In Your Dreams...

Neveah watched as stones were thrown at Masael by local kids. She shook her head. Neveah found her friends in a bar. Braedan noticed Neveah and stood up. He sighed.

“You leaving already?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Neveah replied, approaching Braedan. She hugged him tightly.

Braedan whispered, “I wish you would stay.”

“I know you do.”

“Masael’s castle could be your home,” Braedan made one last desperate suggestion.

Neveah chuckled and said, “I promise I will come and visit often. Every weekday during my study hall definitely.”

Braedan removed his bandanna. He pecked Neveah on the cheek and offered a small smile. He said, “Sorry I can’t see you go. Saying goodbye to a good friend has always been hard for me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Neveah said.

Hunter stood up and embraced Neveah tightly. He murmured, “I’m so happy you arrived when you did.”

“I’ll miss you, Hunter,” Neveah said with a chuckle.

Hunter let go of Neveah and patted her arm, telling her, “You’re a pretty cool chick, Neveah. Don’t ever loose your spunk.”

“I won’t.” Neveah headed to the door. She waved to everyone. “Bye. I’ll miss you all, I'll drop by soon, okay?”

“I’ll keep a Acapulco’s Malibu handy,” the bartender called.

Everyone laughed. Neveah shook her head and walked. There was one more place she wanted to say goodbye to before she went home. Neveah picked up some flowers and walked to the cemetery. She approached Amsden’s grave. Neveah set a couple flowers down. She sighed, reading over the headstone.

“Well, Amsden. I’m sorry you weren’t here to experience the silent revolution. But I’m sure you could see it from where you are,” Neveah said. “I can’t believe so much had happened so fast. There were so many rash choices made.” Neveah shook her head. “Anyway, it’s all over. Everyone can live in peace from now on. And, I want to ask you to take care of Riley for me.”

Neveah looked next to Amsden’s grave, where Riley was buried. His headstone had the quote “This never happened” but not to be ironic. Neveah set the rest of the flowers on his grave. She wiped away unshed tears and shook her head. “You really threw me a curve ball,” She said to Riley. “You hated me so much and yet, you gave your life for me. I wish you would have stuck around longer for me to figure out why I like you so much.” Neveah paused, keeping herself composed. She chuckled a little. “I guess it’s appropriate that you died a jerk.”

Neveah sighed and stood up. She looked over her friends’ graves one last time then walked away. Neveah found the scepter that had the teleporting power in it now. She picture her cozy room. There was a low popping sound and, without any teleporting signs, Neveah saw the scene blur in fast speed.

Neveah stood in her darkly lit room. She slightly smiled, glad to be home sweet home. Her bedroom light suddenly flashed on and Wyatt stood at Neveah’s door. He had a weirded out expression on his face.

“What just happened?” he asked.

Neveah laughed, putting an arm around her brother, and said, “It’s a long story, Wyatt. It’s more like a fairy tale.”

“You owe me for the fact that I have been covering for you for like a week now,” Wyatt chirped.

Neveah ruffled Wyatt’s hair while he protested. “I thought you were too old for make believe,” she teased.

“Neveah,” Wyatt whined.

Neveah set the scepter on her dresser and pulled Wyatt to her bed. She sat him down next to her and faced him. Wyatt’s eyes lit up when he realized he was finally going to hear about what his sister has been up to. Neveah started her long story with the ever famous beginning of “one upon a time”.

Neveah switched out books in her locker. She had so much she had to catch up on. Kelsey and Alexa were still trying to get Neveah to spill the bean on why she had been missing in action for so long. Alexa was stuck on the idea of Neveah having a secret lover that she went on vacation with. Though there was a life changing war in the other world, nothing had changed in Neveah’s world.

Neveah followed her friends down the hall before they would split up for their different classes. She couldn’t help but fill a bit off. Hurlaoth held a part of Neveah. It was like her home away from home. There was a constant tare in Neveah between the world she knew and the world she had began to know. It didn’t make it easy for the home transition. Neveah, Alexa, and Kelsey stopped halfway down their class hall to say goodbye.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for the biology room,” a voice said behind the girls.

