The Dreamer Part 2 by J.M. Hurley (affordable ebook reader .TXT) 📖

Chapter 16

As I made my way towards Stephanie’s, the hairs on the back
of my neck began to stand on end, and it had nothing to do with the lack of heat. A little ways down the hallway I recognized my old rooms familiar door and stopped wearily in front of it.

As I knocked on the solid, wood door, I held my breath, silently hoping that she wouldn’t answer. But as fate would have it she was there, and did answer. She swung the open the door and I saw by her frustrated expression that she wasn’t exactly happy to see me. “What do you want?” She asked.

“I wanted to talk,” I said and I barely got my last word out before she snidely replied, “Well I’m busy.” As the words left her mouth an incredibly handsome boy made his presence known by coughing.

“I was just leaving anyways,” he said getting up and walking over to us.“I’m Lance, and you must be Summer,” he said and I briefly wondered how he knew my name but then followed his gaze to the long, jagged scar that lie permanently across my chest. It was visible due to the tank top I was wearing and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “Well I must get going,” he said and with that he grabbed his backpack off of Stephanie’s bed then said, “Next week, same time, Okay Steph?” He said and after she gave him a nod he quickly walked out.

“Don’t like guys with broken noses?” I asked referring to the fact that she was dating Tyler yet had Lance in her room.

“As if it’s any of your business, but if it was I’d tell you he’s just a tutor,” she replied and I saw Stephanie’s frown begin to lessen, without an audience, Stephanie was somewhat nice.

“You said you want to talk,” She said walking over to admire herself in her mirror.

“Yeah, well you know Zane right?” I started but stopped quickly as she whirled around with an angry look on her face.

“If you think I’m going to sit here and listen to your stupid romance issues with your jerk of a boyfriend, then you’re crazy,” She said then walked over to sit in her chair, as if her last has taken all of her energy. I wasn’t surprised by her outburst, after rooming with her for a year I was used to them, so naturally I knew how to get her to be nice, or at least civil, again.

“Ok listen,” I said and then took a deep breath and began to do my best impersonation her that I could. “1.) I totally didn’t mean to offend you, 2.)There’s no way that he’s my boyfriend, and 3.)Why would I want relationship advice for me and Zane, when I’m mad at him?” As I finished I knew it’d worked because she began to giggle, something she rarely ever does.

“Well done,” She said and flashed me one of her
winning smiles before she continued, “so if it’s not about relationships with Zane, then what is it?”

“Well,” I started questioning whether I should confide fully in her of not, but my mind urges me one, so I continue. “Sometimes he’ll act like a different person, and one day he’ll understand and another, he won’t,” I said and was surprised to see her shifting uncomfortably, a sign she was either nervous or guilty which are also two things that rarely occur with her.

“What?” I asked and her eyes flashed up to meet my gaze.

“Oh well, it’s just,” She started.

“Yes?” I asked trying to get her to hurry up and spit it out.

“Zane’s a guy, guys act like that sometimes,” She replied but I know that not what was on her mind and I feel my temper begin to flare up.

“Really? You too? Why is everybody treating me like a moron and thinking I can’t see that their hiding stuff from me? Why can I tell no one the truth, because no one understands? Why?!” I yelled at her and I can tell that I’ve surprised her with my outburst.

“Look Summer, this is why nobody tells you anything, because you just blew up at me without even asking what I’m hiding. Maybe I would’ve told you. Ever think of that?” She asked and then smiled smugly at me.

“Ok, I’m sorry, maybe getting the crap kicked out of me, by you and your group, has been messing with my manners,” I replied and I felt my temper beginning to rise even higher.

“Ignoring that last comment, I’ll tell you all that I can, which isn’t a lot, but it’s more than Zane’s telling you,” She said and her words about Zane felt like she was firing a gun straight to my heart. Why should Stephanie a girl who hates my guts, tell me more than a guy who thinks I’m ‘special’? Though I doubt anything he said then is still what he thinks now.

“All I can tell you is that Zane knows more than he’s letting on,” She said and then watched me closely as if to see how this news would me react.

“How do you know?” I asked and though I sounded like an annoying child I didn’t care as long as I got the answers I’d been waiting for.

She sat up straighter in her chair and smoothed her dress before she answered, “I know because I also know the information he’s keeping from you, he told me. Not recently of course, but either way at one point he told me and I know. I’m sorry but that’s really all I can tell you.” She said and I can sense that she’s telling me the truth.

