II. Dream boy

Chapter 2

I can't focus on the fantasy novel I am reading right now because of what happened last night. I mean, what are they really talking about?

I guess both grandpa and Ms. Dolores are angry at me for the nth time for I eavesdropped at them last night. Thank God I ran really, really fast last night enough for me to escape their roaring lectures again on what's rights and wrongs. That I should behave like a Victorian woman or whatever.

They really are obsessed with this Victorian period that I can see no special about.

I let my eyes wander around my room, my walls are colored-pink and so are all of my things. I guess that can be concluded that I love blue. Kidding, of course, anyone can tell I love pink.

There are about a dozen of bookshelves in my room which I love admiring every single day. Seriously.

I heard a knock on the door once again and I just lazily said, "Come in." which the maid quickly did.

I just stared at the maid who I guess is around thirty-seven or so as she began cleaning my room. Starting to the floor then to my messy cabinet. Oops.

I can see how she slowly shook her head when she began cleaning my cabinet. As if a blizzard had hit my cabinet.

Suddenly, I felt really-really bad and an irresponsible individual.

"You can go now," I blurted out which made the maid...smiled? Huh?

"I can manage, ma'am Clementine." she insisted, still, her smile sure was huge.

"Go take a break or whatever you guys like doing...I can clean my own room." I replied and hoped she'll stop insisting.

She shrugged and slowly rose from her seat, "Thank you, ma'am Clementine."

I then rolled my eyes heavenwards, "haven't I told you guys to please stop calling me 'ma'am', Clementine alone will do."

To my surprise, she laughed, "if you insist, my dear Clementine." and with that, off she goes.

But before she finally leaves my room, I saw how she look at me for a moment and shook her head while smiling.

I let out a soft sigh and closed my eyes. In just a few weeks, i'll be turning 18. I was happy for a second but then I remember I have no friends to invite. I mean, who will come to my party? Well, except from my grandfather's business partners who kept bragging about themselves and their annoying and narcissist daughters and sons.

And then what, it'll be forced to talk to their daughter and sons who kept on bragging me their school experiences. As if I care! Well, to be honest, I do care that is why I don't want to talk to them because I'm afraid envy will swallow me once again.

I then remembered the image of a young guy who tried to kiss me while we were in his grandfather's party which was my grandpa's business partner. I remember how hard I punched the annoying and stupid face of his and how I kicked him where it hurts the most and repeatedly sweared in Mandarin.

I remember how the people around us were shocked because of what I did which made me more annoyed because how are they not angry at the guy who tried kissing a girl without her consent? Grandpa immediately cuts his connection to that family right after that happened. But that doesn't mean I escaped  Grandpa's long lectures on how a woman should act in times like those.

I then continue reading my book about a maiden who slept for one week straight and after she woke up, she discovered that she has psychic power. I cringe when I heard the irritating noise of the vacuum. I slowly put down my book and decided to see where that noise came from.

There stood another maid with a vacuum in her hand, I seriously did not notice her entering my room. I guess I was so engrossed in what I was reading.

"Can't you see I'm reading?" then I roll my eyes heavenwards. My eyes were getting a bit hurt from rolling it like every single second.

I saw how the maid then back away from nervousness which made me feel again. "Just take a rest, okay? I'll be fine with a dirty floor." I assured which made her smiled awkwardly.

Later that day, my maid informed me that Ms. Dolores would not be teaching me for this day because of a personal reason. Tss, perhaps because of what I did yesterday and last night. Fine then, as if I don't know how learn by my own. Besides, I'm tired with the books she kept on giving me.

Grandpa meanwhile just gave me a small smile when he came home. He turned on the television and quickly watched until he dozes off to sleep. Of course, I was the one who turned off the television and put a blanket on him.

I quickly bid our maids a goodnight as well.

Time flew so fast and I realized that tomorrow is my 18th birthday already. Even though my grandpa and Ms. Dolores haven't mentioned anything regarding their supposedly surprise birthday party to me. I already picked my outfit for tomorrow's special event and began thinking about the books I will be receiving tomorrow. Yipee!

It was in the middle of the night when I woke up from my dream. My whole body is covered in sweat and I somehow found myself gasping for air.

"I will be coming, mi amor." this phrase kept repeating over and over again in my mind for I just can't understand what's my dream all about this time.

I stared at the ceiling for about a minute then quickly let out a loud sigh. My heart is beating so fast. I felt exited for an unknown reason. It's like something is gonna happen.

I know this may sound strange but I often dreamt of a guy whose face is aways blurry and whose voice I will always forget by the time I woke up. He kept saying "I love you," to me every time I dreamt about him.

For an unknown reason, I found myself hugging him from his back and replying the same thing even though I am completely aware this is all a dream. A sweet dream. A dream where I don't want to wake up.

