Little Sweet Dreamer

Chapter 7

Although my mind told me to relax, my body instinctively lunged toward her, knocking her to the ground. She screamed, surprised, as she landed.

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at me. I wanted to be tough as hell at that moment, but with spit dribbling down my face and my brain torn in two directions, all I could do was stand over her, my eyes mirroring hers. I blinked and tried my hardest to regain composure.

"Come on," Blake said, quickly pulling me away. His voice turned into a whisper as he said, "We don't want this to get bigger than it already is going to be."

"You're dead, Hazel!" Sasha shouted. "As dead as your father." Anger tore through my body, filling every vein with its venom. I kept my mouth sealed shut and acted like it didn't bother me. She wanted it to; I knew it. It took everything in my body to keep moving and not give her the satisfaction of my fist busting her hideously gorgeous face.

I got into the car with Mindy, DQ bound, wiping spit off my face with the napkin she handed me. Anger still embedded itself into my core; my stomach clenched as shivers wracked my body, even though it was warm in the car.

The drive was utterly silent. I didn't know if this made me angrier or if I appreciated its presence. Either way, the emotions I was feeling were rooted deep. It was going to take a lot of crying to get it out.

When we finally pulled into the parking lot, I slammed the door shut as we walked into Dairy Queen. My body still shook as I stared up at the menu. My friends were too quiet.

In a flash, my anger dissipated. I couldn't handle it anymore. I ran out of DQ, my friends following. I sank to the ground as a bucket load of tears flew out of my eyes. Ana and Blake sat on either side of me and wrapped their arms around me tightly.

I couldn't say anything, but I wanted to say everything. Like, what the hell could we do now? What were they going to do to our friend group? Why was I suddenly getting picked on after three years of high school? Why did this hurt so bad?

Why did Grey get back with that witch?! And why did he show me pity?

***

I sniffled as the last of my tears washed out of me, and a needed calm replaced everything.

"You okay?" Blake asked. I nodded. A few long minutes later, we finally got some ice cream. After some ice cream and lots of talking, I finally started to feel better.

"We've got your back," Mindy said. "Don't worry." We sat at a table in the DQ, warmth filling the rooms from the heat and her words. I couldn't appreciate them enough.

"Sasha's jealous of you," Andy stated. "That's why she's mistreating you." I looked at him, confused, and he smiled at my naivety. "You're prettier than her. That's just a fact because your personality seals the deal. And Grey has taken an interest in you; it's so obvious. The way he looked at you when you guys first met was so weird. Anyway, I don't think he views you like someone to hook up with, but you have a tune in his heartstrings if that makes sense."

The dreams? Could it be that? Did he still remember things that we said and did in those dreams? Were they vivid? Or were they a snapshot, which was still enough for him to feel something?

You know what? Who cared? Because of him, I was humiliated and ashamed of myself. Screw him and any goodness he possessed.

Mindy looked down at her phone and closed her eyes with an annoyed sigh. Then, she slowly put her phone back under the table and looked up at the rest of us, who were all looking back at her.

"What is it?" Blake asked in dread.

"Check Sasha's Instagram..." she whispered.

My heart slammed against my rib cage, immediately pulled out my phone to check her Instagram page.