The Dare

Epilogue

"Don't look so nervous, they can smell your fear." My sister says to me in an ominous tone, making me laugh despite how nervous I am.

Today's my first day at school since the accident, I'm thankful for my life to get back on track. After waking up I had spent another week in the hospital, for check-up reasons, and then another week relaxing at home with my parents was a request of mine.

"I want them to like me," I tell her, twisting myself around in the high school bathroom mirror to look at myself. Salem doesn't know about my coma dream, she doesn't know that when she told me about her new friends; I had gotten them killed in a dream. How do you tell someone that? You don't.

"They will, I know it," Salem says, brushing my hair out. With Salem in my corner, I was able to, rather she was able to make me look much more presentable than how I had looked in my coma. For starters, I was showered, and my sister has my curls looking sleek and soft. I was also well-rested, unlike my first attempt at this school.

"I hope," I murmur, hoping that the nice outfit my sister had put me in and the pretty hair would shine brighter than my nerves. "Salem?" I blurt out suddenly, unable to stop myself.

"Yeah huh?" She says back, her words sounding jumbled because I'd asked in the middle of her applying lip gloss.

"When you thought you'd lost me, how did you deal with it?" I can't help but wonder, I can remember my aching emptiness at the loss of her. So I can't help but wonder if she had felt the same. In the mirror she looks at me weird, it's a weird question.

"I didn't cope. Plain and simple. I came to school and made friends but all I did was talk about you, and after school, I visited you at the hospital. There was no coping, I was weird about it. Why?" I just shrug, there's no way to explain my experience. No reason why I should have to.

"Ohhh, just wanted to see if you cared," I say back in a light mockery tone, enjoying the fact that my sister and I are still close. She rolls her eyes and pushes my shoulder, laughing.

"Drama queen." She groans and I laugh, I guess I could be known to be a bit emotional. "Kay let's go to lunch. My friends are waiting to meet you." My heart skips several beats, her friends..my friends..they're here.

We leave the restroom and cross the main lobby to the entrance of the cafe. I follow her long blonde mane to the lunch counter. Like a robot, I grab food on reflex, but I'm not hungry.

I'm excited, giddy if you will. I haven't felt this in what feels like longer than it actually is. Comas will do that to you, I suppose.

"Ready?" Salem asks me, her eyebrows lifted with her excitement.

"As I'll ever be." I'm getting wild shocks of deja vu, as I follow my sister's blonde head to the lunch table in the corner of the cafe. Only last time it had been a lavender head, and about four inches shorter.

My heart stops, there they are. They're real. I cannot believe it, I pause for a moment and blink a few times just to make sure I won't wake up from another coma. They're there, still there.

Avery looks at me and smiles, her grin just as welcoming as the first time. I smile back, my happiness exploding until I can't contain it. Mason peers at me as well, his arm around her shoulders; he's smiling too. Alive, and smiling.

"Sage, this is Avery and Mason; the cutest couple in this school," Salem says, introducing us. They're happy in this life, they pursued their love in this life.

"We are going to be the best of friends," Avery says, grabbing my hand that's not holding my tray. Her wrist tinkles with crystals and she's over-eager, just like I had remembered.

"I'm sure we will be too-" My sister cuts me off wanting to move on. Happier, but still impatient; clearly.

"The couple next to them is Teagan and Hazel, they're cute too. The most iconic couple." I see them and smile, and they smile back. Teagan doesn't look on the defense, and Hazel looks like she's proud and happy. Everyone is happier in this life, living their truths.

"Sure save me for last, Salem," Grayson says from behind me and I whirl around in a shock; almost dropping my tray. His smell fills all my senses, black tea and mint. He's just as perfect as he had been in my dream, his eyes sparkling with a gaze that I just can't break.

"Oh right, how could I ever forget you." My sister drawls and everyone laughs, my heart still races and I cannot look away from him. He's real, Grayson is here. My life feels whole again, and the feeling is serendipitous. "Sage that's Grayson-" He cuts her off by grabbing my empty hand and bringing it to his mischievously grinning lips.

"Charmed I'm sure," Grayson says, planting a kiss on top of my hand. I smile at him, my cheeks are red with the rush of everything that is him. I'm allowed to be happy, I'm allowed to start fresh. I can do it here, with these perfect people. I look at my sister who looks at Grayson and me incredulously, but I know him already enough to know this is normal for him.

"Salem, I think I'm going to like it here."

I'm honored to say this is my first published work and I put my whole heart and soul into every character, and every word. Thank you, reader, for making it to the end of my short story.

Thank you all~ Wordspileup