Chapter 8: Part 8
I wake up a lot slower than usual, due to the fact that I stayed awake till 4 in the morning looking after Jack, but I get up and get ready for the day. As I get ready I think about what happened last night. I know very well that I could get shot or stabbed at any point because I do what I do but, those fears don't bother me, they never have. I guess you could say that those thoughts are always in the back of my head, however, I don't let them control me. I make sure that every day I let people I care about know that I care about them, it's a safety net just in case things go bad.
Jack and I eat breakfast then hop in my car on the way to go to school. In the car, we have a conversation.
"I know you're still scared," I say while adjusting the heat, "It's alright you know, to be afraid." He doesn't say anything, he just keeps quiet and leans back further in his seat. "Jack, you have to talk to me, please." It's still quiet for a moment before he speaks but he's quiet, "You think that I just had a bad dream, but," I see him shake his head then continue, "It was real Jaina, I can feel it like a shockwave traveling through my bones, I can see every part happening when I close my eyes, you were dead Jai, you were dead." "Jack, I'm not saying that what you dreamt isn't valid, what I'm saying is, I will be alright, I am not going to die anytime soon, I would never leave you like that if I could help it." "I know you wouldn't, but you don't always get a choice in what happens in your life, some things just happen." I'm not sure what else I can say, I can't tell him about ME, that will only result in a bigger problem, so I just stay quiet.
We pull into the school parking lot and then go in the school. I turn to Jack, "Meeting today after school, so come to the library okay?" He nods his head and I give him a quick hug then I walk away.
***
At lunch, which is right after my 4th period English class with Mrs. Maudrey, I sit down at my usual table with MJ, Flash, Ned, Anna, and Peter. MJ and Anna usually go off and do their own thing for the entirety of lunch, so it's just me, Ned, Flash, and Peter. Flash is just an asshole, so he goes off to sit with some "cooler kids" as he calls the bunch of potheads he sits with.
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you two," says Ned, "Mr. S says that I can do my project with you guys, is that alright?" "It's alright with me," I say, "Peter?" "Yeah that will be awesome, we are actually doing a video now so your tech skills can help us all get an A." I look at Ned, "I'm bringing Peter along to my house after the meeting, do you want to come along too?" "Yeah, thanks."
After lunch, Peter and I walk to Spanish class. Today is just a work day so we write out a rough draft of what we will be doing, and since we have another person things should be easier.
"Okay, so we're doing Day of the Dead?" I ask Peter. "Yes we are, it will be fun especially since the holiday is next week."
I write some things down in my Spanish notebook before I forget them. "We can set up the rest of what we're going to do when we get to my house later," I say to Peter. "Before we go to your house can we swing by my place so I can grab my camera?" "Yeah, that's fine."
***
Class ends and Peter and I walk to the meeting room in the library. MJ is sitting in her spot, and we all sit down in our usual places. Jack pops in and waves at me and goes off to sit in the library, he didn't look too good, this dream he had is affecting him, and I don't know what to do about it.
I excuse myself from the meeting and go find Jack. He is sitting at the back table, but this time he isn't watching a video, he's not doing homework, and he's not talking to anyone, he's just staring out the window with his head propped up on his hands.
"Jack?" I say. I guess I startled him because he jumps a little. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to talk." I take a seat opposite of him. "Jai, all day I have had this thought in my mind, this gruesome sequence of images of blood, tears, and you, they keep flashing in my mind almost like it's a memory." I take his hand, "Jack, I can't promise you that I won't get hurt in this life, but I can promise you that I will always, always, find my way back to you." "I am afraid." He says but barely audible, "Afraid of what?" He's quiet a few seconds before answering, "Afraid of being too late."
I stand up and go to his side and hug him tightly, out of all the things I've always promised I would never do, hurting my brother was one of them, and I feel like I'm breaking that promise now. "Look at me," I make him face me, "When we get home, I have a project to do with Peter and Ned, but when they leave we can do whatever you want alright? We can watch a movie, bake cookies or I'll even play that dreadful video game with you, it will be just you and me." "Alright, okay." I give him another hug, "I have to get back to the meeting, it will be over soon then we can leave."
I get up and go back to the meeting room and take my seat between MJ and Peter.
***
After a few rounds of academic questions and organization, the meeting ends. I say my goodbyes to MJ, and me, Jack, Peter, and Ned all go to my car. "Jack sits in the front seat, sorry guys," I tell them, I see Jack break a slight smile before we all hop in and drive away.
I make my way to Peter's place so he can get his camera. I pull up to his apartment and he gets out and darts to go get what he needs. A few minutes later and he returns and I drive to my house.
I pull in my driveway and park, then we all file out of the car into the cold then we hurry into my warm house.
"Okay guys, go into the dining room, we can start there, I'll be right in, Peter you know where everything is," I say, and walk upstairs to my room throwing my things down. Jack goes into his room and lies down on his bed, I think he's going to take a nap.
***
About an hour and a half later, the three of us have gotten a pretty decent amount of work done. Peter is our director basically, he has been taking video of me in different poses wearing the makeup that I've put on to symbolize things dealing with the holiday. Ned is our editor and producer, he takes control of the camera when Peter and I both have a scene to do and puts the footage into his computer and does his magic. Me, I am the costume designer, makeup artist and brain of the whole thing. Together we are basically creating a whole movie, we make a pretty good team.
We are all in my living room taking some photos, and laughing about the meeting today when I Jack scream from upstairs. I dart out of my seat and run up to his room, I bust in the door and Jack is squirming around on his bed screaming.
I run over to his bed and try to wake him up by shaking him, once I touch him, he starts screaming "YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD!"
I keep shaking him but he won't get up, I look around his room and spot a glass of water on his bedside table, I pick it up and throw it on him, he opens his eyes almost immediately. I sit down next to him on the bed, "Jack, you're awake now it's okay." He begins to cry again, "It was so much worse, it got worse." I look into his eyes, "How? What do you mean?"
In a hoarse voice he says, "This time, you all were dead."
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