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The comforting lull of my dreams cradled my body, cool and soothing on my tired skin. A content sigh breezed past my lips, my smile reflecting the warmth of the darkness around me. It flowed over my skin and through my being, giving me the sense that I had no form, just the nothing around me.

I floated aimlessly in the shadows for some amount of time before I was finally able to feel my own body around me. I didn’t notice at first: I was too absorbed in the peace I felt. I only noticed the familiar weight of my own form until I was suddenly aware of another presence.

I opened my eyes and a glimpse of color flashed in my peripheral vision. Curiosity overwhelmed me and I turned my head to view my companion in this dark place.

Two onyx orbs stared back at me, as wide and curious as my own sky-blue eyes. I studied the face that these eyes belonged to. Short, dark, spiky hair; long black lashes, pale cheeks, and a slender chin framed a small nose and pink lips that looked like they were used to smiling or smirking.

I saw her large black eyes darting around, probably studying my features. She tentatively reached out with long slender fingers, bringing them slowly to my face. I put my hand on top of hers, feeling her warmth on my cheek and under my fingers. She studied me a bit longer before her mouth opened, her lips trembling.

My heart leapt in my chest as my mind prepared itself for some revelation; maybe the world’s secrets would pour from her lips, or maybe what she had to say would pull me into some sort of mystery about my own hidden past. Though, I was really waiting to hear some sort of phrase or moral that would leave me pondering my own soul for weeks. I never expected to hear what she had to say.

“Who are you?”

With a cyclone that mimicked my own confusion, the girl disappeared, and I was left alone, the peace and simplicity gone.

“Bunni!” the loud, agitated voice of my best friend and neighbor, Brendon, shouted in my ear. I groaned and shifted in my bed to hide my face in the soft pillow beneath me. He sighed, and I swear I could almost feel him glaring at me.

“You have ten minutes to get up and dressed before I leave for work and your school.” This caught my attention.

“WHAT?!” I yelled, jumping up from my bed, throwing aside my monstrous pile of soft blankets. I immediately began searching through the scattered clothes on my floor, searching for something to wear. My heart started to race when my clothes I threw off last night were not where I had put them.

“Bunni,” Brendon said calmly. I glanced up at him quickly to acknowledge that I was listening but my eyes returned to the floor, frantically darting about in search of my missing uniform.

“Bunni,” he repeated.
“What?!” I snapped, “I can’t stop and talk right now because I can’t find my-” I looked up at him and stopped when I noticed he was pointing at my computer chair. My uniform, shoes, brush, bra, and backpack were all set up neatly on it. A wave of relief and gratitude washed over me.

I smiled up at him and without warning, jumped on him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. “God, I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t my friend.”

He patted me on the back and I let go, sliding to the floor. He shook his head and sighed, “You’d probably end up failing school and forgetting to pay your bills.” I stuck my tongue out at him and glared before the thought stuck me of how late I was going to be. I groaned and grabbed my clothes off the chair before dashing into the bathroom.

As I yanked my clothes on in a furious rush, there was a knock on the door.

“Eight minutes,” he informed me. “I heated up a donut for you in your kitchen. You need me to stuff anything in your backpack?” By this time I already had everything but my shoes on, which I normally put on before leaving or in the car.

I answered him as I rushed out and into the kitchen, “Check my desk for three biology worksheets.” I didn’t check to see if he heard, he’s used to my early morning race against time.

As I enjoyed a warm strawberry-jelly filled donut I smiled, thinking how grateful I was for Brendon. I never had a brother or any family as far as I can remember, and I loved the feeling of not only a friend, but someone to take care of me. I hadn’t had that in a long time.

The lights in my room flickered off and Brendon walked in, carrying my backpack on one shoulder and his book bag carrying his college text books for later in the day in his hand. He spotted the book I was reading, “Alice in Wonderland” and my cell phone on top of it. He grabbed both, opening my backpack and slipped both in, turning the phone on silent before sliding it into one of the side pockets.

“Five minutes in counting,” he said, glancing at his digital wrist watch. I stuffed down the rest of the donut and chased it down with half a glass of milk. I put the plate and glass into the sink, yanked on my shoes and ran into the hall where Brendon was already waiting with my key. I grabbed it, turning off my light and locking the door to my apartment before running towards the stairs.

“You know there’s the elevator,” he called after me as I bounded down the first flight of stairs.

“You know it runs the slowest when I’m running late!” I called back, reaching the bottom and turning to start down the next.

“That’s every morning!” he called back, laughing. I continued down the stairs, reaching the bottom. I waited about a minute for the elevator. It opened and I snatched my backpack and Brendon’s car keys from his hands.

I was already in the car with the engine running, music on, and seatbelt fastened when he opened the driver’s door and slid in. When we hit the first light at the end of the street, his watch beeped.

“Cutting it close today, are we?” He smirked, glancing at me from the side.

“I made it, didn’t I?” I adjusted my shirts collar in the mirror as we drove. “If Mr. Bais didn’t assign so much homework the one day a month Mrs. Krays does, then I wouldn’t be up so late!”

“Who was the one playing on my laptop all day while I was at my classes?”

“I was talking with Zackery! He’s been grounded for two weeks now all because of some stupid test and something he said to a prep in his class.” I felt bad for poor Zack, his parents never gave him a break! All he did was infer that she was a whore when she’s the one who was talking about her ‘Birthday Party’.

“You couldn’t call him? I thought he only got grounded form the internet?” Brendon’s talked to him, too; just not as much as I have.

“Are you kidding?! His parents would send him to juvie if they found out he was talking to some random girl he met on the internet who’s who-knows how many miles away!”

“It’s at times like this you should feel glad to live by yourself at such a young age,” he commented, sighing as he did. He hated to see kids with idiot parents.

“Yeah I guess,” Bunni sighed. They pulled up to the side of the school behind a few other cars and a bus. She slung her pack over her shoulder as she stepped out. “See ya later.”

“Call me if you need a ride after school.”

“Kay, I’m probably going to the bookstore later and I have a few classes later. Have good day.” She waved him off as she closed the door and headed up the steps of the school.