If It Wasn't A Dream Chapter 2 Pt. 1

   

    Hey everyone! Welcome back to The Page Flippers. Today I've got part 1 of the second chapter of  my current novel which I am editing. For those of you who haven't ready any of it yet-head over to my blog's main menu and search for it under the "Writing" label for the other parts. For those of you who have but need a recap, our MC Nix underwent some very overwhelming memories and a panic attack at the end of the last part in his new foster home. Enjoy and please leave your thoughts in the comments, it would mean a lot!

  Levi finally leaves. He’d been standing outside the bathroom door since Nix locked himself in. He sat there for a while, looking at the shadow of Levi’s shoes coming through the door. Wondering why he didn’t just go to sleep. Finally he’s gone, and Nix waits for the footsteps to fade before he steps outside. 

“Nix.” The kitchen is dark, but there’s a light in the living room, and there’s Levi, still waiting.

He’s sitting on the couch with a book on his lap. He looks over the rims of his glasses at Nix, sympathy in his eyes. Levi looks more like a concerned librarian than the football player from earlier.

“I’m sorry about-”

“It’s alright,” Levi closes the book and inches forward in his seat, earnest. “I’m not here to push you, but I can’t not be there for you. But I understand the situation isn’t easy, and you need time. For now, Zeke’s keys are on the table, and I think maybe a drive could clear your head. They told me you’ve lived here before?”

“Yeah.” it’s almost a whisper as he reaches for the keys, the idea of freedom so close. “Are you sure?”

    His mother had never let him drive. He learned through a driver's ed course at his school, and driving was a release. An escape. On the nights she came home and passed out drunk, Nix would take the keys and drive. Around the block, around the city, he would drive and pretend that for once, he was alone.

 

“Of course. Just be home before 10:30.” Levi leans back. “And Nix?”

“Yes?”

“Come home safe, okay?”

    He leaves the house without answering, and his first thought is that the wildlife in Tarrytown has changed since he lived here. He doesn’t remember giant cats sleeping on car hoods, anyway. But there’s something there, spread out across the white metal of a rather old car. Nix steps toward it slowly, wondering if spooking it is his best idea or if he should just go back inside, but the thought of being in a room with people again makes his stomach churn. Whatever it is doesn’t give him a choice however, stretching and sitting up suddenly. Nix’s yell of surprise is trapped between his gritted teeth, and then the figure waves. A girl with long light brown hair and a lollipop in her hand smiles at him, sliding down to rest her feet on the ground, leaning on the car.

“You must be the new kid.” she’s chewing on gum in between her words.

  “Who are you?” Nix asks.

“Levi didn’t tell you?” the girl shakes her head dejectedly. “I’m offended.”

Nix turns on his heels and goes back in the house. Levi gives him a confused look as he steps back in, bolting up and walking over to him, and Nix wonders if being in here is any better than being out there. 

“Are you alright?” Levi frowns. 

  “Yeah-well, uh actually...there’s a girl? On the car.” It sounds even worse outloud than in his head.

Levi rolls his eyes and peeps through the hole in the door at the girl. “Iris, yeah, she’s a family fried. She’s around here. All the time. She probably just wants food. Tell her we have pie.”

  “Pie?” Nix mutters, clutching the keys as he steps back outside.

“You’re back.” she’s managed to pick flowers from a garden bush and stick them all in her hair, petals scattered around her.

  “There’s inside pie.” Nix flinches the second the words are out of his mouth. “I mean. Pie. Inside.”

      “I know what you’re doing.” she squints darkly at him. “That’s Leviese. But it’s working. See ya, new kid.”

She hops off the hood and bounds to the door, flowers falling from her hair in a wilted path behind her. Nix fumbles to get the keys in the lock, still on edge, braced for another voice to interrupt him as he gets in and starts the engine. As he pulls out of the driveway, he sees the girl standing at the window, waving, and he remembers something else about his time here.

His mother had a tight grip on him as she pulled him down the sidewalk to their clunky car. Behind him, a voice called his name, and he turned to see a small girl with brown braids waving from the lawn, her small mouth down turned at the scene.

He hadn’t thought about that girl in years, but this girl in the window now reminds him of her. Minus the paper crown and teddy bear dressed as an astronaut. She had been the closest thing he had to a friend all those years, maybe his best friend. They had spent as much time together as he could get away from his mother during his time in Tarrytown. Nix shakes the memory away, faintly wondering if the girl is still around, trying to remember what her name was.

That's the beginning of Chapter 2! Next part will be up sometime within the next two weeks!

Leave your thoughts in the comments or on my Instagram page- @thepageflippers. See ya soon!