Nightmares

My mother came into the room. By this time I had handfuls of hair in
my clenched fist. Blood was starting dry on my fingernails. My mother was saying something, but I couldn't hear her. I was too busy clawing at my skin, hoping to forget. To forget and die, was all I wanted.

"What is she doing?" I heard Sara whisper. I looked toward her. She was pointing to one of the girls across the room. I think her name was Micallya. She was staring at a photograph drooling.
"I don't know but, if she doesn't stop she'll drown in her own drool," I gagged as I pictured myself getting caught in an ocean of drool.
"Let's go wake her up from her drool session," Sara seemed overly happy to make fun of some one she didn't know that well. All I could do was sigh in frustration. When I got there Sara was squealing over the photo, just like Micallya.
"What are you looking at?" I asked slightly confused. Sara tore the photo out of Micallya's hand and shoved it in my face. It was a picture of a boy. He was considerably good looking. Hiding my immediate attraction, I gave Sara a dumbfounded look.
"...And what is this supposed to be?" I asked with as much confusion I could, but then Sara can be really dense sometimes.
"Hello?! Earth to Rachel!! Do you come in? How can you not be going all girly inside after seeing this photo?" Sara was gaping at me.
"IDK, maybe it's because...I don't know," I couldn't come up with something good enough to tell her. Sara eyed me with her "all knowing eyes". "So, who is he?"
"OMG!!! How do you NOT know his name?!" Micallya gasped in horror. Her sudden outburst made me jump and fall over. She continued without notice. "He is only the greatest male model in the world!! Garth Torres is my future husband!!"
At this point I really thought this Micallya was freaky. I was about to say something about her being weird, but Sara had an epiphany...kind of.
"WE SHOULD BE MODELS FOR HALLOWEEN!!!!" Sara yelled with excitement. "I already told you that I'm not going trick-or-treating." I
complained.
"No, no, no, no...I mean to the party that I forgot to tell you about. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I just told you. So, we should be models." Sara said as smoothly as she could. I just stared at her for about a minute.
"No," I said as I went back to my seat.

Some how I ended up at the stupid Halloween party, dressed as a model. Sara was standing next to me in her glory. I don't really remember how she did it, but she not only got me to come she got me in designer clothes for the night. Before I knew it I was bombarded with compliments on my costume.
I probably looked like a professional. I looked at Sara again. Her expression was clearly readable. It was a mixture of triumph and fear. I guess the phrase, "if looks could kill" ran through her mind. Then, I realized she had two bags in her hands.
"You whore!!" I nearly yelled. "Now, now, how else am I supposed to have fun by giving you a
childhood," Sara was playing around her words so it would seem like she was doing something good. I scoffed at her words.
"No, and I'm leaving!" I said as I stormed out of the room.

