Everything Happens for a Reason

For some reason I couldn't make myself go to sleep that night. No matter how much I tried, those same words ran through my head. Protect you, Ryan said. Protect me from what? The emotions that coursed through me was hardly fair. I didn't know what to feel.

I was living the past 16 years of my life normally, until I got the news of me being in sudden danger. I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into.

I woke up that morning, probably only getting 10 minutes of sleep. I forced myself out of bed and made breakfast for Cris and me.

"Morning," she yawned, stretching her arms, walking in the kitchen.

"Morning," I smiled.

I set down her eggs and toast in front of her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She must've sensed my stiffness.

"Remember I told you that Mason came over last night?"

"Yeah..." She said, while taking a bite from her toast.

"Well you see, he gave me some advice about my dreams."

"You told him about your dreams?"

"Yeah, and he said if I wanted to know more about it, I should keep thinking of what I'm to ask this mysterious voice." I nodded , in reply.

"Did it work?"

"Heck yeah it did...and that's what got me in my mood this morning. After I woke up, I just couldn't sleep again." My hands started shaking.

I didn't even notice Cristel getting up from her seat. She came over and hugged me.

"You don't have to tell me what happened. But you should know, that I'm here for you." She informed me.

"The voice belonged to Ryan." I blurted.

Her eyes went wide.

"But it sounded so different. I think by now I would know how his voice sounded like. But the one in the darkness, it sounded like him, but in a much different way. He said...h-he said, that h-he was p-protecting me."

"From what?"

"I don't know! Ugh, and that's what's keeping me up. I don't know if I should be afraid, more careful, or if I should even believe it!"

"Shhh, calm down hun, we'll figure it out." Cristel shushed me down before I got into a sudden outburst.

"Okay so I've got today all planned out..." A figure stood at our doorway, his voice faltering once he saw our position.

"Whats wrong?" Reid said.

Reid was our best guy friend. He was always there whenever Cris couldn't be. Reid Anthony Booke has jet black hair that swept over his eyes, brilliant gray eyes, toned body, proper height, and sorta good-looking.

"Someone gonna tell me, or am I gonna have to force it out of one of you guys' mouth?"

You might be wondering why, or even how he got into our dorm room. He's the only guy me and Cris have trusted with the spare key to our room, incase neither of us looses ours. We usually didn't mind him coming over. Compared to his dorm, our dorm was squeaky clean.

"Not now." Cristel mouthed. Reid formed a 'o' shape with his mouth.

Wanting to get out of this dorm and get my mind off the recent events I asked, "So what do you have planned?"

"OH yeah." He grinned, changing the mood in the room from despair to joy.

"Okay so I think today we should go watch that new movie that's playing on campus theatre, I heard it had great reviews. Then he have lunch at Chez Andre, my treat! Then I say we should walk around the garden like we used to, and visit our spot" His grin got even wider.

Our spot. A place where I haven't been to since his death. Our spot was located underneath this huge cherry tree. which was always the color of pink, except during autumn. We haven't claimed that as ours, but it was the only spot that secluded us from the hectic life we have. The tree sat on top of the smallest hill that overlooked the school, but secluded it from everyone by the bushes aand tall grasses that surrounded it.

That was the spot where me and Cris met Reid. And it was where we all claimed that we would be bestfriends forever. No one knew about that spot. Not even Ryan. Strictly friends.

Cris looked at me, and then decided that I did need to go out and have fun so she said," Oh my gosh! I haven't been there in such a while. Especially with what happened and everything." She took a sideways glance at me.

"You know, I think it would be nice to get some fresh air." I said.

"Wait, what movie is it?" Cris asked Reid. "Grown Ups" He replied.

"OHH I wanted to watch that movie!" She squealed.

And with that, I got dressed and headed out with my two best friends.

The movie was really good. And funny. I haven't laughed in a while ever since...well you know. We headed up to Chez Andre to have some lunch. I was surprised at how much fun we were having.

We were laughing and talking and catching up on things. Like how Reid has another girl on his mind. I swear that boy moves from girl to girl, each week. This week was some girl named Eliza, and apparently they have been both sneaking out in class to make out.

My life finally started to look normal. It's finally going back to the way it was before, when I was happy with my friends.