“Poor freshman,” Neveah said, shaking her head. Alexa and Kelsey laughed.

Neveah turned around. Her heart jumped out her chest, her expression turning to disbelief. She thought she could have been staring at a ghost. But there was no mistaking the life that poured into the iron-grey eyes Neveah stared at. Alexa and Kelsey turned around to greet the student.

“I’m Riley Dain. I’m new here and I have no clue what’s going on,” he explained truthfully.

“You’re dead,” Neveah whispered.

Riley gave Neveah a cocky grin and said, “I died for the same reason I came back.”

Alexa and Kelsey were clearly out of their element. They stepped out the way and became a couple of on-lookers. Neveah felt tears fill her eyes as she shook her head asking herself, “How is this possible?”

“Can I tell you about it sometime? Maybe over dinner?” Riley asked.

“Damn it, Riley,” Neveah said as her books fell to the floor. Neveah crossed the distance between her and Riley. Riley caught Neveah in a hug. He held her warmly. “I hate you,” Neveah breathed out.

“I guess we’re gunna be opposite in feelings in this world then?” Riley asked jokingly.

Neveah’s lips covered Riley’s in a quick move. Riley was taken back by surprise at Neveah’s action. But, he didn’t mind. Riley wasn’t going to let his past come into play with his future. And as far as Riley was concerned, Neveah was his future now. Riley kissed back with as much desperate passion as Neveah. Alexa and Kelsey were deeply confused as to the heck was going on with their friend.

“Um, Neveah?” Alexa called. “The tardy bell’s gunna ring in like a half a minute.”

Neveah parted from Riley with a grin. Riley’s eyes gleamed. Neveah took Riley’s hand and led him toward the biology class, asking, “Seriously, how are you here?”

“Some mirrored life bull crap. Amsden said because Hurlaoth was a reflection of your world, there was someone like me there-just not really me. Amsden helped me cross over to here,” Riley said. “I was lucky though. If you were really staying in Hurlaoth I was gunna be screwed on how to reach you.”

Neveah and Riley stepped into the class just as the bell rang. Neveah turned to Riley and asked, “You really came back for me?”

“I might not have always shown it because of reasons I’ll tell you in the future. But, I like you a lot, Neveah,” Riley said, brushing a piece of Neveah’s hair behind her ear. “I’ll die again to prove it to you.”

“No-no. Once is enough,” Neveah said, walking Riley to her seat. Riley chuckled.

The biology teacher included Riley into the class and started some notes. Riley took Neveah’s hand in his. He leaned over to her and whispered, “I guess were even in deaths now.” Neveah gave him a confused look. “You died once and I died one.”

“Yeah.”

“But I saved your life more times than you saved mine.”

Neveah and Riley got into a quiet argument on whether or not Riley sacrificing himself counted considering they both knew Masael was too cynical to agree to keep her alive. The argument ended when Riley laughed and shook his head.

“What?” Neveah asked, scrunching her face up.

“Is this how we’re gunna be with each other from now on?” Riley asked silently. “It wouldn’t be such a change from when we were friends in Hurlaoth.”

Neveah cocked her head with a small smile and said, “I think it’s a lot different from that now.” Neveah leaned over to Riley and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Riley cupped Neveah’s cheek in his hand and whispered, “How about I come over later and play you something sweet on the Nethl?”

Neveah giggled. She nodded, pecking Riley’s cheek in response. Riley grinned. He rested his head on Neveah’s shoulder and the two of them half listened to the biology teacher’s lecture on crawfish.

Now things were getting good. Now things were going to be okay. Neveah had Riley and Riley had Neveah and they both had a whole world to escape to, with new friends and lives to be had. Becoming a portal was one of the most adventurous things Neveah did. She just wish she could rub it in Kelsey’s ‘it’s always the same” face.