MY FIRST LOVE

SLEEP WALKING OF MY FIRST LOVE

MY FIRST LOVE

Chapter 7: "Sleepwalking"

Day 5. 2:17am. Lin Xia's House.

Thunder.

Lin Xia shot up in bed. Sweating. Heart pounding.

Bad dream.

She looked around. Dark. Quiet.

Her arms still hurt. And the house felt too big with just her and Chen Yi in it.

She got out of bed. Bare feet on the cold floor.

She didn’t remember walking.

She just remembered warmth. And safety.

---

2:19am. Chen Yi's Room.

The door creaked open.

Chen Yi was asleep. Face to the wall. Breathing steady.

Lin Xia climbed in.

Under the blanket.

Pressed herself to his back.

Chen Yi stirred. "Xia?" he mumbled, half asleep.

"Mm," Lin Xia said.

Chen Yi didn’t move away. He just pulled the blanket up higher over both of them.

And fell back asleep.

With her in his arms.

---

6:30am. Morning. Sunlight.

Lin Xia woke up first.

To the feeling of an arm around her waist.

And a warm chest behind her.

Her eyes flew open.

She was in Chen Yi’s bed.

IN CHEN YI’S BED.

Chen Yi was still asleep. Face buried in her hair. One arm locked around her.

"Oh my god," Lin Xia whispered.

She tried to move.

Chen Yi mumbled and pulled her closer. "Five more minutes..."

"CHEN YI!" Lin Xia hissed.

He jolted awake. Saw where they were. Saw her.

His eyes went wide.

"XIA?!"

They both scrambled. Fell off the bed.

Landed in a heap on the floor.

"Ow," they said at the same time.

They looked at each other. Hair messy. Pajamas wrinkled.

Then the front door opened.

"WE’RE HOME!" Mom’s voice.

"THE TRIP WAS CANCELLED!" Dad’s voice.

Lin Xia and Chen Yi froze.

"PARENTS ARE HOME," they whispered at the same time.

Panic.

Chen Yi grabbed Lin Xia’s hand. "My closet!"

They dove in.

Shut the door.

Dark.

Cramped.

Chen Yi in front. Lin Xia behind. Her face in his back.

Footsteps outside.

"Xia? Yi?" Mom called.

"Coming!" Chen Yi yelled. Voice cracking.

He looked down at Lin Xia. Panicked.

Lin Xia was shaking.

Chen Yi did the only thing he could think of.

He took her hand. Squeezed it.

It’s okay.

The door opened.

Mom and Dad.

Chen Yi and Lin Xia stood there. Like nothing happened.

"Morning," Chen Yi said. Too loud.

"Morning," Lin Xia said. Too quiet.

Mom looked between them. Then at the messy bed.

"Did you two sleep okay?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Chen Yi said.

"Great!" Lin Xia said.

Dad squinted. "Why are you both in the same room?"

"We were... talking about homework," Chen Yi said. Fast.

"At 6am?" Mom asked.

"Early birds," Lin Xia said. Nodding too much.

Silence.

Then Mom laughed. "You kids. Go eat breakfast. I made pancakes."

They escaped.

---

7:00am. Kitchen.

Lin Xia and Chen Yi sat across from each other.

Neither ate.

"You sleepwalked," Chen Yi whispered.

"I did NOT," Lin Xia whispered back.

"You did," Chen Yi said. "You do it sometimes. Since we were kids."

"I don’t remember," Lin Xia said. Mortified.

"I do," Chen Yi said. "You always come to me."

Lin Xia’s face went red. "Stop."

"Sorry," Chen Yi said. But he was smiling. "You’re cute when you panic."

Lin Xia threw a pancake at him.

---

8:00am. The Bicycle.

Awkward.

Lin Xia got on. Arms still around him.

"About last night—" Chen Yi started.

"Don’t," Lin Xia said.

"Okay," Chen Yi said. "But Xia?"

"What?"

"I’m glad it was me," he said quietly.

Lin Xia didn’t answer. But her grip tightened.

---

12:00pm. Rooftop.

Bai Lu was there.

Sitting next to Chen Yi.

"Chen Yi, can you help me with math?" Bai Lu asked. Leaning close.

Chen Yi looked up. Saw Lin Xia.

"Xia," he said. Patting the spot on his other side. "Come sit."

Lin Xia sat. Between them.

Bai Lu’s smile faltered.

"So," Bai Lu said. "What were you two doing this morning? You both look tired."

Lin Xia choked.

Chen Yi put his arm around the back of Lin Xia’s chair. Casual.

"We had an early start," he said. "Family stuff."

Family.

Bai Lu looked at the arm. Then at Lin Xia.

"Oh," Bai Lu said. "I see."

---

9:00pm. Lin Xia's Room.

Knock knock.

Chen Yi. Holding a glass of water.

"For your nightmare," he said. "In case."

"Thanks," Lin Xia said. Taking it.

Chen Yi didn’t leave.

"Xia," he said. "About this morning..."

"Don’t," Lin Xia said. "Please."

"Okay," Chen Yi said. Then: "But if you sleepwalk again... my door is open."

He left.

Lin Xia lay in bed. Staring at the ceiling.

Her door was open too.

---

2:30am.

Lin Xia woke up.

Looked at her door.

It was open.

She got up.

Walked to Chen Yi’s room.

His door was open too.

She climbed in.

This time, she wasn’t scared.

---

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 8...

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Writed by Omahcbeauty

Chapter 7 DONE!

We got: Sleepwalking → Caught in bed → Parents come home early → "My door is open" → She goes again