Chapter 14 - Inception

CHAPTER 14 - INCEPTION

Late. Always late. Damn me and my sleeplessness at night. I wonder if I'll ever be able to arrive punctual for once. Mom says no, I'm just a chronic laggard, I'll never change. She even says I'll most probably be late to my own wedding. I normally answer that that's cool, because the bride is supposed to be late. She just laughs and says that if my future husband won't mind, then he loves me for real.1

But, good news is, today it's Monday, which means that my first class is Creative Writing, which means ...

"Miss Watson!" Mrs. Porter greeted me, well, more like called startled because, in my running to class, I was about to crash into her just as she was opening the door of the class. I stopped myself just in time and grinned at her, silently apologizing. She pretended to give me a dirty look, but I did see the amused smile on her lips. I won't say she's one of my favorite teachers, but she's not bad, especially not compared to others.

As I entered, I found all of my peers at their desks already. I looked around, wondering if Kyle was there already and if I could dare sit beside him, but once again, like a flashback, Mrs. Porter reprimanded: "Join your teammates, Miss Watson. They're waiting for you already." I gulped at that.

Teammates. Plural. Which means, once again, both. Both at the same time. Differently from last week, I was almost glad to go sit in between them, although really hoping they wouldn't end up fighting again. As I scanned the room, I noticed kids were all paired up already, so I silently made my way to the back of the class.

Oh, déjà vu, my dear friend ... both Kyle and Eric were sitting there, the seat in the middle was empty, which obviously means I was once again in between them. Odd, I was anxious and yet not too troubled. Actually, this morning I woke up with a good feeling, like this day might be interesting.

They both glanced at me, but while one smiled openly, waving at me, the other merely grunted, turning to the window. You can easily guess which one did what. As I reached them, I inhaled deeply and smiled. At both. But while Kyle smiled back, Eric obviously pretended he didn't even see me.1

The other day at my place was odd, to say the least. He looked carefree for once, like he'd all of a sudden forgotten who he was to the world. On Saturday he spent a good couple of hours trying to hammer in my mind things I just can't make myself learn, but opposite to what I expected, Eric was a very patient tutor, he explained and explained the same rule more than once, showing me how to do my homework, and even when I kept making mistakes, he didn't lose his temper, actually, he was calm all the time. Odd, right?

"Hi, guys." I greeted, somewhat confident, placing my notebook on the desk.

"How was your weekend?" Kyle immediately asked.

I probably blushed, but managed to reply calmly anyway: "Kind of busy. Yours?"

He shrugged, briefly recounting me of how he'd been with some friends and so on.

"How was yours?" I asked as I turned to Eric, who for a moment seemed surprised to have me not talk to him, but even only pay attention to his presence. He simply shrugged, though, without replying, so I thought it was better not to push my luck. Just because he was kind for an afternoon, doesn't mean he'll always be.

I turned to my notebook, opening it and flipping through pages. If I was there in between them, it only meant we were supposed to work on the fairy tale today too, in fact Mrs. Porter said exactly that, but, different from other times, we only had half an hour, then we'd be doing something else. I didn't know whether to resume to both where we got to or just come up with new ideas or even only wait for one of them to talk.

We'd been silent for a minute or two when Mrs. Porter reached us. "So ... solved your compatibility problems you two?" She asked, looking in between my teammates.

Eric snorted, while Kyle shrugged, his smile only half, so she glanced at me, arms crossed, but not too stern. "Miss Watson, I'd like to think you'll be the reason for the boys here not fighting." She commented, then turned to them again. "I would like to think you will act like gentlemen and not involve Miss Watson in another one of your quarrels. Last time she was lucky, what if next time you hurt her too?"

I was honestly startled. She was never that direct and even less did she reproach so fervently. Yet now her tone sounded only clearly annoyed and worried, not just reprimanding.

Even if warily, I looked in between Kyle and Eric. Both looked kind of flustered, but Eric in particular seemed worried. I guess both feared they might have hit me too during their fight.1

In the end, they both nodded, and the teacher walked away. Silence reigned for a long awkward minute. I cleared my throat to say something, but was interrupted: "Nat, I never said I'm sorry for that. I just didn't think ..." Kyle began.

