Strings

Alex stayed behind to clean up the party mess. At least that's what he told my parents. The whole while we were cleaning he kept shooting suspicious looks at me. I kept focused on my cleaning, but I could feels his eyes on me. When we'd finished we stopped and stared at each other for a while. It was the most awkward silence I've ever been through.

"Are you cheating on me?" Alex blurted out.

"Excuse me? No. What in hells name gave you the idea I'm cheating on you?" Maybe
I sounded too defensive because the reaction I got from him was a sneer and an eye roll. "Alex I've never cheated on you."

"Then what was that?" He demanded.

"What was what?" I asked.

"That," he pointed at the dance floor. "That dance and touching and looking with that man!"

"It was dancing," plain and simple. Kind of.

"I've danced with you and we've never danced like that," he made gestures of two people dancing, but they were more like groping. Our dance had not been that provocative.

"It's not my fault you have two left feet and all we can do is sway when we dance together," I snapped. My anger was rising and when that happened the gloves came off.

"You've never had a problem with my dancing before," he snapped.

"You're right I've never had a problem with your dancing. That's not the point though is it. Alex I've never cheated on you." He glared at me and shook his head in defeat.

"I believe you," he whispered. "I'm sorry it's just the way you looked at that man. You've never looked at me like that."

"Yes I have," a long time ago.

"Not in the past year. I love you Aggie and we're supposed to be starting our lives together soon. I need to know that you love me too." Here it was. Time to come clean and end it with him.

I opened my mouth but I couldn't do it. His blue eyes were full of fear and instead of telling him that I wasn't in love with him anymore I said, "Of course I love you Alex." Stupid stupid stupid!

"I love you too," he closed the distance between us. He kissed me and I tried to kiss him like I used to. He pulled away and for a moment something shown in his eyes. Doubt, or maybe he was mirroring my eyes.

"You should go. We have school tomorrow and we both need some sleep." I kissed him this time to try and take that look out of his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah okay. Goodnight Aggie."

"Goodnight Alex."



The next morning I was extremely tired. I'd barely slept the night before. I'd laid in bed last night and was out before my head hit the pillow, but the dream I'd had woke me up and hour later and I couldn't sleep. It was such an odd dream and I knew I'd be fretting over it all day.

The dream was in black and white. I was sitting in a night club, smoke filled the air and characteristic spirals above my head. I was sitting in front a stage, and band was playing. Men in tuxedos with large instruments. Saxophones, trumpets, a piano, one man stood in front of a microphone. I knew that man. It was Erik. His was also in a tuxedo, his hair was slicked back, and when he looked at me, he smiled and winked.

The band began to play and he began to sing. He sang beautifully in my head. Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned and there was Alex. Dressed in a suit, his hair slicked back like Erik's is. He held out his hand. I slipped mine into his and he helped me stand up.

I looked down at myself and I was wearing one of those dresses from the 20s. A flapper dress I think. It was white like snow and around the bottom of the dress were white feathers. He led me out onto the floor. We swayed back and forth. My eyes turned back to Erik who was still singing and staring at me. I took my eyes off of him to look back at Alex, but he was gone and in his place was Erik. I looked back up at the stage, and Erik was still there singing. I looked at the band and every person was Erik. He was every person in the club except for me of course.

I looked back at him. He smiled softly and twirled me around and around the room. He lowered me into a dip, and we he pulled me back up he leaned in close to me. His lips covered mine for a half a second before a sharp pain ran through my back. When Erik pulled away there was blood on his mouth.

"How?" I said before collapsing in his arms. Everything was blurry but I was still able to see Alex standing over me with a bloody knife.

That's when I woke up. The dream had been so disturbing it kept me up until five in the morning. I only had two hours of sleep and right now I was yawing into my bowl of cereal. That still didn't stop dad from going on and on about Harvard.

"We should get you on the dorms list right away. I was thinking we could take a trip up there this weekend and tour the campus," and on and on he went.

"Dad that sound great but can we do this later," I yawned again.

"Aggie you need to start preparing for your future!"

"I know dad," yawn, "but I'm too tired. I'll think of my future tomorrow. Promise." I got up and grabbed my bags for school and dance class. "See you tonight." I called back to him as I left.

I blasted music on the way too school so I wouldn't fall asleep at the wheel. My first class was English. We were currently reading Animal Farm. I couldn't tell you what happens, because after the first three words the teacher read I fell asleep.