After lunch we walked to 'our spot' and once we got there, it was more beautiful than ever. Today, near the end of spring, the tree has fully blossomed into its full cherry-ness. The flowers bloomed into bright pink. And underneath the tree, Reid had a surprise, there was a huge checkered blanket, and a jar of cookies to the side.

"Wow, I really do miss this place." I whispered.

"What no milk?" Cris said, referring to the cookies.

I chuckled lightly while Reid had a worried look on his face.

"I think she was kidding Reid, chill" I laughed, and walked to the blanket. I took of my shoes, and just layed down. For the first time, thinking of nothing.

I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into a much needed sleep.

==========


"This is not your battle, why have you come here!!?" Mason's voice boomed so loudly.

Where am I?

"You very know well that this is my battle son," The man that loomed over Mason said.

I think....I think this was the night I saw Mason on the ground. But it can't be. Xavier said that....that I was just imagining it.

I was right, I was back behind the school gardens, looking through the tall grasses of the courtyard.

I watched them, and I walked closer. Both men hadn't noticed my presence at all.

"You can't hurt her! You can't bring her into this!" Mason yelled, his voice not quavered once.

"But I haven't brought her in, you did son...you did," The man said, whispering the last couple of words.

"NO!" Mason yelled.

A flash of fury went through the man's eyes. And there was something, something so familiar about those eyes.

The man lifted his arms up, and his hands started to glow a bright blue.

It was like gathering all the energy and power around him making his one blast extremely strong.

All of this, this is all, impossible!

"You can't hurt me!" Mason hissed through his gritted teeth.

"Just watch me, you just watch me." And with that the bright blue glow shot from his palms. Making the whole place flash with the sudden brightness. The white blinding light.

Then a loud sonic clash. The brightness of the blue died down, letting me see this bright red glow that surrounded Mason's entire body.

Just like what I saw that night

The man's eyes flashed with anger. Mason looked like he was barely holding on, just barely trying to protect himself from the man's undying power.

Then all of a sudden, Mason's sea-green eyes met mine. They were full of hope, and courage, and once he met my dull hazel eyes, determination hardened through his.

Wait, did he see me?

Then I noticed that he looked past me. I turned to look behind me, and there I saw...me!? I was hiding behind the bush

I remember this

I turned back again, back to the two men battling each other out. I walked forward, wanting to help him, wanting to comfort him. And every step I took, closer to him, the brightness of his red shield dimmed.

The man saw this, and knew that he was going to win. The man yelled, completely taking advantage of Mason's sudden distraction, sudden weakness. I saw him surge all the power he had, and created the brightest blue light I have ever seen. I then knew that Mason might not win this battle.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screeched, speaking up for the first time.

"ANNABELL!"

==========

"I told you, you should've brought milk!" A voice said.

"Sorry, I didn't know this was going to happen...do you think she's awake yet?"

"Well, you idiot, you had to slap her didn't you?!"

Slap who?

"Well you told me to do something! That was the first thing my mind told me to do!"

'Well maybe next time you shouldn't listen to what your hard head tells you to!"

"Well you didn't do anything helpful either!"

All this arguing is giving me a headache

"Guys. Shut. Up." I groaned, still not wanting to open my eyes.

"She's alive!" Cris screeched.

"See, what did I tell you! Slapping her was a great idea!" Reid said.

My eyes opened, and I sat up.

"You what?" I glared at him.

"Well, you see, you were screaming, and you wouldn't wake up..." Reid mumbled.

I layed back down, I looked at my surroundings, noticing that we were still under the cherry tree.

"So you're the cause of my major headache?" I groaned, wincing in pain.

"Sorry." He said, sheepishly.

"Anna, are you okay? A moment ago, I thought you were having a seizure or something, I was seriously about to call 911," Cris said, concerned.

"Ugghh, I feel horrible, how about I tell you later?"

"Okay, you better. Let's go back to our dorm, I believe an aspirin will help that headache."

Reid and Cris both helped me up, and we walked started walking my to our dorm.

On the way there, we passed by the courtyard, where it all happened.

My memory was suddenly running back to the past events, connecting the dots.

I really need to have a talk with those boys...