Once Upon a Dragon Wish

Chapter Four

Elena

I was running in the woods. How I got here, I had no idea. I remembered going to bed, but when did I wake up, when did my father tell me to run.

Something was surely chasing me, but I was too terrified to turn around and see who it was.

The trees whisk fast passed me, and my heart stammered like a bird trapped in a cage.

My legs burned from the running, or it should, I could swear it was burning a few seconds ago.

This was so weird.

I finally turned around to find out who was chasing me and collided hard with something.

When I looked around it was  Blake's face, but it wasn't. His eyes were red, a glowing red and I screamed.

"Elena, wake up." Blake's face immediately changed into my father's. He tried to wake me up as I breathed hard and fast.

I couldn't get rid of the beautiful angel face with red eyes out of my head and I had no idea what brought on this horrible dream.

Sure, moving from place to place would make you dream that you are constantly running, but why was he in them, and why did his eyes glow red.

Was it a warning, a warning to stay away? He smelled dangerous, if dangerous had a smell, I was sure it would be his scent.

"Deep breathes," my father guided me to take deep solid breaths. My heart was finally starting to calm down.

Why would a guy like him even feel the need to introduce himself at all?

It wasn't a warning. He was probably just a good looking guy that did want a break and ended up being bombarded again by girls and guys. He was like a magnet and I had to stop whatever was brewing in my mind before it exploded into an obsession. Which made him in a way dangerous to me.

"That is it. You okay?" My father asked and sat down on my bed.

"I'm fine. I don't know. It was just a  dream."

"About what?"

"Running, Dad. Always running. Something chased me but I don't know what it is."

"Something chased you."

"Yes!" I looked at him and jumped out of the bed. "It's my mind wondering why we are constantly on the run, Dad." Tears pooled into my eyes. "It had enough. You not telling me how serious it is, have its toll and this is the end product. You love it. I don't." I yelled.

"Elena," he sighed and tapped on the bed.

I didn't want to sit down, but maybe he would tell me how serious it was. Or tell me something that would make sense of why.

I sat down and pulled the covers tighter.

He just stared at me. He then shook his head. "You are not ready, Bear. I wish you were."

"How do you know?"

"Because..." Silence lingered. "I know. I promise you when you are ready, I will tell you everything. Trust me, please."

I felt like crying.

"Don't try to think too much about this. Just know that I love you, Bear, and I would never let anything happen to you. I promise."

I didn't like that part. It sounded like my dad did this because of me. The apple seemed to not have fallen too far from the tree as my paranoia was going to constantly think about that.

"Trust me." My dad begged softly again. It was like he could see me trying to decipher what he just said already.

I nodded. A part of me wanted to yell more, demanding the reasons, if those reasons were linked to me, but every single time he tells me that I'm not ready yet, I  wondered if there was a solid explanation for any of this. What if he was just paranoid.

He kissed me on the head and walked to my door. I watched him leave and fell back down on my bed.

The dream was already vague and not as vivid as it was when I dreamt it. 

I tried not to analyze this one, but I couldn't stop wondering why Blake was in my dream too. Did he seriously made such a big impression on me today.

I doubt that I would see him tomorrow, but just to be safe, I was going to avoid the cafeteria. 

A part of him was dangerous to me, and it wasn't that he had glowing red eyes, it was that he was just so damn beautiful and I couldn't get sucked in, it would break me in the end.

***

The next morning I barely made the buss.

Dad had a skype meeting and I had to take the bus this morning. I hated the school bus. It smelled funny.

I chose a window seat and lay with my head against the cold of the glass.

It was a horrible cloudy day too. In less than fifteen minutes we pulled in front of the school and everyone got out.

I kept my head down as I entered the building and went to my locker to fetch my books for the first classes of this day.

I opened my locker and a wet stickiness sprawled over my face, hard. It slightly burned and my heart stammered again as images of what happened yesterday flashed through my mind.

I know the smell, it was paint.

This was what I was afraid of.

Everyone around me laughed softly as I wiped my face with my hands just to see what the hell was going on in front of me.

Tears pooled into my eyes, but the perp hasn't made herself known.

I knew this was a girl too, and probably one of Blake's admirers.

This was a warning to stay away from him. It was a stay the hell away from him. I really didn't want Chasmore High all over again, but it was slowly heading that way.

Just ignore it, Elena, just ignore it.

I closed my locker. I didn't even want to think about all my books that were ruined and went to the girl's bathroom.

A few girls jumped into fright as I came dashing in and went to the basin, probably resembling a modern age Carry.

He just came to sit at my table. That was it. It was hardly any conversation. I couldn't believe how insecure some girls were.

"Are you okay?" One of the girls in my class asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I splashed my face and found she had a towel in her hands for me to dry my face.

"Thank you," I said.

"No need to thank me. So you want to tell me why Chloey Bishop felt the need to booby your locker."

"Chloey who?"

"Bishop. She is just the most popular girl at this school. Two years higher, and probably the most beautiful too."