I think it was 11:45 by the time I got fed up with being lost and asked someone how to get out of this damned hellhole. I nearly laughed at myself for my thoughts on a place I knew well during the day, but get me there in the night and I was a hopeless wet kitten; instead of the proud, strong dog, that I would be.
While stumbling around a sidewalk that seemed unfamiliar to me, I bumped into something and I fell to the hard pavement. I was confused, dazed, and now upset. Burst of anger clawed their way to my throat. The thing that I walked into was going to get a mouthful after I got done with it, and of course I would feel silly as I do it but at the moment I didn't care.
I opened my mouth and glared at the stupid thing that I bumped into. When I saw it was a person, fear started to replace my anger. My words caught themselves, and my breathing slowed to a dead stop. The dark figure looked like a man. He bent down toward me. A scream was trying to form now, but I had no air to even think.
"I'm sorry are you okay? I wasn't watching where I was going." a voice like velvet called out. I just stared at the dark figure still filled with fear and shock. Suddenly the light post flickered on. I must have jumped about six feet in the air, because the person I bumped into began to laugh hysterically. I felt my anger come back.
"Don't laugh at me!! It is your fault that I am on the ground!!" I spewed out words at a hundred miles per hour.
I'm sorry, but the look on your face...if only you could have seen it!! You would have laughed too," the person was calming down. "Thank you for
that. I really did need a laugh."
The stranger helped me up. I don't know why I didn't recognize the comely face the moment the light went on, but I did now. It was Garth Torres. The photo that I saw earlier gave him no justice. He was tall. Of course, taller than me, at least a whole head taller.
"Damned tall people! Always being taller than me!" my words came out as flurries. The handsome man laughed harder than before.
"I'm sorry for being six two, and for making you fall to the ground, which you are still on, and finally I'm sorry for making you feel that tall people are bad," I think he was trying too hard not to laugh while he was talking. "Anyway, would you like help getting up?"
"It would be nice," I sighed. Garth helped me up. I was brushing off my clothes when I heard him laugh again. "What now?!"
"I'm sorry, but your covered in dirt," Garth was nearly rolling on the ground in laughter. "As an apology, I'll walk you home. Well, if I knew how to get out of here..."
"Well, I can't help you there. I'm so lost that it would have to be day light for me to find my way around."
"Okay, we'll find our way out of this monstrous jungle together. By the way I' Garth."
"I'm Rachel. Seriously though, how do people have to get so tall? Anyway, if either of us want to get out of here, we better start moving." I started walking again.
Garth and I had talked the entire way to a gas station. Where we got directions to my house and his hotel. I learned that Garth was home schooled, and was thinking about becoming a photographer; according Garth, I was the first person he told. It made me feel special. We finally made it to my house, it was probably two in the morning. Garth walked me up to the porch.
"Goodnight, Rachel," Garth took my hand and kissed it like a prince would his princess the first time they met. I could feel myself blush. I imagined my red face, it made me blush even more. "I hope you can find your way next time."
Garth left me at my porch, dazed and loved. I made sure to not wake anyone up, as I made my way to my room. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I woke up the next morning, still dressed in Sara's ridiculous outfit. When I made my way to the door, I tripped over a bag. A yelp came from my throat as I hit the floor with a thud. I cursed, and looked at the bag. It was filled with candy. Sara gave me her candy? I thought.
Annoyed, I snuck a look at my clock. It was 10:30. I was late to school. As fast as I could, I tore off Sara's clothes and replaced them with fresh, clean clothes. I skipped trying to do anything else. My parents would kill me if they knew that I was over an hour late to school. I must have made it to school in less that five minutes; normally it would take fifteen minutes.
I nearly kicked myself, when I saw the school. All of the doors were locked, and the lights were off. No one was anywhere near the school, save for me. It was closed, because today was Saturday. I threw a rock at the school and missed miserably. My breathing was erratic, and being angry was only making it worse. A woman and her child walked past me. The child asked why I was so weird and the woman told the boy not to be rude.
"Why did I not realize today was Saturday...?" I moaned. my breathing was slowly going back to normal. "Okay, then!!! I'll go to Sara's!!!"
Large houses passed me by. The houses began to become smaller and older. The street was now filled with people, because of the park across the street. I could see the gate now. It always confused me how a gated community, was almost a full functioning town. I started humming a tune to myself. Then soon I was singing in full bloom.
"Singing Yooouuuu Are Tooooooo Beauuuuuuuu Tiful On The Outside..." I sang.
"Who's that?" someone said from behind me. I jumped, and that person laughed. "The song I mean."
"Do you have to insist on laughing at me?" I cried. "Again, I'm sorry," Garth laughed. "So who is it?" "It's by Dylan Doetch. He post all of his music on myspace." "So how are you?" "Fine, except the part where I thought there was school today..." "I see..."


