Ray of Sunshine

Do you ever wonder what happens after death? Do the people we've lost get to watch over us from above and guide us through our journey of life, or do they just remain decaying bodies buried six feet under? I want to believe that their watching over us but judging by the things that happen, it's so hard to keep on hoping. "Cathy!" Bailey shouts pulling me out of my trance. "Holy moly, you scared me." "Where did you go off to this time?" she said standing at the door. "Was just thinking Bailey." rolling my eyes as I tapped the bed, gesturing for her to come sit. "As always." she says with accusing eyes. "What? Can't I think?" " You can but you're over doing it", she places an arm on my shoulder," You need to stop worrying so much and take a chill pill." "I AM chill. I'm as chill as chill can be" I answer defensively and move to my bookshelf to return my books. "Ok Mrs 'chill', you wouldn't mind going to a party with me would you?" She says with daring eyes. Now this is who Bailey is, always trying to get me to loosen up because according to her, I am so 'uptight'. We met in my first year at Kingston University, which was basically last year and the road wasn't as smooth as you think,cause we basically hated each other. I mean pure hatred, especially because of our different lifestyles. Bailey was a party animal. She was present at every single party on campus and had a different hair colour every week. Her name was everywhere because of how wild she was. I on the other hand preferred my peace and quiet. I wasn't a nerd, I was just one of those people who tried their best to go through life unnoticed. We were complete opposites and our different lifestyles made it hard for us to stand each other. The only thing we had in common was the fact that we never missed a class and we had excellent grades. I don't know how she does it, but she does it. We became acquainted when she invited the whole class for a party at her house, personally. I mean she went from person to person, handing out invitations and asking whether or not you'd be present at her party. If you said no, she's gonna want a reason. So I said no, I wouldn't be attending her party, but I'd be sure to get a present delivered to her, and the dreaded question came. "Why?" "I'm just not a party person." I answered dismissively. "C'mon, everyone is a party person", and then she gave me a challenging look,"Or are you too chicken to attend a simple birthday party?" Yeah, you guessed right. It bruised my ego, and before I knew what was happening, I had already shopped for a dress (Note: I'm not a dress person), and was on my way to her party that Saturday. I realised what a big mistake that was the moment I got to her door. The scene before me did not look like a 'simple birthday party' at all. It looked like a war zone from Gladiators. "This is a bad idea. What did you get yourself in Cathy?" I thought out loud,"Just go home, and when they ask tomorrow, I'll tell them I came over and left early cause I felt ill. Yeah, that's believable." I began to call a cab and then.. "Wow, you actually made it." The Queen Bee herself stepped out of the house and approached me. She didn't look as indescent as I thought she would. Actually, she looked sexy in a slutty way. She was putting on a pink strapless dress that barely reached her knees, with black thongs and cream coloured stilletos. And she let her rainbow coloured hair fall. Darn, this girl loves colours. "Hello..." She snapped her fingers in front of me. "Yeah??" " I asked if you've gone in yet." " Uhmm, no. Not yet. I kinda have something to do, so I'd just like to give this to you and head off." I handed her the neatly wrapped present. "C'mon, don't be a party pooper. Come in and say hi to some people, then you can leave." She then gave me that challenging look again,"Or are you too chicken to.." "I'm not!" I cut in. "Good!" She said with an enthusiastic smile,"Let's get in then." "Lead the way." faking a smile, I followed her. If this party was a jungle, I'd be a prey with no chance of survival. The whole place oozed of alcohol. I have nothing against alcohol, I take it myself, but this was too much. From drunk guys flirting with girls, to people skinny dipping, some where making out in a corner while I actually saw a couple having sex.. At a 'simple' birthday party!!!. If this was what a simple birthday party looked like, I wouldn't want to attend a wild one. Bailey led me to a group of people sitting on a couch at a corner. "Hey guys, you remember Cathy?"Bailey said pointing at me and taking a seat. "Yeah, the girl who always sits at the back and disappears right after class." A guy with shaggy looking hair said. "Where do you always rush off to Cathy?" A blonde Barbie lookalike girl asked. "Home." I answered uninterested. "Hey Bailey, wanna dance?" said a