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S E V E N
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Covering my face in cold water, I rubbed at my tired eyes and looked up at my reflection. The bags under my eyes grew darker by the day as nights were becoming harder to sleep through.  My puffy red cheeks made me reach for my make up bag, sighing in anything but joy. 

The only good thing about today was that it was finally Friday. I wouldn't have to worry about school first thing in the morning, and it was a relief.

My head felt heavy, and it was getting hard to focus again. I didn't have enough energy to battle my mind today, so I allowed myself to think, but not enough to let the nightmares re enter my head.

It felt weird today, something felt very off, and it made my heart palpitate. Regardless, I continued to get ready for the day and tried with as much as I could to allow my mind to focus on the task at hand. 

Emersyn came in my room while I put my books into my bag, and climbed onto my bed to watch me. She kicked her legs and moved her eyes around the room, watching the birds from the window and then down at my backpack I was currently packing. 

After I finished getting ready, Emersyn handed me a hair fastner. "Can you braid my hair?" She smiled up at me and I sighed in defeat, she was too cute to say no to. 

"Sure," Taking the band in her hand, Emersyn giggled and turned around for me. I brushed through her curls with my fingers and sectioned her hair off for the braid. "Did you sleep good?"

"Yeah," She played with her hands and didn't say much else. It was normal for her to be quite in the morning so I didn't think much of it.

There was a sharp pain in my head and I cursed and stepped back, dropping the braid I had started. Emersyn quickly looked to see what was wrong. "What happened?"

"Nothing, it's fine, here turn around," She complied and let me finish her hair.

I finished getting ready for school, goosebumps rose over my skin.

Walking into the living room, I grabbed my jacket off the couch and my mom looked towards me with a raised brow but didn't say anything. Blurred dots covered my vision and I tried to blinked them out. 

"I'll be home right after school," I told her. Emersyn sat herself at the table with a bowl of something. I couldn't register what she was eating and it made my stomach turn. "What is that?"

"It's just strawberries," She tipped her bowl to show me the inside. The sight of red smashed berries spilling over the side of her dish made me nauseous. Quickly, I raced into the bathroom and hunched over the toilet, throwing up violently.

Vertigo consumed my senses and it felt as if my head was spinning. I almost felt as if I was in a different world, my reality was feeling less real by the minute and I couldn't think enough to wonder why this was happening.

"Blake?" Mom and Emersyn stood at the doorway, watching me with concern.

"I'm fine," I wiped my mouth and just started towards the door. "I just need to get to school."

"But, you're sick," Emersyn tugged at my wrist.

"I hardly ever get sick, I'm sure I'm fine," I smiled to comfort her and glanced at mom only a second before I left.

As I walked to school, dark spots took the corners of my sight and for a moment I didn't remember what happened this morning. Looking down at my shaking hands, I just took a deep breath and pushed myself to keep going. Surely, I had to be fine. 

Nothing had been too difficult to handle so far despite how sick I felt. I had already finished 2 classes which meant I was getting closer to the end of the day.

My head was pounding, and my ears had clogged, but it didn't seem to bother my work as I aced both pop quizzes this morning and even understood everything happening around me, even with the feeling that I was stuck in a dream. Perhaps I was just dreaming, or maybe I wasn't but I couldn't tell the difference either way.

My locker slammed shut and Oliver stood behind it. "Hey," He smiled, his bag hanging from his elbows.

"Hi," After speaking, I turned and headed towards my next class.

"Wow, no how are you?" He chuckled and then stopped when I didn't respond. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," shaking my head, I continued to walk and Oliver grabbed onto my wrist and yanked me back, tingles raced through my neck and made me lose my breath for a moment. Some kid on a skateboard zoomed in front me, I don't know how I missed him in the halls, but I didn't think much of it. "Sorry," I shook my head and started walking again.

"You seem so absent?" He walked in front of me, and watched me. His brows furrowed and his eyes going from my feet back to my face, as if any second I would start to vanish in front of him.

"You know what? I'm gonna be late to class," Another sharp pain hit my skull and I gasped, the book in my hand hitting the floor with a loud slap.

"What's going on?" A deep voice asked. I glanced up at a familiar face but couldn't figure out who it was, my heart raced and my shaking hands only seemed to tremble more as I stood in the hallway.

"Who are you?" The question fell out of my mouth before I even realized that it did.

"Seriously?" He looked frustrated by my question.

"Sorry," The bell rang and I turned down the hall and started walking once again, I wasn't sure where I was going I just knew I needed to walk.

"Blake," He yelled after me and then caught up to me, walking besides me. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet."

"You don't have French right now," He stopped me and made me look at his worry filled eyes.

"Oh, then what do I have?"

"Are you being serious? I can't tell," He watched me and Oliver did the same. Oliver had become quiet, his brows still furrowed. 

"Is she usually like this?" Oliver asked.

"Why do you care? You don't even know her," He snapped.

"She's my friend," He said calmly with a firm nod.

"What's happening?" My voice felt slurred and my body felt numb. "Why are you fighting?"

"You don't even remember my name but yet this kid is your friend?" He looked irritated but he was the least of my worries as dark circles covered all of my sight.

"I have to go to-" A heavy surge of pain hit through my head like a bullet, or what I would assume a bullet would feel like. My knees hit the floor and I grabbed at my head and screamed as the pain passed through.

Every sound around me went quiet and then it got dark.

Standing on both of my feet, I spun around in a panic. Everything was black as if I was stuck inside a box. I couldn't take a step, my feet felt stuck to the ground.

"They know," The voice echoed around the room, the vibration shaking my lungs.

"Who?"

It felt like ripples in time, the air was mild but everything was black but me. I could see my hands and moved my fingers but everything was slow, too slow. It was probably a nightmare, perhaps I fell and gained a concession. Maybe I really was stuck in a dream.