"Hello!!! Earth to Rachel!!!" Sara was yelling in my ear. "Wake up!!! Mrs. Bye looks like she is going to kill you."
"Wha-what's going on...?" I asked groggily. "Miss Buker, if you insist on sleeping in my class, you will be sent
to Room 99," Mrs. Bye lectured me.
"Sara? How long have I been out?" "Since the moment you sat down." "Really...wow. Oh, thanks for the Halloween candy. It tripped me this
morning."
"What are-" "That's it Sara, Rachel 99 now!!" Mrs. Bye had had enough of me.
Sara and I walked to the office and explained the situation. We had to sit in our silly desks in Room 99, again.
"Hey, Rachel, what did you mean by 'Thanks for the Halloween candy'?" "You must have had given it to me." "That's the candy you got for yourself, remember?" "Sara you have no idea what you're talking about." The time passed quickly. Although, Sara and I, had an, all out
fight, in Room 99. I stormed home not wanting to talk to anyone. Why does Sara have to be like that?! I thought hotly. I finally made it home. Just as I threw my messenger bag through the door, someone said something.
"If you come home this angry everyday, then I don't know if I'll visit you on the weekdays."
My mood turned from cutthroat murderous to pink cotton candy sweet. "Garth, what are you doing here?" "I wanted see you again! You make me laugh!" "Would you like to come in?" Garth looked out of place in my ordinary home. It was like he was a
god, and my house was an everyday run of the mill home. It surprised me that no one was home, but then it confused me more than it surprised me.
Garth made me explain what had happened at school. He seemed to understand, but I wasn't sure.
"Well, I think you should cherish the people in your life, like you have only one more day with them. You should look at the world differently. Life is too short to let one disagreement to over shadow your day, or worse, your life." Garth's words were like, a great philosophers, wise and all knowing. "Hey would you like to go get coffee, after school tomorrow?"
"That would be great!!" my enthusiasm was very noticeable. Garth laughed.
"I'll pick you up after school"

