The Difference Between Dreams and Reality[CHPT 10]

A/N: We’ve all ready reached chapter eight! It’s hard to believe this was supposed to be a one-shot without a completed ending! And it’s come this far! I apologize for the extremely long wait. Please read this chapter and enjoy and I hope it makes up for the wait.



And this chapter hasn’t been betafied either, so please ignore all my mistakes mechanically and grammatically and pay more attention to the story and the message instead. My beta has been just as busy as I have so it might be a while until anything is cleared up. I will try to update more often, I have not given up on this story! ^^



Chapter eight: Another pair of teal eyes and a reply to a message in the bathroom



I woke up the next morning feeling like I had dreamt the entire bathroom stall incident. It wasn’t every day that some simple bathroom graffiti made the five o’clock news, after all. I had woken up at six A.M. before my alarm clock even made a sound. I figured I’d get dressed and ready for school early. This way I might actually make it on time for a change. I couldn’t block out the worry that somehow everyone knew it was me. I guess I’ve always kind of been a bit paranoid over little things like that. But why should I worry? Even if I did get caught and it was a crime to do graffiti, it gave the school(that so badly need it) publicity! So, in my eyes, I was doing them a favor!



I walked out the door with my newly renewed sense of helping the school. I got a parking lot spot in the far back, but even from there I could notice all the commotion going on at the front of the school. I was walking toward the doors with a smug smile on my face knowing that the news reporters were all probably here to try and “get the scoop” on the whole bathroom deal and try to figure out it was. Behind me I heard someone go “Hello, I am Grace Woodland reporting for fox channel eight news. We are here today to interview people who claim to have been the one to have written the message in the bathroom, or, as we are calling it now, ‘The Angel Message.’”



I almost died trying to hold in my laughter. The angel Message? Is that some kind of joke?! I wasn’t much, and I certainly was no angel! I was even more surprised when I got inside and noticed that the person she was interviewing was my brother! Oh, how I was never going to let him live it down! And there were so many people claiming to have been the one to write my message! And now, even my own blood; my brother.



This was far more than just amusing. It was hilarious! At the same time, though, it was nice to see that my message got through.



I guess my brother must have formed some really great story as to how he got into the girls bathroom and all, he sure was getting interviewed for a long time. I’m probably the only person in the entire school who knew he’d claim something like that for the time on air. He could be such an egotistical jerk; he’d do anything to get on television. He thinks he’s the greatest thing since the printing press was invented!



The five minute bell rang and I quickly made my way to my locker. Darcy and Hannah shortly accompanied me until I made it to class, on time. There were no lectures for being late today and that helped me start my day off well. Then again, ever since Nine came along...I’ve spent most of my days well; always thinking of him. I allowed my thoughts to wander and my eyes to glaze over with that “incredibly happy” but also “incredibly not here mentally” look on my face until the bell rang and it was time to step into a different classroom but with the same look on my face and the same thoughts on my mind.



Daydreaming of Nine had recently become an obsession. Worse than any other I ever had for the Backstreet boys or that one kid from the “Home Alone” movies. All I could do was think about him. ‘What’s he doing right now?’ or ‘I wonder what he looks like when he’s asleep’ or ‘Maybe he has dimples!’ I realized at lunch that I was one of them; I was a crazy girl in love. You know what I’m talking about. The ones who are always all over their boyfriend in public and holding onto the person they love’s hand. Or the one that, when away from their lover, always has this frantically lonely look on their face that keeps others from communicating with them. Or maybe I really looked like the girl who has her head in the clouds...nine of them, to be exact.



When I thought about Nine I wondered “Why Nine? Why not ten or eleven or something else?” It really is odd that he would choose to name himself nine instead of something else. I figured it must have some hidden meaning, but I couldn’t just demand an explanation. I didn’t want to think of the fear of possibly losing him after all this time...even though it really hadn’t been too long. It had seemed like I’ve known him for eternity, though!