I nodded, not really knowing what to say, but when he half smiled, I followed him and we started talking about the fairy tale. We'd been doing that for a few minutes when I turned to Eric, only to realize he'd been studying me all the time. I gulped, feeling kind of confused and anxious as to why, but he didn't budge, his blue eyes were still fixed on me, his stare so intense that I suddenly felt like I was melting.1

He looked away only when Mrs. Porter called us back to reality, saying we could continue our project outside school, now we were to work solo on something else. I did my best to concentrate, but now and then I would still feel Eric gazing at me, who knows why.1

When the class was finally over, I packed my things. Kyle saluted me, saying he needed to hurry because he had trainings now, since the coach was exploiting free periods to get more work out. I just nodded and waved bye. I watched as my other classmates got out while I prepared myself to do the same, but once everybody, including Mrs. Porter, was out, I saw the door closing just as I was about to get out, Eric standing in front of me.

Normally, it would have freaked me out, and I was a little anxious, but not the way I would have been a few days ago. My mind kept telling me I couldn't think he'd do something bad to me.

"Uh ... why ..."

"I need to talk to you." He cut me off. I nodded, swallowing, and he sighed, leaning on the door, arms crossed. He seemed to ponder for a moment, his features pensive. I just stood there, waiting.

Eventually, he looked up at me, his blue eyes kind of ... glowing. He sighed. "I just wanted to say sorry. The other day I lost it. Didn't realize I could have hurt you." Another sigh. "I ... apologize."2

I blinked my eyes, more than confused, thunderstruck. He just ... I know, Kyle too apologized, but that's normal for him, Eric ... Eric never does that. To anyone. And why would he? He's known for being rude and hostile. Always. No exceptions. And yet ...

"Uh ... okay ..." I mumbled, not really knowing what to say. Eric rolled his eyes as he pulled off the door, startling me because the movement had been too sudden, even more when he came closer to me.

"I really mean it, Natalie. I'm sorry." He told me, voice ... low and gentle, towering me, even if not in a scary way. I looked up at him and nodded more securely, mumbling a simple 'okay, thanks'. He didn't reply neither move, just stared at me. We stared at each other for a long minute, his gaze intense, mine just really confused, till I flinched ... why?

Because he caressed my cheek. Eric opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but, just as he'd felt an electric shock, he pulled back, apologizing again, but this time more confusedly.

"It's ... it's ok ..." I commented when I saw him tormenting his hair, clearly upset. When he didn't stop, I grabbed his arm, which was a bad move, because I found myself knocking my back against the wall, which slightly hurt and I could see Eric widening his eyes, clearly concerned.

"Oh, shit ... Natalie, I'm sorry, I ..."

"It's ok. Really. I'm ... fine."

He cursed, sighing, hand around his face, mumbling things I didn't catch.

"Eric, it's fine. I am fine. I ... it's CR, I guess ..." Useless. He was more than upset, he was in shock, like he felt he'd committed the worst of crimes.

"You shouldn't get so close to me." He mumbled. "You shouldn't ..." He cursed once more, passing a hand over his face. "I could have hurt you."

"But ... you didn't." I moved from the wall, careful not to touch him, but going closer to him. My back hurt a little, but I couldn't let that known to him, could I? He felt already too guilty for it. "You see? I'm fine. You didn't hurt me."

"I could have."

"But you didn't."

He sighed. "Natalie ..."

"Eric, come on. It's nothing."

I tried to smile. "I'm not even the first one you ever attack." Wrong words. Wrong, wrong words. He looked even more guilty. "I-I mean ... it's not the first time you ever ... oh, forget it. I'm fine."1

He closed his eyes and I got closer. Why, I don't know. I just did. I got so close that I could almost touch him, and when he looked down at me, I could see his eyes once more glowing.1

This time, when his hand caressed my cheek, I didn't flinch. My heart started racing, especially when he leaned in, but I didn't move. Neither when Eric's lips pressed on mine. Actually, when they did, I remained still, only to part mine when his tongue requested entrance in my mouth. He kissed me. Eric kissed me. For real. My first kiss, and it came from the boy I less expected it.11

