My Dearest Little Abby

Chapter 3: A Premonition?

Chapter 3: A Premonition?


It was weird going back to school the next day after what happened last night. The best Valentine's Day I've had since I was in 4th grade, getting Valentine cards in my box from other classmates. I just hoped I never saw Rachel ever again.

While walking through the hallways, I suddenly saw two thin arms wrap around my neck. It was Stephanie.
"Hey, Brad," she said. I looked at her. She was smiling again. I smiled too.
"Hi, Stephanie. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I need to ask you something after school. Meet me in the parking lot ok?"

"Alright," I said. Then she hugged me again and I heard her softly say "Bye, sweetie." I could tell that she didn't want me to hear it, but I did.
Before I could say anything, she was gone, walking down the halls.

I felt like the luckiest guy in school. Through my first two periods, I thought of nothing but Stephanie. She was so beautiful with her light blond hair, vibrant blue eyes and strikingly piercing smile. You'd have to be crazy not to want her as a girlfriend.

"You'd better be careful," my old friend Mark said to me in third period. "Stephanie is Brett's girl. You should keep a lower profile."

I had known Mark since we bet on the bus in 5th grade. We used to spend a lot of time together, but that changed when we reached high school. Now we just see each other in class.

"I'm not afraid of Brett," I told him. "I punched him out last night."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"You'll find out soon."
"Huh?"
That's all I said to him. Still feeling so high and mighty. Still feeling so on top of the world.

I still didn't know who I was....I didn't care. At that moment I kissed my old self goodbye. He was done. Stephanie was mine.

In 5th period, I noticed something that I hadn't before: Rachel was in my class!  Luckily she sat on the other side of the room. I was intent on being invisible to her. I held up the textbook to my face any time she looked my way.

To my relief, the bell eventually rang, and the entire class spilled out of the room. I would only have to avoid her for the rest of the year. Yeah right. As if. I knew that eventually we would meet again. But at the moment, I didn't want to think about it. Only one more class separated me from Stephanie. It blew by pretty fast, faster than it regularly did, which I didn't mind at all.

7th period arrived. Finally. However, I was shocked to see that Stephanie wasn't smiling. Something was definitely wrong.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm thinking," she said.
"Are you mad?"
"No."
"Okay."
After a minute she said, "I'll be waiting for you after school. Meet me, okay?"
She smiled again.
"Okay."

Frankly, I don't remember anything else that happened during class except walking out. Wow, this was it. What I had been waiting for all day.

I found Stephanie in the parking lot near her car. The excitement I had soon vanished. She had the same look she had at the beginning of class. Her "thinking" look. I didn't like it.

"Hey," I said as I walked up to her.
"Hi, Brad," she said. She smiled a little.
"Stephanie....please tell me....is something bothering you? I'm just not used to seeing you....frown."
She didn't speak. I feared I had said something wrong.

She finally looked down at her feet and said "I've been....such an idiot. I thought I could just run away from my feelings. I can't."

I looked at her.
"I don't understand."
She looked up at me.
"I knew someone would find out that Brett and I had broken up.....I just hoped that....it wasn't you. And the only way to keep you from finding out, was to keep everyone from finding out. I kept it a secret because of you, Brad."

"But why?" I asked.
"Because....because I want you to be my boyfriend."
My heart stopped.

She looked down again as if from embarassment.
"I was trying to run from my feelings for you. But I just can't. Last night really opened my eyes. It really showed me that you will actually be there for me. And now I just can't hide it anymore."

I could hardly bear it anymore. This was the greatest day of my life.
"Stephanie....I....I feel the exact same way." 
"You do?!" she asked excited.
"Yes....I do."
"So....will you be my boyfriend?"
"Baby...I thought you'd never ask."

She laughed. I did too. My dream had just become a reality.
"Hey just one thing," I said.
"What?"
"Don't mention Brett anymore. He didn't deserve you."
"Or I didn't deserve him."
"No, he didn't deserve you. You deserved so much better."
"Okay."

I hated Brett. Stephanie wasted her time with him.

"What are you doing tonight?" she asked me.
I remembered that I was grounded.

"Aww, dammit!" I shouted and slapped my head.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm grounded."
"What?"
"Yep. As of last night."
"What happened? What'd you do?"
"I broke curfew. I came home too late. My dad grounded me. Just like that."
"Oh. Darn that sucks."
I sighed.
"Unbelieveable. If I'm not home in a few minutes I'll probably be grounded even longer. I've got to go, Stephanie."
She frowned again. "Okay."

"Hey," I said, lifting her head up by her chin. "Please don't be sad. I hate to see you frown. I really do."
She smiled. "Okay. I'm just sorry for you."
"Don't be. It was my fault, not yours. Please don't be said about it."
"Okay."
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said.
"Yeah."
We hugged.
"Goodbye."
"Bye."

I got home just in time. When I went up to my room, the OYWA questionnaire was waiting on my bed.
Oh goody.

It was difficult to write on a crumpled piece of paper. I was mad at myself. Had I just taken the time to throw the damn paper away, I wouldn't be doing this. What a bother.

It took me an hour to fill the thing out. When I was finally done, I had no choice but to lie on my bed. Only this time I couldn't do anything about it. I was stuck there. I eventually drifted off to sleep, being so bored. Then I had the weirdest dream I had ever had in my life.

I was in a room. It was dark and dense. I couldn't see a thing. I decided to see how long it was and began to walk to the end of it. But it didn't end. It went on as if forever. Then...I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw nothing. A bright light shone directly on the person. It was Stephanie. She was brightly illuminated in the light. With the light I could clearly see most of the room. It appeared to be a hotel room.

"Stephanie? What are you doing here?" I asked.
She said nothing....but muttered one word: "Abby".
"What?" I asked confused.
She said it again: "Abby".

I was confused. I didn't know any Abby.
"Who is Abby?" I asked.
She said nothing else and the light immediately shut off.

"What? What is.....?"
I was too confused. What was going on?

Then weirder. The name "Abby" began to echo through the room. It was all over; everywhere. "Abby...Abby...Abby...Abby...." It didn't stop.

I covered my ears and shouted, "I don't know any Abby!"

I jolted awake after that. What the.....?
Abby? Who was Abby? I didn't know an Abby. And why was Stephanie there? Why was I in a hotel room? What was the meaning of that dream?
Was it even a dream? It might have been a premonition.

Weird. I'd never had a premonition before. Truthfully, I didn't believe in them.
Abby? Maybe Stephanie knew an Abby? Maybe.

I would ask her the next day.