The periods flew by faster than my usual dreadfully long school days and after school I found myself walking around the upperclassmen hall alone. As I was practically skipping my way around the lockers and various posters for sophomore elections I didn’t even see that I had bumped into someone. I backed off and looked up. It was, of course, Brian Fuller.



“What’s up?” Brian asked in a “what are you still doing here?” tone.



“Not much. I’m just kind of...walking around, I guess,” was my reply. Why bother giving him details? He could never comprehend the agony of being in love. Especially being in love with someone you couldn’t have. That’s got to be the worst....though I can’t say my love is completely one-sided. I laughed a little to myself thinking of being blinded by love and how literal it was in my case.



“Hmm. Well I’m waiting for Adam. He’s finishing up something or other in his room right now. And so I figured I’d go sight seeing in the mean time,” Brian winked at the words “sight seeing.” I, of course, knew that meant harassing girls in the school and being the true pervert he was.



I rolled my eyes “Well have fun with that,” I started to turn to go around him and continue my deep thoughts. He was back in front of me within seconds.



“What the?” I began right before he picked me up and carried me a few paces. I was struggling in his grip. What had gotten into him? Why was he so bold around me lately? Questions poured out in my head and my yelling and disagreements poured out into the open. When he set me down we were sitting on the stairs. I didn’t look at him. I hated when people picked me up because Kenneth used to pick me up when we were kids and call me a baby. He’d say “You’re a baby because you cry so much. Babies cry a lot, too. And Babies need to be carried places because they’re so weak.” Kenneth was a really big jerk when we were kids. Endless torment on some days.



Brian coughed as if to get my attention. It worked, because I looked at him. And what I saw shocked me.



Those familiar teal eyes.



I could hardly breathe. What the heck was going on? Brian...is the one with those eyes? Brian couldn’t possibly be... no he could actually be...



My thoughts were interrupted abruptly by something even more surprising. Brian’s Lips. On mine.



And what’s worse is that I kissed him back. I couldn’t help myself. It was those eyes. They held me prisoner for so long by being the only tangible evidence I had to Nine’s identity...and now they were all I could see. Even with my eyes closed in a passionate kiss I could only think of those eyes.



When we broke apart from each other in the kiss He looked at me and I at him. I wasn’t sure what to say. I had so many questions going through my head right then. The main one being what I said next.



“Brian?” I asked.



“Yeah?” He replied, seeming embarrassed by the scene we just shared through our lips.



“Did you always have such captivating teal eyes?”



He looked up at me. Right then I could see his eyes fade in color. It was like he had forgotten something. He quickly stood.



“I...well, I.... I mean. No. But...well, yes. Kind of?” He replied really stunned and breathless.



I just looked at him...no, not at him. I looked at his eyes. I could feel the questions trying to slip from my lips but instead I forced them down the way I forced down my grandmothers fruit cake every Christmas. I stood to question him further.



When I stood he turned his head to look away from me.



I leaned in closer and he caved in and looked back at me. We embraced and he kissed me, less tenderly...and more angrily than ever before. Could he possibly be Nine? The mystery man that I had searched for all this time? I wasn’t sure because this kiss felt different than ever before. Nine never kissed this way...it felt wrong.



I broke the kiss and looked at my feet. I then picked up the few things I had held before in my arms and ran off. I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was that I could hear something behind me. And it wasn’t what I had expected to hear. It wasn’t “Wait, Melissa!” instead I heard a crash and something falling. I couldn’t look back and kept going. I could still vaguely hear arguing in the background behind me.



Once in my car, I started it up, this time successfully, and I quickly made my trail home.



I couldn’t think straight. Had I just kissed Brian Fuller? The Brian Fuller I used to despise?



Part of me was ashamed of myself for giving in just because of a pair of eyes...and yet I was so charmed by them. But his eyes had never before caught my interest. Had they even ever been teal before?



Within what seemed like seconds I was all ready out of my car and in my bedroom.


I decided to go to my good old yearbook pile. I pulled out the year book for the seventh grade. I slipped around until I found him “Fuller, Brain.” There was a picture of him, smiling like a dork, but it was him. And his eyes were not teal. They were brown in this picture. I was immediately confused and worried.