My back soon hit the wall once more, but this time it was different. This time he was just losing control of his emotions, not CR. I moaned when his lips trailed kisses down my neck and his hands slipped beneath my sweater. I moaned more when he started nibbling on my neck. And when I raked my hands through his hair, tugging on it, he groaned, making me feel even higher.3

"Eric ..." I moaned. "Eric, I ..." I called once more, feeling too pleased to even think about moving away. His hands moved up, till they reached the part of my skin just beneath my bra, and he nipped down on my neck, making me moan loud.1

"Eric ..." I kept calling, not sure if to stop him or just because I couldn't help but moan his name out loud. His lips split between mine and my neck, as he kept taking my breath away, but as his hands cupped my breasts from beneath the sweater, I knew where we were headed and rationally I knew I had to stop him, but ... I just couldn't. Not easily anyway.

He then hooked one of my legs around his torso, then the other, pulling me up in his arms as he kept kissing and nipping, hands now working the clip of my bra. And I quivered lightly when he finally unclipped it and it fell on the ground. Oddly enough, I still had my sweater on.2

But his hands cupped my breasts once more, and now that there wasn't any stuff, I felt all the warmth of his palms and it nearly drove me insane, especially as he kept kissing and nipping and ... blowing my mind away. My voice reverberated my ecstasy as I kept moaning: "Eric ... Eric, we should ... mmh ... Eric ... Eric ..."

Suddenly, a ringing noise drilled in my mind and, opening my eyes, I realized I was ... had been all the time, in my bed. A dream. It all had been a dream. A ... wet one. Gee, since when I have that kind of dreams?? About Eric even! My God ... what the heck has gotten into me?9

Slowly, I sat up, but just as I did that, I felt something keeping me there. I turned to my side and in the dim light that my closed curtains provided my bedroom with, I could see a long figure lying just beside me.

At first, I thought it was mom. There were times when we would sleep together because either of us didn't feel like sleeping alone, but ... that figure, I could only tell the head, and sure as hell it wasn't my mom because that head was ... blonde, dark blonde! And ... oh, my ... I only know one person that might ...

I cupped my mouth not to emit a single sound, but I did screech and it was heard, so he moved, gripping me tighter and I yelped as I ended up crashing into him.

"Come on, it's too damn early in the morning ... go back to sleep." He ordered, although groggily, but I was frozen in my spot. Gee ... what the heck did we do yesterday?! No wonder I had such a dream ... it was a consequence, a consequence of ... of ... sighing, I lightly pulled up the blankets, my face growing pale as I realized I was ... naked. Very much naked. And if I had had the courage to peep, I bet I would have seen also the one beside me was as naked as he was born.

My God ... yesterday we were just studying, we can't have possibly ... Eric moved all of a sudden, hovering over me. I gulped when I realized how dark his eyes were and what a mischievous smirk he had on. And yet he looked as sexy and hot as always. His hands were on my sides as he leaned in.

"I get it, time for a rerun, isn't it?" He implied, his tone as sensual as I'd never heard it, crashing his lips on mine. For some reason it felt familiar and I let myself go to it, leaning in to get more, to which he smirked, abandoning my lips to take care of my neck as his hands worked my body.

It was all so sudden and yet normal. So quick and yet familiar. Before I knew it I was moaning his name out loud as I reached my peak, but just as I did, I fell of bed ... wait, I fell off bed?3

"Eric, huh? Which one is it? The good or the bad one?" I looked up to see where that voice had come from, even though it was obviously familiar. From the ground, where I was sitting, and I had no doubt she had pushed me, I saw Paula, my mom's best friend, smirking, I guess because she had heard me ...

"Uh ... what ... I ..."

"It's normal, Bunny. You might feel embarrassed, but it's normal. You're grown up after all."1

I frowned, confused, still thinking of all of that had happened. Unconsciously, I glanced at my bed, kind of convinced I'd find Eric, but ... there was no one. My sheets were scattered everywhere, yes, but there was no one in my bed. So it had all been a ...+

"I started a little later than you, but believe me, Bunny, those dreams are pretty normal. Especially when you're fighting your attraction towards someone."1

Dream. Attraction. What the ...