It was three years ago when I began dreaming about him. God knows how much I want to see his face and to know his identity and why he kept occurring in my dreams. At first, he was shy towards me, his ears always turning red whenever I tried talking to him. Heck, he can't even look at me, perhaps because of my oversized shirt with no pants on and my pink bunny slippers.

I remember when I first saw him, his face blurry but for an unknown reason, I always knew his facial expression. His jaw seriously did drop and his eyes automatically widened at the sight of me.

That's why from the very beginning, he avoided me until I saw him writing something in his brown leather journal, a bit frustrated. Out of the blue, I sang my favorite worship song on top of my lungs which made him put his leather journal to the side and stared at me. I quickly changed the song into a nursery rhyme which made me laugh.

After that, as the time goes by, he started talking to me until he got very clingy which I don't really mind for I know this is nothing but a sweet dream.

He'll always hold my hands or run his fingers through my hair and whisper those three sweet words over and over again. Sometimes, he'll say things that confuse me, that I should wait for him for he is coming. And that he is working on it.

We always spend our time with this mysterious guy's head resting on top my lap as I gently brush his hair. He'll smile at me and sheepishly confess his love again. Whenever I hear him say that, I cannot help myself from blushing.

One thing he always did was play a very, very sad song in his flute. I even wonder why he always chose sad songs instead of happy ones despite the fact that he kept smiling at me whenever he caught my eyes.

There came a time where he'll laugh all of a sudden, shook his head and call himself a huge fool for this pathetic Romeo and Juliet story.

"Tell me about yourself, Clementine," he asked me in one of my dreams, his head still resting on my lap as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Well, one thing is sure, that my life is the exact opposite of exciting," I answered, shrugging.

"Oh come on, you must have dozens of suitors," he uttered, his brow meeting. His lips into a thin line.

"Actually, I have none. Perhaps because Grandpa wouldn't allow it." I replied then released an awkward laugh.

His face seems to lit up, "Okay. Let's play a game. I'll ask you something and in return, you'll ask me as well about anything," he said, sitting up, now staring at my face.

I quickly shifted my eyes to the side and nod, hoping he won't notice the reddening of my face.

"Did you had any romantic relationships with someone before?" he asked, his brow raising.

I stared at him, shocked. First, of, why is he asking questions like that.

"To answer that and to make you sleep peacefully at night then no, I had zero experience before in such things like that," I said, staring at my lap. Avoiding his huge smile that erupted when I answered his question.

"Okay, my turn. Why do you keep playing sad songs in your flute?" I answered as I brush off whatever it is in my pink pajamas. I began wearing pajamas for I know it is absolutely inappropriate for a guy to see a girl wearing nothing but a pink underwear and an oversized shirt.

"It's because it symbolizes us," he answered, frowning. I can hear a tinge of sadness in his voice.

I was about to ask him more about that when he placed his forefinger in front of my lips and said, "One question at a time only, Mi Amor,"

"Okay, this may sound a bit weird to you but what year is it again?" he asked, biting his lower lip as he held both of my hands. Brushing his thumb against my palm.

"It's 2022," I answered then chuckle at the question is pretty much easy.

"Anyways, can you tell me what things do you kept writing in your brown journal," I said, staring at him, smiling.

You see, that's how my dream usually goes. Happy.

But my dream tonight is different, I can tell he's elated and nervous at the same time, "I will be coming, Mi Amor," he stated, his lips near my ears that somehow brought shivers my spine.

"It is finally finished and we can now be together," he added, his fingers tracing the outline of my lips.

I was about to ask him what's he's talking about but everything around us became distorted including the guy I love whom I call "Mi Amor,"

I tried telling Grandpa and Miss Dolores about these weird yet romantic dreams of mine but they'll just shake their head and told me it's pretty normal for a hormonal teenager like me to dream about these things.

I once again let out a loud sigh and forced myself to drift back to sleep.

I woke up with Miss Dolores staring solemnly at me. I cannot help myself from letting out a loud scream.

I look around me and realized I am not in my room or in our house. I don't know where I but I am sure of one thing. That is I am standing in front of an ocean with Miss Dolores by my side.

After a minute or a two of digesting what just happened, I quickly asked Miss Dolores, "Where am I? How did I get here? What am I doing here in the middle of the night, Miss Dolores? God, you're scarring me to death."

But Miss Dolores just stared at me solemnly and I began to feel that something's wrong. Really, really wrong because never in my life did I saw Ms. Dolores stare at me like this. As if she's about to do something that I know it'll end up getting hurt.

I can feel the cold breeze hit me. I can feel the freezing water around my feet. I began shivering considering that I am no fan of the sea because I don't know how to swim and that I am only wearing a thin fabric of clothes perfect for sleeping, not swimming.

"Clementine, we've already given you enough time to prepare but you're hardheaded as ever. We don't even know if you can survive out there," she uttered and I can feel my hair-raising. I don't know the "we" Miss Dolores is talking about.

Then the thing I know, she pushed me to the cold sea and before I have time to react, everything went black.