Intrinsical - Lani Woodland [19]
When the world stopped swaying, I slowly began making my way back to my room. I took a few steps but stopped abruptly when I felt a presence behind me. I turned toward it, my heart racing, only to find Brent. He offered an apologetic smile and a shrug.
“You don’t have to follow me,” I told him, my voice weak.
“Well I’m all about chivalry,” he said, with a formal bow and a flourish, “and you are so pale, I’m not quite sure you won’t collapse again.”
“I’m not going to collapse,” I lied through gritted teeth. “I’m perfectly capable of making it home.” In truth, my whole body threatened to keel over.
“Well in that case, I’ll just be on my way.”
With a nod I took a couple of steps only to find him still shadowing me. When I eyed him suspiciously he shrugged. “I happen to be heading toward your dorm to visit Samantha. Pure coincidence I assure you.”
I stifled a laugh, which made his eyes twinkle.
“Thank you for helping,” I mumbled under my breath.
The way he smiled into the edges of his mouth made me pretty sure he heard me but he asked, “I’m sorry— what was that? It was hard to hear you over my song.”
Fighting to not grin, I continued on my path.
“Were you apologizing to me for hurling your book at my head?”
The smile on my lips died. My head spun toward him, my eyes throwing daggers and the tune died on his lips. “Were you apologizing for calling Cherie crazy?”
“Touché.” He grinned.
Taking a deep breath I said, “I really appreciate your help.” I raised my hands to call a truce. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
I started toward my room again, with him walking beside me whistling again.
“That is one of my favorite songs. Can you maybe whistle something else?” I asked, after listening to him whistle his asinine version of the song four complete times. The repetitiveness wound my nerves tighter than a bowstring and the only escape I could foresee was my dorm.
“Nope, it’s the only one I know,” he explained before continuing on with the song for the fifth time.
I slipped through the glass doors of my dorm house before he started whistling “Can’t Stop Dreaming of You” for the sixth time. I made my way to my room only to be greeted with his loathsome song being carried in through the open window. I picked up my thickest textbook and made my way toward the window.
I leaned out, brandishing my book like a lethal weapon. The song stopped abruptly, replaced by a very amused laugh. He gave me a lopsided grin as he retreated out of range of my pitching arm, rubbing his temple. I slid the window shut, with a smile and dropped the book on my desk.
Complete exhaustion overcame me as I pulled my covers over my fully-clothed body. I lay there trying to convince myself that the dark mist wouldn’t try to attack me again, though I knew I was lying.
“It’s going to leave you alone,” I repeated to myself, fingering Vovó’s necklace as fatigue forced me to sleep.
****
I slept soundly the whole night, fully clothed, with anxiety still humming inside me over the mist experience. Did Brent see the mist yesterday? No, I decided. If he had, he would have said something. So, that left me the only one who could see it. I didn’t like that thought, so I tried to shove it to the back of my brain as I readied myself for school.
Language Arts came far too quickly for my taste. And somehow I had been given the honor of getting to speak first. Standing up, I walked to the front of the class and swallowed hard, resisting the urge to bite my lip. I carefully interlaced my hands behind my back and stood tall, lifting my eyes to face the audience. My mind raced, and my carefully prepared words suddenly eluded me.
Should I try to picture the people naked? I glanced at Brent,
and flushed, glad he was too busy talking to the girl next to him to notice. Cherie, sitting behind him, stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes, and trying not to laugh helped me refocus. I would have to let Travis know that his idea of looking into the faces of friends