What the hell? Had I yearned so badly to see those eyes that I had actually imagined his eyes were teal? Maybe I was crazy after all. Maybe he wasn’t Nine, then. Or maybe, and this would be worse, maybe he was. Whoever he was I was completely uncertain of. But all I really knew at this moment was that I may or may not have just found out Nine’s true identity.



And the doubtfulness of who he was had finally made me kind of angry. Why am I trying to figure out who my boyfriend was? Was he even my boyfriend?



“Who are you?” I yelled as I sat on my bed. I still didn’t know how I had made it passed my mother and Kenneth and ended up here on my bed, but I was here and my heart was aching. Aching with questions and shame. What if I had kissed the wrong teal eyed boy?



What am I going to do?



I sat down and wrote an entry to help myself clear my mind.



Entry Eight:

Have I met you without realizing who you are yet?

What color is your hair?

How many times have we kissed?

Are you my boyfriend?



Can you roll your “R’s”?



With that entry made, I fell asleep. He hadn’t even replied to entry seven yet and here I was all ready writing another one.



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When I awoke in the morning It was eight thirty. My tears had crusted over my cheeks and left an invisibly delicate trail going down to my jaw. I had fallen asleep in my clothes from the day before while holding my journal in my arms.



I stretched and allowed myself time to get up and dressed and throw my hair back into a pony tail before the feelings of confusion from yesterday hit me. I quickly scrambled through my journal to find two full entries replied to:



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Entry Seven:

Why is Nine your favorite number? Because it reminds me of you.

Do you know my favorite number? No, actually. But I’d be happy to know it if you’d tell me. I’m hoping it changed to nine. :]

Do you know my cell phone number? Who needs a phone number when they can have the person in physical contact? I can find you wherever you go. So I don’t need a silly number to tell me where you are.

Could you teach me that dance you said you knew, sometime? I’d love to.



Do you have any allergies? I’m allergic to bees. And I think that’s all.



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Entry Eight:

Have I met you without realizing who you are yet? You might have...

What color is your hair? Brown

How many times have we kissed? A few times more than you think we have. I kiss you I your sleep.

Are you my boyfriend? That would be the word for it, though I wish we were much more than that.



Can you roll your “R’s”? I can.



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I pulled out my list about Nine and quickly added the new details:



Nine:

Teal eyes

Thick hair

Low voice

Thin but muscular build

Doesn’t own a dog

Is older than me

Can ballroom dance

English and Piglatin speaking

Allergic to bees

Can roll his “R’s”

Brown hair



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After reading that I felt like I had somehow gained some strengthen throughout the night. It was like Nine’s reply had left me a comforting feeling. Things were going to be okay somehow. I was all ready late to school so I figured “why even go?” I got dressed for a day at Starbucks and maybe something else. I wasn’t sure what, though. My cell phone rang right as I went on my way out the door. I hastily answered it on it’s last ring and on the other line I heard Darcy’s voice.



“Where are you??” She begged with childish whimpers.



“I’m on my way out now,” I replied. Though I didn’t tell where to.



“Good. I’ll see you soon then? You can’t miss out on this!” she exclaimed the last sentence. I was, yet again, confused. Miss out on what?



“Wait. What’s going on over there?” I asked dumbfounded.



“See it to believe it,” Was Darcy’s answer followed by the dial tone. She had hung up on me after that! Ugh! Now I’d have to go to school or I wouldn’t be able to live without knowing!



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I parked far from the entrance, as I had usually been forced to, and walked to the front of the school. There I found the principle out front with a bunch of news reporters questioning him. I tried to look away as to not draw attention to myself being late but couldn’t do anything after a news reporter lady shouted “There she is!”



I turned to see a bunch of reporters coming at me. I wasn’t sure what to do. What the heck was going on? I was suddenly extremely worried that they had found out I was the one behind the girls bathroom graffiti. I tried to turn away but couldn’t. Finally a hand was clasped around my wrist that wasn’t one of the nosy reporters who didn’t understand how to give people space. I looked up to see it was Kenneth! My brother, of all people, come to save me! What would make him want to save me? He had become so good at ignoring my existence as his sister at school I never thought he’d show up anywhere near me...and on T.V. of all places!