"What is happening to me?!" My fingers started to feel numb and my heart raced in my stomach. Tears brimmed my eyes and I started hyperventilating.

"Breathe, Child. You will see what you need to at the time you need it. Don't focus on this, hear my voice, see your destiny before it's too late. This is just a vision. Now wake."

"Blakely?!" My shoulders violently shook and as I woke up, Kacen and Thea stood next to me. 

"She's awake, thank goodness," Thea was looking towards someone else, but I was too tired to look.

Our school nurse walked over to me, a small smile on her face. "Here, have some water, honey," She handed me a small cup and I hesitated but took it.

"What happened?"

"You fainted in the hall," The nurse walked towards the back of the room.

"Dude," Thea smacked my shoulder and ignored my flinch. "Are you okay?"

"Did you hear it too?" My question made Kacen and Thea exchange heavy glances and then they looked back down at me.

"Hear what exactly?" Kacen's question came out slow, as if he was studying me.

"Wait just, tell me what happened," I sat up quickly and a wave of dizziness took over me. "Where's Oliver?"

"Seriously?" Kacen huffed in annoyance.

"He was with me, was he not? That's all I remember before I... fainted."

"He went to class," Thea added quickly. "Blake, you slammed hard into the ground, maybe you just need some more rest."

"Kacen," Ignoring everything Thea said, I glared towards my friend who was slowly backing away from me. "What happened?"

"You should get some rest."

"I'm fine! You know what, it doesn't matter." Grabbing my backpack off the floor I threw it over my shoulder and left the room despite my friends - and the school nurse - protests.

Everything that had happened was too strange, did it really happen or was I going crazy?

°•°•

My mom kept coming in and out of my room making sure I looked formal enough to meet her standards for the work party. Annoying as it was to have to go, it was kind of a relief, especially because I was feeling myself again.

"Try these heels," Mom shoved a pair of silver heels into my hands and then left the room again. Of course, she was already ready. She never wanted time to be wasted.

The souls of my feet were already sore from trying on a pattern of shoes, so I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to handle the party, but nonetheless it was an escape from the day I was still trying to figure out.

Mom came back in the room and handed me a hair comb to put in my low side bun and then looked me up and down. She nodded in approval and then grabbed my wrist, pulling me out the door.

"Remember, I'm trying to be on my bosses good side, don't do anything stupid, oh and I also told my friend Carol that you would dance with her son!"

"Wait, what?" Mom didn't even let my question linger as she shook it off.

"He's a nice boy, I'm sure you'll be fine," She climbed into the car and I followed.

The ride there was the easy part, but the moment we stepped out of the car I was overcome with dread.

"Carol!" My mom ran over to her friend, a tall muscular guy beside her, I avoided his gaze and slipped past them and into the large mansion. I had been here plenty of times, so it wasn't a big deal. A few people nodded their heads towards me and I pretended to care and smiled at everyone who passed.

"Hey!" A small tap hit my shoulder and I turned around to see who it was.

"Oliver? What are you doing here?" My question seemed to make him uncomfortable, his posture changed and his all around aura.

"I could ask you the same, this isn't really a good place for someone like you to be." He looked really nice, almost like a different person was standing in front of me. His face was clear, just a few freckles and his hair was combed back. He almost seemed to be taller, but I was just over thinking that part...right?

"I know right?" Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a glass of water and chugged it. "My mom drags me to these things all the time, trying to get a promotion and guess who still doesn't have one?"

He smiled, "That's interesting, I had no idea your mom-"

"Hi Blakely," Kacen approached us with a bounce in his step. "Olivia," He smirked "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Kacey, this is my grandmother's house," He smirked seeing Kacen's shocked expression.

"Wait, really? How I have not seen you here before than?" My question made both pairs of eyes land on me.

"Oh well, I just moved here with my family to be closer to Gran, she's getting older and my dad worries."

"Excuse me, dear?" Hearing his voice I audibly gagged.

"What do you want Chad?" Turning towards Carol's son, I watched a smile pierce his cheeks. Carol was permanently on my hate list after asking me to dance with Chad the first time four months ago. 

"I don't want to be here anymore than you do, just one dance and we can tell our mothers just how well we got along, unless of course you want more than that," He smirked and looked up and down my body.

"I'm sorry, she's with me," Oliver stepped in front of me, his whole demeanor changed.

"Oliver," Chad laughed. "I knew your ugly face would show itself again. Couldn't fight off Rainy?"

"How about you just leave her alone and go dance with someone who actually wants to dance, Chad." Oliver shoved his shoulders which only made Chad angry. 

"Fine, but whatever you're here for this time, it's not going to work," Chad spat, turning towards the crowd. We all watched as he stormed off.

"Sorry about that." Oliver turned to face me and Kacen.

"I could have made him leave, do you seriously think acting all tough and mighty around her is gonna make her want you?" Kacen ran his hand through his hair aggressively and then grabbed a glass of wine that was being passed around on a tray.

Taken aback by Kacen's words, even Oliver seemed to be, I didn't say a word. "I apologize for just entering your life and school and everything with it, but trust me, I need to be here." He glanced over at me, and then back to Kacen. 

"Maybe you do, but you don't have to destroy everyone's lives along with it," Kacen turned and left, dodging everyone that was in front of him and he quickly got lost in the crowd. 

"I should go after him," Starting to make my way into the crowd, Oliver grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me against him. 

"I am not trying to steal you away from your friends, I am just trying to protect you." 

"Protect me? I think I am fine, thanks," Pulling my wrist from his grasp, I shoved myself into the crowd to search for my best friend. 

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hey, thank you for reading.

~skelocookie