The Boy

Eleven

Katy

It's been almost a week since I fell asleep in Jacob's bed with him. As I snuck back into the house, I scolded myself for being so careless. I could have been caught by Benny. Or worse, Daddy. I can't stop thinking about the nightmare he had. He'd woke me up from jerking and shaking. When I looked at him, I realized he was soaked in sweat. It beaded on his forehead and saturated his shirt. His brows were furrowed, and he was breathing deep but fast. I called out his name three times before he finally heard me. The way he hastily sat up with a look of pure fear on his face scared me. I tried to comfort him and be there for him, but he didn't want to talk about it. Fine. Whatever. I offered.

I haven't spoken to Jacob since then either. I guess I was a little pissy about him not wanting to open up to me about his dream. I was super curious to what he was dreaming about to make him that scared. Did he dream about dying? About monsters? About waking up in a public place naked?? I've had scary dreams, but none of them affected me as much as his nightmare had him. Except one.

The worst dream I ever had was that my own mother had killed me. She had already died, and she was wearing the last thing I saw her in which was a yellow floral dress at her funeral. I dreamt we were in the kitchen together. She was slicing a cucumber with a ridiculously long kitchen knife. She had a scowl on her face and seemed to be in a bad mood, which wasn't like her, as she quickly sliced. After a minute of feeling like something bad was fixing to happen, she told me to come to her. Without a thought, I did as she asked. Even after feeling afraid to see that she was angry. I walked across the kitchen to her. As I reached her, she turned and stabbed me in the neck with the knife. Suddenly, it was like I was watching a movie. I saw myself slump down across a chair, dying. The knife went in one side of my neck and came out the other.

I had awakened with a startle. As the dream replayed through my head, I began to cry. One, because my mother killed me. And two, because it was a reminder my mom was dead. I thought about the dream for weeks afterwards.

I also hadn't talked to Jacob because the guys have been wanting to hang out at Walt and Carter's place, so I've was there most of the time. But I was ready to be at home. Five days of staying up all night partying and spending all day watching the boys play video games while us girls sat on the couch annoying them every which way we could was plenty.

Carter and Walt's parents had money. And they were never home. The two boys were always alone in that big house. That's probably why Carter is the trouble maker of our group. He smokes pot, steals just for the thrill of it, vandalizes places...he's been handcuffed and rode in the back of a police car more times than one. But with his money status and his stepfather's respectful reputation around town, nothing ever stuck.

Hanging out at their house was fun because we could do whatever we wanted. Their parents didn't care just as long as we didn't trash the place.

Eric and Cassie had already left earlier in the morning. Eric had a family thing, and Cassie had an appointment. I gathered the last few remaining things out of the spare bedroom Shawn and I had slept in. Shawn and Walt were moving their thumbs furiously on the XBOX controllers when I came down the stairs. The sounds of gunfire and military orders filled the room. I flopped down beside Anna on the couch. She'd been looking at her phone and quickly turned the screen off and sat it face down on the couch when I sat. Weird...but okay.

"I'm surprised Eric didn't drag you along to his parents," I said to her.

"He asked me, but I didn't feel like going. His dad despises me, and I'm just not in the mood for it today. He's going to pick me up later. Oh hey, can I borrow your Old Gringos this weekend? My Corrals still hurt my feet." She grimaced. "My parents are making me go with them to some kind of gathering with my mom's boss. Of course, we have to dress to impress as always."