Chapter Nine

I woke in my own bed and feeling more exhausted than I ever had. I was wearing the same cloths I wore the day before. I scratched my head bewildered.

Suddenly my phone started vibrating on my night stand. I grabbed it and flipped it open, not even checking to see who it was.

“Hello?” I said, still groggy.

“Genna! I am so glad I go a hold of you. I was getting worried.”

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. It was Cameron. I groaned and threw the phone across the room. It shattered into pieces. I watched it on the floor for a while before throwing myself back and pulling the covers over my face. I was going to have to pay seriously for that.

I realized that I had to get up eventually and face the day. Before anything, I checked my email and I had a new message from Peter. He sent me some new lyrics.

Her eyes send me searching

For something better in this world

But I’m caught in between surreal

And what is best for this girl.

Her voice is the one I wish to seek

So smooth like an angels breath.

My eyes will tell her what my mouth can’t speak.

I read them a few times before I replied with a simple ‘good job.’ I didn’t feel like going into any detail that might jeopardize our friendship. I took a shower after, a long warm shower. I stood there for a long time just letting the water roll down my body against the tense muscles. I took a few deep breaths then collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. It felt like some one was sitting on my chest. I had absolutely no control over my body’s actions.

Sitting on the bathtub floor, I heard some one pounding at my door, which was conveniently unlocked. It was Bailey and he didn’t wait for me to answer before he came barging in. It didn’t take him long to realize that I was naked. He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around me so he wouldn’t see anything. I couldn’t move any part of my body, I didn’t want to.

“What’s wrong, Genna?” He asked, he knelt on the floor next to the tub. “He thought you were hurt or something.”

I started shivering, “Wwwwhooo?” I asked between chattering teeth. I must have sounded like an owl.

“That guy I was telling you about. His name is Jasper. He talks to me sometimes, like when he told us we couldn’t go into those rooms. I was eating breakfast in my room when he told me that something was wrong with you.”

I tried to sit up only to slip in the water and fall again hitting my chin on the floor. “Jasper,” he murmured. “I can’t do this alone. Help us, please.”

As soon as Bailey finished pleading with the air, my body felt weightless. I was lifted out of the tub and, being cradled like a baby; I was brought into my bedroom and put on my bed.

“Go.” I heard a soft whisper through the air. Bailey hesitated but then quickly ran out of the room. Then everything went dark.

I didn’t know what happened and I really didn’t want to. It was scary to be fine one moment and spazing out the next. Of all places to do so, my body just had to pick the shower to shut down.

I woke up in my bed again, it was dark outside. There were a few candles scattered around my room that were lit. I wasn’t wearing any cloths but I was decently wrapped in my sheets.

Some one from the edge of my bed cleared his throat and I shot up.

“Oh!” I gasped, surprised.

Jasper was sitting far away from me on the bed. “You scared me for a moment there. I have never seen someone go through such an episode so young.”

I shook my head and brought the sheets up closer to my neck. “I don’t know what that was, but I’m completely embarrassed.” I said, looking away from him shyly.

“Genevieve,” his face suddenly hard with anger. “You had a seizure; you can’t possibly be embarrassed for that. It wasn’t life threatening, so there was no need to call an ambulance.”

“Yeah,” is said, wiping my arms that were thick in sweat, “it hasn’t happened in a while. The doctors said I should be fine if I take my meds but I guess they were wrong. It’s only when I stress out, but I was completely fine in the shower.”

“You put on a good show, but I think you are suffering inside more than you let anyone know.” He looked away from me, down to his hands.

“Suffering?” I asked.

He held up the silver square that at one point was my cell phone. “Cameron.” He walked over to my computer and moved the mouse slightly to turn off my Robert Pattinson screen saver and Peter’s email was still there. “Peter.” He picked up my diary and showed it to me before he put it back down. “Damien.”

Okay, so I had a couple of guys on my mind. “If you’re suggesting that I’m fickle, you are ridiculously wrong.”

He shook his head. “Me,” he said, ignoring my comment.

I sighed, “Cameron isn’t a part of my life anymore, even though he would like to think differently. Peter is just a friend, one of my very few friends. Damien, I don’t know about Damien.” In a smaller voice I added, “You aren’t real.”

He sat back down on the bed but didn’t look at me as he said, “What do I have to do to convince you that I’m not just a figment of your imagination?”

“What did you do to convince Susan?” He stood up, startled. “Since you said that her and I are the same, then it would take the same thing, wouldn’t it?”

He walked to my door and looked down the stairs. “Someone’s here.” He muttered. Then he walked back to the bed, faster than I had ever seen anyone move before. “Get dressed. You wouldn’t want to answer the door looking like that.” He almost spat at me. Then he was out the door before I could protest.

I shuffled into my closed and found a green t-shirt and jeans. As I was making my way down the stairs, the door bell rang. “What, is he psychic now too?” I asked under my breath.

“No, not psychic. He has been standing on the porch deliberating if he should knock or not. I’d rather he just went away.” Jasper said that the bottom of the stairs.

I dramatically rolled my eyes at him so that I knew he saw and opened the door. Peter was standing there with his hand behind his head. “Hey,” he said, “Did you maybe want to go out?”

He could mean two things by that. One: go on a date with him. Two: go out as friends. “I c-can’t.”

“Oh.” He said in a low, disappointed tone.

“It’s my brother,” I said lamely. “I can’t just leave him alone.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Do you want to stay in, then?” he asked, and then he laughed nervously at his own lame joke.

“Yeah, I guess there is really no choice there.” He looked around trying to find words that would make this conversation less awkward. “Maybe you could come back tomorrow and watch a movie or something.”

He smiled, “yes!” he said, eagerly. He turned to leave, but turned back. “What time?” he asked,

I forced a laugh, “Is seven okay?” He nodded and walked away down the long driveway.