stomach. Maybe it would be better if she didn't know. Amanda thought.

     "I can't remember." She said regretfully.  She kept a straight face, but inside she was reeling. She had just lied to her best friend. No, her only friend, and for what? A little feeling in her stomach that meant absolutely nothing at all! Some friend I am. She thought.

     "Are you sure?" Shelly asked suspiciously, "You were thinking about something. I didn't totally lose you when you couldn't remember that dream the other night."

     "I'm just wigging out because this makes two dreams I can't remember." Amanda said defensively. Shelly reaised a slim eyebrow.

     "Okay. But you could pay a little more attention." Amanda just nodded. Her thoughts had overtaken her once again, this time with the little white lie she'd just told.

     Her whole day went by in a haze.  She didn't even try to listen to the teachers and home as well as her daily exercise with Shelly after school were no different.  It was that young man. She'd long since memorized his face, yet it still fascinated her.  How was it she had seen him?

     It was a starry night and the two girls were walking back from the gym.  Their route took them through the park and tonight was no exception. Shelly stolled in silence, enjoying the crisp night air while Amanda, still mulling over her dream, was coherent enough to walk without running into anything. Her eyes glanced about every now and again, unseeing, so it didn't quite register when she looked up and saw a boy sitting on a fountain's wall. When her brain finally processes what she was seeing, she did a double take and stopped dead in her tracks.  It was the young man from her dream!

     "Um, Shelly, you go ahead. I'll catch up later." She said without taking her eyes of the boy. Shelly looked at her companion, surprised she had spoken.

     "Oh so now you talk.  Just when I was enjoying the lovely..." Her eyebrows rose and  mouth formed an "O" when her eyes had traced the path of Amanda's gaze.  Her surprised "O" quickly turned into a sly smile, "I need to talk to someone anyway, so I'll see you at the dorm, Mandy." With that she quickly strode on down the path without a backward glance.

     Amanda hadn't taken her eyes from the person once during their little exchange. How could she? There he was right out of her dream. He looked tall even as he sat and he had tanned skin and short, nut brown hair. His dark brown eyes stared off  through the thin scattering of trees on the green landscape and a pair of earphone cords trailed inot the pocket on his jacket. At a glance, he seemed to be your average high school kid, but on closer inspection, he was different. There was a grace about him that suggested he was much stronger than he looked and his eagle like eyes took in every detail.

     Glancing her way, he noticed her standing there and in his eyes, she looked just as different as he did. She had long, dark brown hair and startlingly blue eyes that seemed to see into his very soul. At five-eleven, she was taller than most girls and she too looked much more graceful and strong at a second glance.

     Tugging the earphones from his ears, he looked at her questioningly, "Can I help you?" he asked.

     "Oh! Oh no, you look like someone I knew." She said, embarrassed she had been staring at him.  She quickly changed the subject, gesturing to a spot on his left, "Can I sit there?"

     "Sure, no problem," he said, scooting to the right a little.

     "Thanks," she said, sitting down a fair distance away. Glancing over at him, she realized she was in a predicament. Although she wanted to find out more about why he had been in her dream, it wasn't like she could straight out ask him. So a long silence ensued. The, you-want-to-shout-out-something-random-just-to-fill-it kind of of silence.Feeling a little awkward, she scratched her ear as she tried to decide what to say. After what seemed an eternity, a rather sarcastic thought occured to her. Your name might be a smart place to start.

     Cursing herself for not thinking of it sooner she helf out a hand, "The names' Amanda." She said, blushing at her own stupidity.

     "Nick." He said smiling, and firmly shook her outstretched hand.  Yet another silence followed complete with chirping crickets, but it was not nearly as long as the last.

     "So... I haven't seen you around. Are you new?" She said awkwardly.

     "Yeah, I just got here today." He said, but to avoid another stretch of quiet added, "I was getting familiar with the campus when I found this quiet little spot. It's nice to be able to think once in a while."

     "Yes, it is." she agreed whole heartedly, "I'm sorry if I interrupted your thoughts. My roommate and I were just walking back from the gym when I saw you. You looked kind of lonely."

     "Oh, so now I looked lonely. I thought you said I looked like someone you knew." he mused, a half smile  climbing his cheeks. She winced, realizing her mistake.

     "Yeah, about that. It's probably not the truest thing you've heard, but I had to say something. I mean, I couldn't just let you sit here alone, being confused and all." She admitted.

     "How did you know I was confused?" he said squinting at her. Amanda frowned. How had she known?

     "You looked really confused? I don't know, but I think I should go. It was nice meeting you." She said quietly and began walking down the path. She was even more puzzled than she had been before and she once again retreated into her thoughts.

     As Nick watched her hurry away, he too became even more confused.  Why was he here at this school? Where had he been before he came here? Why did that girl seem so different? How had she known he was so confused? All these questions and more buzzed around his head making it impossible to listen to music even if he had put the earphones back in. Eventually, he threw up his hands and began walking down the path to his dorm.  Perhaps sleep would produce some answers.