I went to school today, with the intention of apologizing to Sara, but she said we didn't get in a fight, and that I had fell right back asleep when we got to Room 99. I also noticed that everything seemed so much brighter. There was art from the art classes on the walls. The color of the walls, were a light green color, which I didn't care for. All of the doors where grey, and the numbers on the doors were a faded red.
I also realized that a lot of my friends were all, insane. I never thought that my friends could think of some of the things they do. Half of the time I never realized how truly...immature they really were. For the first time in my life I realized that Sara had a mole on the right side of her neck. Mary, my other friend, had dyed her hair blue.
I waited for the day to end, listening to my friends rant on and on. I wished for the day to go by fast. It was like my life depended on it. No matter how fast the clock looked like it was going, the time only slowed from seconds to years. I was going to go insane if school didn't end soon.
Not only because I wanted to see Garth, but also because Mary would not shut up about how her and her boyfriend were going out tonight.
For what seemed like a hundred decades, the bell finally rang. I raced out of the door, and to my locker. When it swung open it hit the person who was standing next to me. I stuttered my sorry and ran out of the front doors of the school. Expectedly there was a shiny car in the student parking lot. I smiled widely and half ran to the car.
My heart shattered into a million pieces when it was not Garth. I scanned the parking lot, but there was no sight of Garth. Tears threatened to escape my eyes. I think I heard someone say my name, and I ran as fast as I could to my house. When I slammed the door shut, my mother had asked me what was wrong. I shunned her. Before I knew it my face was buried in my pillow and I was crying.
About an hour later, I realized that I probably should have waited for Garth in the parking lot instead of running home like a baby. Of course I mentally yelled at myself. Then I changed my clothes and headed back to the school.
When I got there the school was empty. I wondered around for a while. Eventually I was sitting in the swing I used to play on when I was four. My thoughts wondered around the time when I jumped off the very same swing and I almost broke my arm. I laughed at myself. Memories seemed to flow around my mind. The time I went to Sara's the first time. I was so shy then. As my thoughts drifted I fell asleep on the swing.
I woke up a few hours later. The sun was down and the moon was bright enough to be able to see. I headed home trying not to get lost. Although it was light out, the chances of me getting lost were high.
I found myself in the middle of Wal-Mart. I have never felt more confused than that moment. I walked around the store for a while, doing nothing in particular. Then, Mary walked up in a rabbit suit. My confusion was multiplied by a ten-fold. I went to talk to her, but she turned into a fire, breathing dragon, and I ran for my life.
By this time of course I knew I was still asleep on the swing. I knew that everything was just a dream. I tried and tried to force myself to wake up but nothing worked. When all of my attempts failed I freaked out. I was running around, screaming like banshee. Then I heard that beautiful laugh.
My head whipped around and I searched toward the laughter. Garth was sitting on the swing that was next to mine.
"You know you're really cute when you're asleep?" Garth smiled. "So, that means I'm awake now?" I blushed. "I guess, since we are talking." I thought for a moment. I never really took the time to actually
look at the playground. There ware two big slides next to the swings. There were four swings and one tire swing. Behind the slides and the bridge between them there was a merry-go-round. There was a set of monkey bars connecting the first two slides with another slide. There were tubes here and there. On the far corner of the playground there was a tower that had everyone's names carved in it. Never before have I ever truly seen the playground of my childhood in such a way.
"I hate living in a gated community. Is this the first time you have ever been to a gated community?"
"Yes, this is the first time. My family moved around more times than I can count. I wonder which is worse? Living in a gated community or moving around your entire life?"
Garth and I went back and forth telling our little skirmishes about our childhoods for hours. It was morning before I knew it. Garth walked me home again. Suddenly, we were in front of the school. I called out Garth's name. He didn't answer me. I looked at him, but he wasn't there. I span around in a circle. He was nowhere to be seen. Again, I was devastated.
The next thing I knew I was sitting in my bed. Dried tears streaked across my face. Where...How? My thoughts were in a million places at once. Was that all just a dream? I thought about everything that I had experienced in the past few days. It didn't make any sense.
I turned on the T.V. trying to clear my thoughts for a single moment. The news was what flashed across the screen. There was something about an
international male model. He was being interviewed. I wasn't really watching until the reporter said his name, Garth Torres. I sprang up and was inches away from the television.
It was Him it was Garth! I couldn't believe it. Then he laughed. It was nothing like the laughter that was like bells and velvet. It was not the same laughter I knew and loved. I was in more shock than ever. Now, nothing made sense.
Everything came back at once. My time at Room 99, the time at the playground I was sleeping each and every time. How on earth could have I had mixed everything up! My head was spinning. I looked at the mirror that was on the stand next to the T.V. My reflection was mixed with extreme shock and terror.
I had no idea what I had really missed, or what was reality or what was a dream. Tears poured down of my cheeks. I began to loathe myself. I still couldn't believe that I allowed myself to get everything so mixed up.
I began to pull at my hair and claw at my face. My mother came into the room. By this time I had handfuls of hair in
my clenched fist. Blood was starting dry on my fingernails. My mother was saying something, but I couldn't hear her. I was too busy clawing at my skin, hoping to forget. To forget and to die, was all I wanted.
I felt so stupid for falling for a stupid dream. I hated myself so much at that moment. I couldn't understand anything. I wouldn't understand anything. I heard my mother ask me what was wrong. I didn't answer. I finally cracked.
I screamed as loud as I could. The closest thing to me, which was the T.V., was on the floor smashed. My mother spoke again. When I heard her I threw something at her. My rampage didn't stop. I tore the pictures of my friends to pieces.
My father was in the room now. He was holding my down. I had already scratched and bit him. My hair was everywhere. I struggled as much as I could, but my father was too strong. I had finally calmed down, but the damage was nonetheless done. My mind was broken. It was broken because of that stupid photograph that Micallya was drooling over.

I was looking at the photograph of Garth Torres, drooling. "What is she doing?" I heard someone whisper. "I don't know, but if she doesn't stop she'll drown in her own drool. I'll go get someone to clean her up." I heard some one else say. With
that single conversation, I went through my nightmare again. I scratched at my face with my short nails and pulled at my even shorter hair.