muscular looking guy. He looked like a jock. A scary looking jock. I would never let him close to me, talk more of dancing with him. I doubt if Bailey would even go with.. "Sure." Bailey said with a flirty smile. She turned back to me and said,"Try not to scurry back home before the party ends. Meet some new people and have fun. You do know how to have fun right?" "Of course I know how to have fun!" "Cool then." She said and left with Mr Jock. "So, what kinda fun do you want to have first?" said a blonde haired guy from the group suggestively. "Eww!" I said and left. I went straight in the kitchen to see if I could get something apart from booze to take, and I did. A plate of chocolate cake with caramel frosting awaited me in all its glory. And I accompanied it with a can soda I found in the fridge. I decided to head back home at about 9pm and as I was about to leave the lawn, I heard someone struggling behind the bushes. "Stop! Let go!! I can't do this. Let go of me.." I quietly went to take a look and I saw Bailey struggling with Mr Jock. He was trying to get in her pants and she was tryna get him off. So as the panicky person I was, I picked up a log of wood and connected it with his head. Yup! You guessed right. He went down right away and Bailey was looking both shocked and scared as we stared at his unconscious body(might I add that I'm a little too strong for my own good). "Are you ok?" I said rushing off to her. She just nodded and kept looking form me to Mr Jock. "Let's get you cleaned up." I lead her into the house, upstairs and helped her clean up. "Thank you." She said as I was about to leave. " You shouldn't run off with strangers if you're not in the mood to give them what they want." I said coldly and headed towards the door. "I just wanted to have fun okay? I didn't want him to take it!" She burst into tears and I rushed to her. "Take what?" She just kept crying harder. "Are you a virgin?" She just nodded and I hugged her. After almost an hour, she finally stopped crying and I got ready to leave. "You know, even with the stuck up attitude and all, you're still cool." She said with a smile. "I'm not stuckup!" I answered defensively. " Yeah whatever." Then she walked up to me. "Seriously, thank you. You really saved my butt out there. Literally." She said and hugged me. " Anytime. See you tomorrow Bailey." I said and turned to leave. " Bye Cathy." And from that day, we became inseperatable. **** "Earth to Cathy." Bailey said snapping her fingers in front of my face. "What?" "You zoned out on me. Again!" " Sorry, what were you saying?" "I asked if you'd go to a party with me?" "Whose party?" "Ours." " Bailey.. Tell me you're not throwing a party here?" "I'm not! We're going to the club. So.. Are you coming?" "Sure. Why not!. I say and we spend the whole day trying out outfits. **** The morning air felt chilly but all I wanted to do was play outside. I ran from tree to tree searching for only God knows what, but all that mattered was that I was happy. My mum and dad stood by the front door of the house and beckoned me to come in. I told them I'd be there in a minute and they smiled and went in. I ran into the house and saw my parents in the kitchen. My dad spread his hands waiting for a hug from me. I spend into his arms and closed my eyes. Being in his arms, safe from all worry and harm was all I wanted. But he was gone all of a sudden and I wasn't at home anymore but in a thick and foggy forest. I kept seeing faces appear and disappear. Some of my parents, and others of people I didn't know. I was so scared and confused that all I could do was cry. Then I heard footsteps. Slow and steady. They kept coming towards me but I didn't know from where. "Who's there?" I asked in a shaky voice. "Shhh!" A voice said. And I was grabbed all of a sudden, with my scream piercing the silence. And that's how I woke up, literally screaming and then I started panting and realized I was sweating. Bailey ran into my bedroom and knelt at my bedside. "Cathy! Are you ok??" She asked, worry written all over her face. "I'm ok. I just had a bad dream." I said and assures her by touching her arm and smiling. "Cathy you need to see a doctor or a pastor, cause you've had this nightmares since I've known you." "I'll be ok Bailey. I promise." "If you say so." She said and got up to leave. Then she paused at the door and looked back at me, "but try and see someone, or else I'll start charging you for interrupting my beauty sleep." She smiled and left. I just sat in the dark, trying to understand what the hell that dream meant. It wasn't odd for me to see my parents in my dream, cause it's been happening a lot, but the rest of the dream just confused me. So I talk to the one person I could talk to. God. And in a way, he assured me, and I had enough peace of mind to doze off and slept like a baby.