Kenneth pulled me away and then suddenly I was passed to a new hand. A softer, kinder hand. It was Toby. He led me through the school and into a classroom I never noticed before. I didn’t even have time to say anything. Kenneth was out front keeping the media under control while Toby attempted to keep me under control. I was so bewildered.



“What...?” I began but was suddenly cut off by Toby who began to speak.



“There was something written in the boys bathroom. It was found this morning by a janitor and somehow got out to the media and now everyone is all over the place looking for you...” He started. This wasn’t helping at all. I was still completely lost. “Anyways, apparently you are the new high schooler of the month or something now. Everyone wants to know you now,” He finished with a smile.



“What was in the bathroom...?” I asked kind of hesitantly. He explained that some one had written a reply to the message in the girls bathroom. This one read “I am in love. And with you, Melissa Dale. You are my everything.”



My jaw dropped when I heard what had been written. How sweet! But still...how embarrassing! How was I going to face my peers? They all must hate me for receiving so much attention right now...and I certainly did not enjoy attention this way!



Toby must have found my reaction to be funny because he had a hysterical laughter that filled the room and ruffled my emotions. Hadn’t I been through enough by now? Why this suddenly? All I could do right now was pity myself. Damn that Darcy...convincing me to go here only to have to deal with this shit! I should have just gone to Starbucks!



I was lost in my angry thoughts again and barely noticed that more people had entered the room. More people being Hannah, Darcy, Zeal, Brian Fuller, Kenneth and the principle.



They all grabbed a seat and the principle explained that he was grateful for the publicity, as I had earlier suspected, but that he could not have this continuing. We were to all keep our eyes peeled for anyone who might be a suspect for having written this. I just blankly stared at his hair piece as he rambled on. Nothing too bad had happened, really. I wasn’t penalized for anything and practically everyone I’d seen the most the past week was here in the same room with me. I wasn’t alone in this, at least.



And then it occurred to me. I hadn’t yet seen the writing for myself. I knew that if I did I’d be able to recognize whether or not it was Nine’s handwriting. So I forced my way to the boys bathroom and got a look. Everyone, of course, followed me there. When I saw it, I almost cried. It was Nine’s handwriting. Perfect handwriting. Legible and passionate.



“What is it?” Asked Hannah with concern. I hadn’t even realized it. I was crying. Tears of joy.



“Nothing,” I whispered “I’m just really...surprised is all.” Darcy and Hannah gave me a hug and then we all laughed together. This whole thing was so stupid and for some reason I was being completely over emotional about the whole thing.



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I ended up not attending school as I had originally planned not to. After my emotional half-break down I had gotten into my car to drive home but Toby insisted on driving me home seeing as how he thought I wasn’t "stable enough" to do it, and then forced me into the passenger seat of his car. Hannah and Darcy and Zeal drove my car behind us to make sure I’d have my car home with me. I got out and wobbled a little on my feet. I felt really odd. It was like the entire day hadn’t really happened. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.



“Here,” Toby said while extending his hand out to me. I had no reason to object, so I took it. I allowed him to lead me upstairs though my house and to my bed. I laid down and he sat by my side until I left consciousness and drifted into a weird sequence of dreams.



I awoke about three hours later and things seemed to have simmered down quite a bit. It wouldn’t have been such a big issue to any other school, but to our school...things like this just didn’t happen. There wasn’t hardly any graffiti at the school and people usually hid their affections a lot more. This was something new and that’s why the news liked it(That and our school had a popular basketball team that was the pride of the town or soemthing). It was a simple and pure love story for them to feast upon. And everyone in town had always liked the simple things.



When I could pull myself out of it I got out of my bed and headed downstairs. There I found Toby and my brother playing Xbox on the couch. They were arguing over points in something but they both shut up when they noticed me.



“Good morning,” Toby chimed musically.



