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"Sharon?" Kelly asked sleepily from the floor. Sharon was tossing and turning in bed, mumbling things under her breath all the while. When she realized she was not going to get any response from her friend, she got up. "Sharon?" she asked again, coming closer.
"Go away," she heard Sharon mutter. "Please, just go away."
"Sharon, it's me."
"No, please. Don't. You'll hurt me again," she was whimpered.
Kelly's heart broke, understanding the nightmare Sharon was reliving the more she listened, and herself unsure if she should wake her friend up or let her ride out the nightmare in hopes of not remembering it in the morning. As Sharon's movements became more frantic though, Kelly couldn't take it anymore. "Come on Sharon," she said gently, reaching out and starting to shake her awake. "It's just a dream."
Sharon tried to push her away. "Go away. Stay away from me," desperation sounding in her words.
Kelly just tried all the harder until finally, Sharon sat up with her eyes wide open. Immediately, she let her friend go but sat back on the bed. "You with me Sharon?"
Sharon blinked a few times and looked around her quickly, trying to orient herself. It was still night, but her heart was racing and her skin felt flushed. She looked back at Kelly and nodded a little bit, unable to say anything as realization slowly hit her. She closed her eyes again and tried to stifle the sobs that were coming. She felt Kelly come close and felt herself being enveloped in her friend's arms.
"It's okay, Sharon. It's okay now," she heard Kelly whisper over and over. "He's not here and he can't hurt you anymore. It's okay."
It was a long time before either could sleep again that night.
Sharon sighed. "The thing is, I thought I was getting over it all and now this."
"Stop it Sharon," Kelly said as they walked through downtown on their way to the library later that afternoon. The two had finally fallen asleep again just as the sky was lightening and so had slept in until noon. Now, the two walked to meet with Sharon's friends at the library for a study group session. "You can't go on kicking yourself like this. How do you think it makes me feel knowing that I have to leave tomorrow and you're all down and out of it like this?"
"I know, I know, and I'm sorry Kelly. I don't mean to be all out of it. It's just scary. I don't want to deal with this anymore."
Kelly nodded, but before she could add anymore input, they heard a female voice call out to them. Sharon and Kelly turned and watched as Ana approached. "Hey guys! How have the past couple of days been for you?"
"It was nice," Kelly answered for them. "Lots of good food on Thanksgiving, plenty of shopping yesterday…"
"Oh yeah? That's good! Where'd you guys go shopping?"
"We actually drove out to the mall that you mentioned I should go try," Sharon answered. "You're right Ana, the place is huge!"
"I figured it'd be a good place for you to go when you miss more of the brand name stuff and just want to get away from the local stores."
"But the local stores are so cute too," Kelly added. "I just wish I had more room in my suitcase for everything I wish I could have gotten."
"Don't worry. You know I'll end up sending a lot of stuff up to you anyway," Sharon laughed a little.
"This is true," Kelly smiled.
"It's so sad that you have to leave so soon. When's your flight out again?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Gotcha."
The three girls continued to walk their way closer to the library a little bit longer before Ana noticed the tired look in Sharon's eyes. "Sharon, are you all right? Don't take this the wrong way, but you look a little tired," concern filling her voice. She didn't miss the quick look Sharon and Kelly shared.
Sharon shrugged a little. "I had a nightmare last night. I couldn't sleep for awhile after that is all."
Ana wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"
Again, Kelly and Sharon shared a glance, Kelly indicating that it was up to Sharon if she was going to tell her story or not. They stopped walking and Sharon looked up at the library that suddenly stood before them, seemingly connecting her thoughts and debating whether this was the way to do what needed to be done and say what needed to be said. "Ana, I'm going to tell you something that I don't want anyone else to know."
She nodded. "You have my word."
Sharon nodded as well and indicated that they take a seat on a bench near the front of the library. Then she told her story.
"There you guys are. We were getting a little worried," Riley said as he stood up from the table to hug Ana. "I was beginning to worry that this may be the first time ever Ana hasn't shown up for a study session."
"Keep that up and you're on your own next semester in Gietzen's class," she threw back with a gleam in her eye, hugging back and taking the seat next to him at the table. "Sorry we're late. We lost track of time," she whispered as she, Kelly, and Sharon took the other three seats at the table.
"Not a problem at all, although the motivation to study was not that great without you lording over us to study," Damon teased. Ana just stuck out her tongue at Damon and pulled out some books from her backpack. "Kelly, Sharon, I trust you both are doing well."
"Just perfect," Sharon answered cheerily with a smile.
Damon was keen enough to notice, however, that the smile she gave did not quite reach her eyes. He looked over towards Kelly and Ana, but both quickly avoided his eyes. 'All right… What was that about?'
"Perfect enough that we're all stuck in here in the library during vacation?" Riley was grinning, oblivious to what had just occurred.
"Be quiet, Riley," Ana whispered, rolling her eyes. "I'd hardly call this a vacation with finals are coming up."
"Does it always have to be about school?" Riley asked, but was answered with a sharp "Shh!" from Kelly, who grinned at the boy before curling up in her seat and pulling one of her own books close to start reading. "Outnumbered by the girls," Riley groaned quietly to Damon even as his friend grinned and looked down at a notebook and settled in for some quality study time.
A jab in the ribs brought Damon out of his nap a while later. He jerked himself upright to find his friends grinning at him. He rubbed his side a little and scowled a bit at Riley, but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him from saying anything.
"Pack up Damon. I think we're going to call it a night and grab some food."
A quick glance at his watch and he nodded at Sharon's words, flipping his notebook closed. After stuffing that away in his messenger bag, he stood up to stretch before joining everyone on the trek outside.
The troupe found that the sun had just set and a chilling wind had picked up. Ana instinctively found her way closer into her boyfriend's arms. Kelly was fine in her coat, but Sharon was not doing so well, the change of weather catching her unaware.
"I told you that it was going to get cold," Kelly stated the obvious as they started walking towards downtown. "And your mom's going to kill me now since you're going to get sick."
"Oh shut up. I'm not going to get sick."
"Still, you better put this on," Damon said, already wrapping his jacket around her shoulders.
"Not you too! What about you? You have no jacket now and your parents will kill me if you get sick before the big game!"
"I won't get sick." She gave him a pointed look even as she tried to shrug herself out of the jacket. "I insist, Sharon," he said, his hands coming down on her shoulders and effectively clamping the jacket down on her. "We need you to stay warm."
Sharon bit her tongue from arguing back, seeing how pointless it was going to be, and admitted defeat. "Thanks, Damon," she said instead and wrapped the jacket closer around her to regain some lost heat.
"You're welcome. Besides, it looks good on you."
She just rolled her eyes. "Now you're kidding me. I'm swimming in this thing!"
He just shook his head and continued smiling as the group walked onwards.