"I don't know," I said but I knew why. Blake wasn't in our grade too. He was older.

"Well, if she did that, all I can say is watch your back, girl. She has a mean streak."

"Why is she doing this if she is so popular and beautiful. Seriously, wasting her time with a student not even in her own grade, it's a bit pathetic."

"Yip, she obviously thinks you have something that she already took as her own."

I chuckled and shook my head.

"So you do know why?"

"Yes, and she has no reason to feel threatened. The guy just wanted some alone time, probably from her."

The girl laughed. "I see, the new guy. Man, he sure is beautiful."

"And doesn't see me in that light, I can promise you."

"I hope so for your sake, otherwise, tomorrow something else would be waiting I'm afraid."

"Yay, me. Thanks for the warning."

"You are welcome. Got this from the lost and found. It's not beautiful, but at least you would not walk around with red paint all over your clothes."

"You are a lifesaver," I said and took the long sleeve t-shirt from her.

She left and I was all alone in the bathroom.

I pulled off my shirt and pulled on this old stuffy long sleeve shirt over my head. Nobody would make this look fashionable even if they tried.

I got out most of the paint from my hair and face, but I would have to wait for Art Class, to seriously try to get it out with turpentine.

I didn't even know what this Chloey looked like, but one thing was for certain, even beauty queens had their insecurities.

I just never thought it would be me.

***

During recess, I went outside.

It was still cloudy but hadn't rain yet. I chose a big tree and sat down, hiding behind it was more like it.

I was still reading Wuthering Heights and tried anything to not think about what happened this morning.

Mrs. Finn tried to help me with the dry paint in my hair. Some of my strands still had plenty of dried paint stuck.

Dad was going to lose it.

"Oh-oh, you were the one that got Chloey's wrath," a familiar voice asked a few spaces from me and I looked up.

Yeah, I wonder why.

He chuckled as he took a strand of red paint. I was literally glowering at him. He smelled nice.

"You, okay?" He smiled at me and all my emotions went messed up again.

"I'm a big girl. I love paint to be honest, not in that way, but love it."

He chuckled. "So what did you do?"

I just gaped at him. "You seriously asking me that?"

"Yeah, she has a mean streak in her, that is for sure."

He looked around, not particularly at anyone, and then our gaze met again as he took a bite of an apple and chewed. He even made that look hot.

"You are not very smart, are you?"

"No, I think I'm quite clever, why you ask?"

"Yeah, I think you need to leave before she sees you sitting here with me."

He froze slightly and his smile started to disappear. "You think it's because of yesterday?"

"Jeez, I don't know, Blake. I don't even know what she looks like. So let me think. What was completely different in my routine yesterday? Oh right, you came to sit over at my table." I sounded like the queen of sarcasm.

I didn't like the look on his face though, it was like he got pissed off.

I kept on reading my book, hoping he would get my drift and just leave me alone. But he was still sitting on his spot. 

"Please, I have only a few months at this school. I want to get out of here in one piece if you know what I mean."

"Why do you have a few months at this school? You know something I don't."

I couldn't help but laugh. Why, why did this guy have this effect on me.

"What is funny?" He smiled too.

"Nothing, it's not this school it's my dad. He has a high-security job that requires him in different places every three months." I didn't want to sound like a pathetic case.

"You serious?"

"Yes, so you see, go find someone else to bother, please. I'm terrified of what our lovely Chloey might do tomorrow if she finds you here speaking to me."

I tried to make it sound harsh, but it came out sad. I hated how my body betrayed me at times.

"I'm sorry that she did that. You want me to speak to her?"

"And make it worse."

"Well, I have to tell her something, right?"

"Why?"

"Because I like hanging out with you," he sounded serious as if I couldn't clearly see that.

"You don't even know me."

"I know enough."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Your name is Elena Watkins. You love art and reading stories about sad cases. I think I understand why now."

I couldn't help but laugh, and he chuckled too.

"You move around every three months because of your dad's job. I'm artistic too, just not with a pencil and paper," he said and picked up my tote bag without even asking and open it up.

"Excuse me."

"Oh, shush." He mocked me and looked at the first drawing. His eyes raised. "You drew this?"

"Yes?" I said.

He looked at the one behind him. Please do not carry on browsing. I started drawing a picture of him, and he would think I was pathetic.

"This is seriously good, Elena."

I grabbed my drawings out of his hand and zipped up my bag. "And they are quite personal." 

"What?" He smiled."You have a drawing of me or something in there."

I laughed and looked at him. "You seriously think a lot about yourself, don't you."

He shrugged and pulled the side of his lip slightly upward. "I'm sitting under a tree hiding, I don't have to think a lot about myself. It is what it is."

I shook my head and got up.

"Where are you going?"

"Yeah, I'm not getting in trouble tomorrow again because of you. Thank you very much."

I turned around and walked away.

"Okay, see you later, Elena," he yelled behind me and I stopped for a few seconds, shook my head, and walked to my next class.

The i***t just made it worse. Why was he doing this? This was a nightmare, a beautiful nightmare.