Tied

West Point. The room I was standing in was similar to a barrack, a dormitory for the military academy. Something was wrong about my being there. I should be somewhere else. I know I had fought for my place among the cadets, but I would rather be writing. My studies were good. I excelled in my classes. The only things missing were my favorite pen and paper. We were making our beds, preparing to leave the barracks for the day and proceed to our training and classes. I couldn’t just quit, but I had to get out. The drill sergeant would come by to check our stations in 15 minutes. I quickly set to work. I left my bed in shambles, my shoes unpolished, my wastebasket still full. If I couldn’t quit, I could get thrown out. My pen and paper would be waiting for me at home.

My eyes burned behind my fluttering lids, the remnants of my vision still flashing in my brain. I slowly opened my eyes, but it took a while for me to be able to see my surroundings. Let’s just say an empty darkened janitor’s closet isn’t the most comforting place to wake up in.

Wait…
Empty…

Panic bubbled in my chest as I frantically began to search for Rhea. No. This is not okay. Rhea has to be here. She has to.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I found her curled up in the fetal position behind the janitor’s cart. She was still in the grips of some sort of dream, and I sat down beside her. I took her hand in mine and my heart fluttered as I felt her slender fingers tighten slightly around mine. I then frowned and pulled away. Even if she did like me like that, I couldn’t allow myself to drag her down with me. I had been broken, and I couldn’t ask her to piece me back together.

I sat a few feet away and watched her silently. I had no idea how much time had passed, and I honestly didn’t care.

Okay, maybe I cared a little. I pulled out my phone and tried to turn it on. It was completely dead. I crawled over to where Rhea’s phone lay on the floor by the charger. I turned it on and checked the time. 2:37. We had been out for over an hour. There was no point in trying to go to our last period now, so I crawled back over to where Rhea lay sleeping.

Maybe she was having a vision like me…
Maybe Aurore was having a vision too…
We had to go see that psychic tomorrow…

I pulled out my earbuds and plugged them into my iPod. My music filled my ears as I stared at the wall. Several songs passed before Rhea started to stir. I quickly paused my music and went over to kneel beside her. She groaned and her eyelids fluttered as she propped herself up on her arms and gradually moved herself into a sitting position.

“How long have I been out?” She asked, her voice scratchy and hoarse. I looked down at her phone again. 2:54.

“A little over an hour. School’s almost over for today.” She rubbed her eyes and coughed a little. We sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

“So… Did… Did you see something too? When you were asleep?” I nodded slowly.

“I was Poe. I was him during his time at West Point.” She looked at me, confused. I smiled inwardly. I often have to remind myself that my friends aren’t as obsessed with creepy authors as I am. “Poe went to a military academy called West Point. He did well in his studies, but he got kicked out for disorderly conduct.” She giggled.

“He sounds a lot like you, Raven. Don’t you have detention today?” I groaned. She really didn’t have to remind me.

“We should get going. You don’t want to miss the bus, and I can’t miss detention.” She nodded and I offered my hand to help her up. She smiled as she took it, and I pulled.

Then she was close. She was really close. Her nose was a hairsbreadth from mine, and her breath was tickling my cheek. Her beautiful, startled eyes were staring straight into mine. I did the only thing I could.

I turned around and walked away. I grabbed my bookbag and my phone and walked out the closet door.

“See you later Rhea. I’ll call you after detention so we can talk about these words and stuff. We should talk to Aurore, too.”

I didn’t look back as I turned down the hallway and headed to the detention room. The dismissal bell sounded, and the hallways filled with students. I walked into the classroom, handed in my pink slip, and sat down with the other highschool ruffians.

All I could think of as I sat there was Rhea. That look in her eyes when she realized how close I was. It almost looked like she wanted me to bridge the gap between us and make contact.
But surely that couldn’t be it. She was my friend, and nothing more.