Awake Part 4

~ Brady ~

All through class, I work up my courage. Why shouldn't I talk to Bryn? I'm sure she could use a friend. But as usual, the thought of words said aloud makes my tongue seem to tangle. I keep on glancing at her from the corner of my eye; after she finishes talking with Jenna, she works intently, her face a little flushed. I hear Jenna's quip about me and her claim on Ethan, but I disregard it. Who cares what Jenna says? I just want Bryn to somehow not be awkward around me, at least not more than she is with most people. And I wish that Bryn didn't like Ethan, even though I feel selfish for doing it. She liked him in my dream world too.

Finally, I get myself to open my mouth. "Bryn? Do you need any help?" It seems a stupid thing to say; Bryn's always been smarter than me. She helps me, not the other way around. She looks up at me, startled, her eyes wide. I flush a little. "I mean, with your work. Because you haven't been here."

Finally, a touch of smile crosses her face, and her eyes take on a familiar softness. "No, I'm all right, Brady," she says. I feel relief when she uses my name. "Thank you. You've been looking out for me today."

I look away because I'm lost for words again. I feel terribly awkward. She continues working and I can hear the scratch of her pencil as it zooms across the paper. I wonder if she'll start staring out the window when she finishes, like in my dreams.

Ethan pokes me from my other side. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You're talking?" he asked, his face somewhere between teasing and impressed. I glower at him and shrug. There's not much point to speaking, I think. Jenna (who sits in front of me) is chewing on the end of her pencil and staring at Bryn. I long to ask if Bryn knows me the way she did in my dreams--but that's impossible. Just a fool's dream.

I force myself to stop thinking about Bryn. I stare at the homework on my desk, wishing it would just do itself for once. I'm no good at schoolwork, and I don't want to be. It's too boring. And what's the point of listening to a gaggle of teachers who dislike and mistrust me before even making an effort to know me? I'm getting angry and frustrated now. School is like a cage!

"Brady? Umm, maybe I could help you?"

I'm startled by the sound of Bryn's voice, soft as it is. I turn to stare at her, shocked. For Bryn, that was very forward. She's blushing though, not looking me in the eye. I can't help but smile just a little then.

"Please," I say, scooting my desk to hers. The noise makes the whole class look around and immediately the room is full of surprised whispers. I present my work to Bryn; it doesn't matter that she's a sophomore and I'm a senior, I know she'll still understand it. Sure enough, she picks up my math first; pre-cal, which is lower than many seniors, but I'd struggled to get that far. Her face gets this penetrating look and she frowns a little, her eyes zooming down the paper. Then I see the familiar light of understanding. She sets the paper back down in front of me. "Okay, so instead of this, try thinking of it this way...."

I listen to her like I can never bring myself to listen to the teachers. She makes more sense, anyway. She has a way of saying just the right things so I understand. By the end of the hour, I have about three times the normal amount of homework done, and somehow she's finished hers, too. For the first time, I feel glad to be alive and awake rather than sleeping. If Bryn's here, somehow everything will work out in the end.

~ Bryn ~

I wake up for my second day of school bright and early. Mom and Dad have both refused to let me work in the restaurant or daycare before school, so that I can take my mornings a little easier. I don't mind. I get up at five-thirty anyway, stretch, and go to my bedroom window. I've got a room to myself on the second floor of our house, and it has a nice view of the street and the park beyond. I sit down on a chair and just watch outside, reminiscing. In my dreamworld, Brady would often be there under my window when I got up. He walks a lot because it calms him down. After a while, he started going past my house around this time so he could check up on me before going to the restaurant for his breakfast. He'd just look up silent and unsmiling and nod at me to make sure I was okay that morning and then go on his way.

I close my eyes briefly. I miss that.

I hear Sharalee coming out her room with a loud yawn, and I open my eyes for one last look out my window before changing for school--and I stop and stare, shocked.

Brady is there, his school bag tucked under one arm, the wind making his braid snap a little behind him. He stares up at my window for a moment, nods his customary nod, and then continues on his way.

I sink to the ground, heart pounding. What on Earth? All of this time, everything has been different. No friendship with Ethan or Jenna. There isn't even any casual acquaintances that will know me anymore. Except Brady is acting the way he did in my dreams, as though he's known me most of his life.

I don't know what to think!

I don't realize how long I sit there on the floor until Sharalee starts pounding on my door. "Bryn!" she calls. "Bryn, you were supposed to be down here twenty minutes ago! You aren't going to have time for breakfast--we've got ten minutes before it's time to go!"

My head snaps up and I jump into action, opening the door and sticking out my head. "Sorry!" I call after Shara's retreating back, then dash around getting ready for school. I make it down with my backpack just in time; she's just grabbing the car keys from the counter and herding Beth out the door.

As Beth and I climb in the backseat and Sharalee drives, Beth takes my hand. "I saw Brady Morningway outside our house today," she says. "I've never seen him around here before."

"Really?" I ask, my voice a squeak. That meant it wasn't likely to be a fluke: Brady wasn't just walking his usual route or anything. "I wonder what brought him here today."

"I think you did, Bryn," Sharalee says, looking at us with her rearview mirror. "The whole school's been buzzing about it. He seems to have taken a liking to you. No one's ever seen him so sociable before, apparently!"

I place my hands over my face to feel the warmth in my cheeks. "I don't know," I whisper. Why would Brady treat me as anything special? It had been crazy enough in my dream that Ethan had liked me enough to ask me on a date, and I think he just did to be nice. But to have Brady interested in me? It seems impossible.

Beth looks concerned. "Bryn? Are you okay?"

I don't know how to answer. I don't want to lie, but I'm unsure what "okay" means right now. Beth smiles shyly and curls up against me.

"I'm glad you're back, Bryn," she says, tucking her head against my arm like a small child.

I positively melt.