Phobia by Mandy White Page B

kind of freaked me out. I dreamed about it right before it happened.”
    “Hmmm…” he said. “Maybe that sounds a little harsh, accusing someone of bullying...”
    “No, it’s not harsh at all. My aunt is a huge bully and she deserves it. But what about the quake? Did you feel it, or am I crazy?”
    “Loony, nutjob, basket-weaver… can you help me think of more slang words to describe the mentally ill?”
    I laughed nervously. “You don’t have to sugar-coat it. Tell me what you really think of me.” I hoped I hadn’t scared him off with my nuttiness. Impossible. The guy’s studying to become a psychiatrist, remember?
    “Besides,” I continued, “I’m not picking fruit off the wallpaper quite yet. It’s just a few dreams. That’s not abnormal at all, is it?”
    I continued without waiting for an answer. “But these dreams I’ve had lately – they aren’t like anything I’ve ever had before. The freaky part is that sometimes I can’t tell when I’m dreaming and when I’m not. It seems real at the time, and then I wake up, sometimes into another dream.”
    “Crazy.”
    “You’re telling me.”
    “I think this is going to need more work. It warrants a trip to the library.”
    “Yes,” I agreed, “I was kind of thinking I should find a book on dream interpretations. That’s not a silly idea, is it?”
    “Insane, kooky, mad, bonkers… Help me out here, Dana.”
    “No, I’m serious. I can’t believe you think it’s crazy. I think it might be helpful. Some of my dreams have been pretty weird.” I sighed. “I’ve forgotten one thing. I can’t leave the house. I can’t go to the library.”
    “Oh, Dana,” he sighed, sounding sad and tired. “I wish I could do more for you. But it’s all up to you at this point.”
    “I know, Colin. I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying.” My eyes stung with tears. I had disappointed him, and now he sounded ready to give up on me.
    “Come on, Dana. You can do it. Do it for me. Be brave. Just kick the Devil in the nuts and walk on by. I’ll be right here, ready to take your hand. Please?”
    The pleading tone of his voice made me melt. “I’ll try. But I’m not making any promises, okay?” I felt tears running down my cheeks but made no move to wipe them away. “Please don’t give up on me, Colin,” I whispered.
    “Yes, I definitely think a trip to the library is in order,” he said. “I wish you could go with me. I bet you love books as much as I do.”
    “That’s true. I love to read. Did I tell you I started writing a book?”
    “Although,” he said after a brief pause, “I’d rather take you somewhere besides a boring old library. I’d like to take you out to dinner at a nice restaurant, then maybe go dancing afterward, or take a walk someplace quiet, just the two of us.”
    “Are you asking me out?”
    “Yeah, that would be nice,” he said softly.
    “But I can’t leave the house.”
    “I know you can’t go anywhere yet. That’s okay. I have my dinner with me and I’ll dine with you right now.
    “Aw, you’re so sweet!” I said. “I’m not very hungry right now, but I will share a glass of water while you eat.”
    “Maybe I’m the one who’s crazy,” he said, over a mouthful of food.
    “No, you’re the guy who takes care of us nutcases. And we couldn’t get by without you.” I told him.
    “Better me than you, I guess. Although when it comes to crazy, that aunt of yours truly takes the cake. Now there’s a psychopath! Just my amateur opinion, of course.”
    “I couldn’t agree more! If anyone needs to be in a rubber room, she does!” I laughed.
    I went to bed that night with a light, fluffy feeling in my heart. To have Colin validate my belief that my aunt was a certifiable nutcase made my heart soar. He had a way of making me feel as close to normal as I ever had.
    Oh, to be normal. To have a real-life romance for once – with a real man instead of some loser.
    A girl can dream, can’t