Don't Tell Me It Was All A Dream (On Hold)

Chapter 10

Sang's POV

Dinner was, in a word, awkward. My father arrived home in time to eat with us and all I got from him was a mumbled hello and a welcome back. I didn't really expect a huge "Welcome home, we're so glad that you're not in a coma anymore" party or anything, but I was still a little hurt at the lack of enthusiasm. Afterwards my mother directed me into the kitchen and informed me that doing the dishes after every meal would be one of my many chores. Once she was gone I shared with the air a few of the choice words that I had for her and none of them were even remotely flattering.

As I attacked the dirty dishes with soap and water, I stared out the window lost in my thoughts. Across the street Kota's driveway was empty of cars. The boys must have left sometime during dinner. I thought about Luke and wondered if he had told the others about my mother. After she left and walked down the stairs, I had yanked Luke out of the closet and shoved him out the window. I hadn't responded to any of his questions because I didn't exactly want to explain my family situation. I had told him that I would see him around before I slammed the window shut in his face. For a moment he had stood on the other side looking confused before he turning around and climbing off the roof. I stood there, staring out the window long after he had disappeared into the shadows.

I sighed and placed the last of the dishes back in the cabinet. As I turned to walk up the stairs the phone rang. I thought about ignoring it and letting someone else answer but curiosity got the better of me. I strode over to the phone and after a moments hesitation I picked it up.

"Hello?" I asked hesitantly. For a moment there was silence and all I could hear was heavy breathing. I waited a minute and when no one spoke I tried again.

"Hello?" I heard a sharp intake of breath from the phone and then a loud beep. They had hung up on me. I shook my head and placed the phone back into the receiver. Whoever it was probably just had the wrong number, but I wasn't so sure. Spending all that time with my Academy boys taught me that nothing is ever what it seems and that there's no such thing as a coincidence. As I finished up my chores and headed up to my room the mysterious phone call faded from my thoughts and I almost forgot it.

I was incredibly exhausted from everything that had happened today and I wanted to go straight to bed, but I really needed to unpack. So, I set about relieving my suitcase of its burden. I placed the few clothes that I had in my closet, wondering if I would be allowed to go shopping before school began. I took out my books and arranged them alphabetically by authors last name. I had to stop for a moment and hold back a tear because that's exactly how Kota would have done it.

I knew it didn't really make sense for me to be crying. I mean after all I had just discovered that he was real and living down the street from me. I should have been ecstatic, but I wasn't. I had found the boys, but at the same time it felt like I had lost them all over again. They were the academy boys, but they weren't my academy boys. They didn't know me. They didn't share fond memories with me. They didn't worry about me and want to be with me 24/7. I think the worst part was that they didn't even trust me. Thinking about the boys was quickly become painful so, I shoved my dark thoughts and feelings aside and went back to work.

I continued to unpack and place things around my room. The room was starting to get a bit cool and I made a mental note to ask about blankets. As I reached back into my suitcase my fingers brushed against something hard amidst the clothes. I smiled softly when I pulled out a thick black sketchbook. I gently ran my fingers over the cover. I didn't need to open it to know what was inside.

The book was a gift from one of the nurses who had attended to me while I was in the hospital. She had said that things like drawing and reading helped other patients to cope and she suggested that I do the same. I had been skeptical at first but I agreed to give it a try. I soon began to spend every spare moment transferring every memory of the boys I could think of onto its pages. Just in case I started to forget. Each and every moment I spent with them was rendered in excruciating detail and I knew Gabe would have been proud.

I scanned my room looking for a place to keep it. If I knew the rest of my family at all it wouldn't be long before they came snooping and there was no way they were getting their hands on this thing. I spied the small attic door and I knew I had to hide it there. The attic was in a way, how I protected the part of my life with the boys in it from every other part. I stuck my head out of the door to make sure everyone else was asleep before crawling into my refuge. It was dark so I had crawl blindly, which wasn't much of a problem since I knew the attic like the back of my hand. When I reached the very back I tucked the book into a small cranny behind one of them beams.

I took a moment to breathe in the scent of wood and dust before heading back into my room. I almost missed the lingering scent of roses that seemed to emanate from every spot in the room. I smiled knowing it was just my imagination but it still brought me a sense of peace and comfort. I quietly closed the door behind me before settling into my bed, for the first time welcoming my dreams.

~

Kota's POV:

I sat in my window seat trying desperately to focus on the computer in front of me. I was supposed to be writing a report to the academy about my latest job, but no matter how hard I tried to focus my eyes kept returning to the house down the street, her house. All the lights had gone out hours ago but still I watched, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of the strange green-eyed beauty. There was just something about her that drew you in and captured your attention. Mr. B had warned me about her I knew I had to be careful. I knew that she could potentially destroy us and everything we had worked so hard to achieve. But I also knew from the moment that I first laid eyes on her that she needed us and that maybe we needed her too.

~

Luke's POV:

As I drove home I allowed my mind to wander. I thought back to the panic that had entered Sang's eyes when her mother showed up and the way she shoved me into the attic. At first I had thought that she was trying to hide my presence to protect herself but right before she slammed the door in my face I saw something in her eyes that I wasn't expecting. She was worried, about me. She had been trying to protect me from something. What that was, I had no clue. What I did know was that Sang had secrets, a lot of them and if I had anything to do with it they wouldn't remain secrets for much longer.

~

AUTHORS NOTE: Wow i cant believe how long its been since I last updated. I just wanted to apologize for taking sooooo incredibly long. Things have been crazy lately and updating has just been the very last thing on my mind and I hope this one can make up for that. Now i can't promise regular updates but I'm going to try and update at least every couple of weeks or so. I hope you guys like the new chapter. Comments are always appreciated so let me know what you think.