“Thank-you Stephanie” I said as I turned and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked as I pulled open her overly decorated door.

“I need to talk to someone else about something that’s somewhat normal, I can’t deal with all this other drama right now,” I said and with that I waved goodbye and walked out.


Chapter 17

As I made my way down the hallway I tried to clear my mind from all the questions that were already starting to form in my head. Just relax

, I told myself as I headed towards Ms. Kelly’s office door, She can’t possibly know you lied, Zane wouldn’t tell her. Of course he wouldn’t…Would he?

I wasn’t sure.

When I reached the door I knocked timidly and then waited until a flustered looking Mrs. Brown opened the door. Mrs. Brown, the over-worked secretary for Ms. Kelly, was a short, cute, younger woman, in her mid 30’s, with short cropped black hair, soft, soft brown eyes, and a pearly white smile. Everyone wondered why sweet Mrs. Brown had applied to be Ms. Kelly secretary, but whenever a student asked her about it she’d simply smile and reply, “Why, I can’t imagine living without you kids life,” in her soft, overly peppy voice that reminded me of a cheer squad anytime I heard it.

“Oh Summer, come in dear. I’m assuming you’ve come
to talk with Ms. Kelly?” She asked and as I nodded she quickly continued on. “Yes, of course you are. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until after she’s finished with the mandatory punishment for today,” She said and then after motion for me to take a seat, began quickly straitening the papers on her crowded desktop.

As I took a seat in one of the waiting chairs my
curiosity got the best of me and I turned back towards Mrs. Brown. “Mandatory punishment?” I asked. She’d finished organizing her desk and had moved on to filling out paperwork before she answered.

“Oh yes dear, in fact she’s in there now with that awful trouble maker, Tyler Droda,” she said shaking her head in disgust.

“What’s Tyler down here for?” I asked pretending that I thought it was unusual for Tyler to get into trouble.

“Well, originally he was called down to receive punishment for the violence he exploited on you,” She said and I made a mental note to ask Stephanie how she and the rest of her group got out of their punishment. “But then,” she continued, “There was the issue of that fist fight, and now that Zane boy’s down here too,” She said and her last words made my heart squeeze. I wasn’t ready to see Zane yet but as Ms. Kelly’s door swung open I knew if didn’t matter what I wanted.

As the door swung open wider I saw Ms. Kelly step out and hand both Tyler and Zane a green slip of paper before ushering them out of her back office. Green…

I wracked my brains trying to think back to our old school handbook. What does green mean?

I thought to myself impatiently. Suspension? Expulsion?

At the moment I didn’t which I was hoping for more.

As the boys walked out Zane’s sparkling blue eyes met mine and it took all of my self control to pull my eyes away from his, but not before giving him one of my signature annoyed eye rolls. I heard him sigh and then the door click as it opened and closed behind them. Good, you deserve to go through a little sadness yourself,

I thought moodily to myself.

“Summer, can I help you?” Ms. Kelly asked then flashed me one of her huge smiles that none of the students neither believed nor liked. “Yes, I was wondering if I could get a schedule change?” I asked before I could convince myself not to and then I desperately prayed I wouldn’t break down into tears as I thought about why I wanted it. I want this to get away, away from him.

I thought to myself, I couldn’t bring myself to even think his name of I was sure I’d break down again.

“A schedule change? We don’t normally allow those after the first day of school. Why? Is there a conflict with your schedule?” She asked and my hopes began to plummet. What was I supposed to say, my boyfriend/ex/friend, or whatever he is, is being mean? That I don’t want to face him because I’m embarrassed and mad that he doesn’t believe my crazy stories?

“No, there’s not really a conflict but I’d really appreciated if I could change it, not to different classes, maybe just a different order?” I asked, trying to use my most innocent, sweet girl voice. “Normally the answer would automatically no,” She said in her normal no-feelings-spared, harsh tone, “but I realize that you’ve been through a lot and if this will help you out, I suppose I could bend the rules a bit,” She replied and even though she’d just agreed to what I’d asked I couldn’t help but feel sad, and I still didn’t get why she always felt dangerous and untrustworthy even when she’s smiling at me like she is now.

“I’ll have your new schedule sent to your room sometime tomorrow, since it’s the weekend you won’t have to worry about missing classes, you’ll start on Monday,” She said as she hustled me out of her door. As I left I headed for the door I waved at little Mrs. Brown as she