Sleeping Sickness

A haunted man who can't out-run his ghosts. They're in my skin and my bones.

The first thing that broke through my deep sleep was the ringing of a telephone. I groaned, regretting sleeping on the couch for the simple fact that the telephone was located right behind my head on a table pressed against the back of the sofa. I sighed and picked up the cordless phone, with my left hand as I kept on my stomach. I was fully aware that I was expected to answer the phone here as if it were my own, just as it was the same for Nicole if she were to be at my house.

I dropped my head back down into the pillow. "Hello?" I mumbled, the pillow muffling my voice.

"Jasey, baby is that you?" I felt my muscles tense in my body as Brian's voice floated through the phone. Concern was clearly evident as he rushed out his sentence, as if he were panicking on the other line.

I blinked and turned to lay on my left side, my back pressed up against the cushions on the couch. "Uh, yea, hey Brian," I stumbled, biting my lip, "it's me."

There was a short pause on the other line but I still detected Brian letting out a deep sigh of relief. "I woke up this morning and you weren't in bed." His voice sounded as if he were moving, and then as if to prove me right I heard a door close and then the movement of Brian falling down onto our bed or the couch. "I couldn't find you, and noticed a pair of your shoes gone and one of your hoodies. I just waited around here to see if you came back, but panicked when you didn't." He paused and then began again, "all I got on your phone was your voice mail. Honestly, I don't know why I waited to call Nicole last out of everyone, that was dumb..." he quietly trailed off, as if he were scolding himself.

I smiled lightly and felt a pang of sorrow flow through me, because this was Brian I was talking to, not Synyster Gates. "I'm sorry B," I apologized and then stood up and walked to the bay window in the back of Nicole's house, facing the ocean. "Nicole and I went out last night for a drive and stopped at this new cafe by the beach about a block from here. We came back here and I fell asleep on the couch. I didn't mean to," I sighed, putting my hand on the window as my eyes fell to the floor, "I should've called you.

"It's okay baby," he whispered. "I was just worried about you."

I nodded my head, "I know you were Brian."

"Do you want me to come and pick you up?" he asked as I began to make my way back towards the couch. Honestly, I really didn't want him to. I didn't want to see him right now, and that thought made me feel so incredibly horrible.

I might have been going out on a limb and possibly over-reacting, but I was petrified of seeing him tonight, when he turned into a monster. I was so scared that he would take out last nights events on me tonight. I needed to think of something quick, I didn't want to be alone with him, even if this was the side I loved.

"Actually," I began to answer, trying to stall. When Nicole walked into the room from the stairs that lead to the upstairs of her house, a random thought struck my mind. "Nicole and Zack are having a barbecue tonight, so I need to stay here and help Nicole prepare for that." Nicole shot her head towards me and gave me a look of pure-confusion, until I mouthed 'Brian' to her.

She walked into the kitchen and picked up another phone in there, "hey Brian, how're you doing?"

"Alright, how're you Nicole?"

"Just woke-up, we had a long walk last night, wore me right out." I furrowed my eyebrows, it was like she was a mind-reader.

I heard Brian chuckle on the phone, "that's what Jasey said. How was the new cafe?"

"Not bad at all, we'll have to take you and Zack there maybe tomorrow sometime. I think you guys would like it," she offered casually. "Anyways, not to keep you from talking to Jasey, I just wanted to tell you that Zack and I decided tonight would be great for a barbecue. So if you wouldn't mind gathering up the guys and girls as we start getting everything ready, that would be a great help."

I held my breath, hoping that he'd buy it. But it wasn't anything out of the usual to be honest. We were always having get-together's, and this time around it was Zack and Nicole's turn to host it at their house.

"Of course, what time do you want everyone there?"

Just as Nicole was about to answer, Zack joined us downstairs and looked at us like we were some sort of aliens, perhaps because we were on different phones, with our hair misplaced, and talking about something he hadn't heard of before this moment. Who know's why, it was Zack and he was still half asleep.

"Hey baby," Nicole called. Zack turned to look at her and his face lit up as he smiled. "What time should Brian tell everyone to be here by for our barbecue tonight?"

If I didn't love Zack before, I loved him a million times more now. He quickly caught on to what was going on and shouted out, "five o'clock, everything should be ready for then. Tell them to bring beer!"

We all let out a laugh, including Brian. "Alright, five o'clock and beer, got it." Brian replied.

"See you then," Nicole said and then hung-up the phone, and waited for Zack to meet her in the kitchen. I watched as he wrapped his arms around her waist and mumbled something to her before kissing her lips and hugging her tight to him.

"Well, Nicole is already in the kitchen, so I guess I should go help before she threatens to beat me," I let out a light laugh.

"Okay baby, I'll see you in a few hours. Do you want me to bring you anything from home?"

I looked down to what I was wearing, "um, I'm good. I'll just grab something from Nicole's closet, but thanks."

"Okay, see you later then. I love you," Brian said into the phone gently.

"I love you too," I replied and then turned off the phone before placing it back into its cradle. I stood up and made my way towards the kitchen, prepared for what might be thrown at me.

"Alright, we're making a simple ceaser salad, so grab everything out of the fridge that we'll need," Nicole ordered as she grabbed out a bowl and pulled up her hair into a loose bun.

Zack set his left hand on my left shoulder from behind me and kissed the back of my head. "We got your back Jase, just relax and have a good day," he whispered in my ear.

Have I ever mentioned just how much I adored my friends?