I gave him a blank stare that was meant to be angry and hateful but I just didn’t have it in me.



“Yeah. Where have you been?” Laughed Kenneth. ‘Fuck him,’ I thought to myself. He had just used me for his own personal publicity! Ugh!



I ate some leftovers from the night before and then I went on a walk. I looked pretty rough, but I didn’t care. I just had to get out. I needed to think a bit.



I hadn’t walked more than a half a mile from my house when a car pulled over and I suddenly heard a familiar voice yell “Melissa! Get in!” followed by a honk. I turned around and it was Brian Fuller in some car. I figured “what the hell, life is all ready confusing as hell as it is. Why not add to it?” as I climbed into the passenger seat beside him, not forgetting what had happened earlier and all the questions I still wanted to ask but felt I couldn't.



“Wow,” he started “you look, um...pretty shaken.” Brian commented on my attire with a small smile and laugh.”Is it really all that bad to be flattered in public like that?”



“It’s not that. I’ve just had a few...unexpected days lately. I was a mess before this. And now this is just adding to my confusion,” I replied with complete honesty.



Brian was silent and new the exact medicine I needed to heal my wounds somehow. He drove us to Starbucks. He went through the drive-through, though. Probably because he didn’t want me to have to deal with the town people saying “That’s her!” and whispering about my love life, or whatever my love life had become.



He then silently drove us to a place that viewed over the entire town. I think it was called “Sunset peak.” I’m not certain, though. I’d only been there once before on a fourth of July years ago. It had been a really nice view of the cities fireworks. We both got out and sat on the hood of his car and sipped our drinks. It was a nice feeling. He didn’t say much and that allowed me to think. I was clearing my feelings and I felt so much better being there. It was like all the media and confusion and the questions just disappeared and all I could think about was Nine. And Nine was my favorite thing to think about, after all.



After what seemed like a long time passed Brian interrupted my thoughts...but I didn’t mind. I wanted to know what he had to say, I actually cared.



“About my eyes,” he mumbled “They are naturally teal. I just...normally I’m wearing color contacts to hide them.”



I frowned. "Why would you want to hide such beautiful eyes?” I couldn’t even stop myself from using the word ‘beautiful’ because it truly described them best.



“I. Well, I just used to get teased for it when I was really young and I got contacts at a pretty young age...so when the chance came to hide the color I couldn’t help but take it. I never thought of them as beautiful before,” he smiled a little now.



“Don’t hide them anymore,” I whispered. Then I leaned in and kissed his lips.



He broke off our kiss this time. I didn’t know why. And I also didn’t know why I had kissed him again.



“I’m not the person you’re looking for,” Brian sighed. I could tell he was a little upset to have to reveal this to me by the way his face fell and his voice trembled.



“Who...are...you...then?” I managed to get out through my tears. I was crying again. Great. ‘Now he might make fun of me,’ I thought in my head.



“I’m not him,” that was all he said before I kissed him again.



I had heard him right. He was trying to tell me he wasn’t my Nine. And he was also trying to tell me he wasn’t the person who wrote to me in the bathroom. I understood. But for some reason I couldn’t stop myself. I was so confused right now about everything except for kissing him.



And at that moment I didn’t think about Nine. At that moment all I thought about was Brian Fuller.



And part of me was released.



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A/N: I am so sorry this is so late. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to update this agin, to be honest. I was planning on leaving it behind me but I couldn’t abandon the story. This chapter, as most, has yet to be run through my Beta, but will eventually be put through it so please be kind on all my errors...I wanted to get this out right after I finished writing the chapter.



I had a really bad case of writer’s block for a long while but I think I might be able to pick up where I left off. I’m trying to being in some more feelings and questions into this. Melissa will soon find out Nine’s identity and I ask those of you who might have caught onto who he might be to keep it to yourselves. :]



Please have faith in e and my writing. Help me find the passion to finish this story!



Drop me some reviews to tell me what you think. Again, I am really very sorry to have taken so long to have updated this story. Please believe in me.



- Jenna