Atlantis (35 page)

What? What is it Elliott? What’s the matter?

Click. View.

What? What is it Elliott? What’s the matter?

I think Nicholas is a factor in your projecting abilities. I think he is affecting it somehow.

I wrote back:

How? In a bad way? Elliott, you know I love you. Nicholas is just my best friend.

Please let it be nothing.
I crossed my fingers as I took the picture.

Click. View.

How? In a bad way? Elliott, you know I love you. Nicholas is just my best friend.

I know. And thankfully he affects things in a good way. Think back. Think hard. All the times you projected I could sense another energy tied to yours. Someone close by maybe? Was that him?

Huh? Holy cow! Every single time I had projected I was with Nicholas. Whoa! But how could that affect anything? What was so special about Nicholas?
It’s not like I haven’t known him forever. And if it were true, its not like Nicholas was going to help me willingly learn how to project myself to be with another man.

It took me a minute to slow my mind from racing. There was just so much to consider and try to figure out. Finally, after I thought for a moment, I wrote Elliott back.

Yes. Nicholas was with me each time I projected on accident. What do you think it means?

Click. View.

Yes. Nicholas was with me each time I projected on accident. What do you think it means?

I’m not sure yet, but is there any way you can try to project with him today? I want to know for sure if I’m right about it first.

Could I get Nicholas to help me?
I doubt it. Maybe if I just didn’t tell him what I was up to? Again, my mind ran rampant with devious plans and different ways to trick Nicholas into helping me be with Elliott. I bit my lip. I turned the page and I started to write down a reply when I heard someone shuffling around in my room. It was probably Meredith. I tried to hurry.

I’ll try. I love you.

Click. But before I could switch the screen to view mode the closet door opened. I looked up to see Nicholas looking down at me.

“
Is this your new clubhouse hoe?” He smiled. “Can I join you?”

I moved to get up. My journal fell from my lap and landed open on the floor. Unfortunately, Nicholas picked it up before I could.

“
What is this Lil?
I’ll try. I love you
.”

I’m sure there was a panicked gleam in my eyes. “Uh?” I shrugged my shoulders.

“
That sure is a funny way to write in your journal.” He paused as a peculiar look crossed his face. Nicholas quickly corrected his composure though, and handed me my journal. He gave me his hand to help me up and added, “Typically you would write the name of who you love. Like, I love Nicholas, for example.” His smile was big and bright.

“
I guess I should take lessons.”

Just then my mom called to me from downstairs. “Lilly! Dinner!”

“
Be down in a sec,” I yelled back before turning to Nicholas. “Can I see you later tonight?”

The sparkle in his brown eyes was heartbreaking. He pulled me close and gave me one of his big bear hugs. “Of course Lil. When? Where?”

Hmm?
I thought for a moment. The meadow was a good option. It seemed to be mine and Elliott’s though, and it felt wrong to ask Nicholas there. Maybe Nicholas’s cellar hideaway? No. Too many unknown bugs for me to be relaxed and comfortable there. Nicholas was here with me two of the times I projected?

“
How about you come back here? Is two too late?”

He gave me another squeeze. “It’s perfect.”

“
Lilly! Get down here!”

I looked up. “You better go.”

“
Okay. See you later hoe.”

As Nicholas crawled back out my window, I started to leave my room through the door. “Later.”

I was so excited at the prospect of seeing Elliott later, I couldn’t hide the spring in my step. I practically skipped my way into the kitchen before coming to a screeching halt. Charlotte was sitting at my dinner table.

An acid taste filled my mouth. “What are you doing here?”

“
Lilly!” my mother scolded me. “Charlotte is our guest.”

I sat down across the table from my nemesis and shot daggers at her with my eyes.

My mom continued to butt in. “Come on you two. You can’t let a little fight break up such a good friendship. Let’s find a way to put all this behind you guys. What was your fight about anyway?”

We both answered with full force at the same time.

“
Lilly is trying to steal Nicholas from me!”

“
You’re delusional and can’t keep secrets!”

“
Girls. Please.” It was then that I noticed Sophie sitting on a barstool by the counter. She was quietly witnessing the little fiasco. I’m sure my mom had told her about the brilliant plan to get me and Charlotte in the same room and she didn’t want to miss the fireworks.

“
Girls. You are both young women now and need to learn how to get through things like this. People don’t always agree.”

“
Especially when they steal your boyfriend.”

“
Whatever! I stole nothing. You on the other hand can’t keep your big mouth shut.”

“
Girls!” My mom threw her arms up in the air in frustration. Clearly this wasn’t going as she had planned. A quick glance to Soph and her trying to hide a snicker made this a little worth my discomfort. At least someone was enjoying dinner.

I took the tongs and dished myself some of the spaghetti noodles from the bowl on the table. Keeping my eyes diverted, as to not set a certain ex-best friend on fire, I spooned some sauce onto my plate.

“
Lilly. Charlotte. Please, let’s pretend to be adults for one minute.”

Unfortunately for my mother, I had no desire to mend my friendship with Charlotte. A quick glance up and I could tell Charlotte felt the same. She was probably hoping to run into Nicholas here.

“
Thanks for having me over Meredith,” it shocked me to hear Charlotte not screaming. I had to look up.

Charlotte stood up and started for the door. She was careful to only shoot me with her death stare as she said, “This just isn’t going to work. Bye.” And then she left.

I took a big bite of the spaghetti. The tomato and garlic flavors reminded me of Italy and that reminded me of tonight’s plans. I had a good feeling about trying to project with Nicholas’s help. Those thoughts of promise instantly lifted my mood. The fact that my arch nemesis was no longer present helped too.

“
Draw anything lately Soph?” I cheerfully questioned my little sister.

She looked up from the bar and smiled. “Yeah, some clucking hens.” Sophie had been drawing a caricature of the three of us during our little incident. She was laughing so hard she fell off the barstool as she lifted her drawing up for our viewing pleasure. I giggled. Her drawing was a cartoon version of Meredith, Charlotte, and myself in chicken form pecking at each other. It was pretty good, but Sophie laughing was even funnier.

My mom stomped from the room. Obviously upset not to have her gossip buddy back. Too bad. Sophie and I shared a wry glance off in the direction mom had left. “We really must be adopted,” I said.

“
For sure.”

“
Well, all this quality family time has been fun, but I think I’m going to eat in my room.” I looked over to Sophie as I collected my plate to go upstairs. She shrugged her shoulders and resumed doodling on the paper in front of her. We were both solitary creatures.

I sat at my desk as I finished my dinner alone. So many thoughts filled my mind, I was surprised there was room.
What am I going to say to Nicholas when he gets here? When will I see Elliott again? Where is the astral meadow? How do I get Nicholas to help me? Why do I get myself into these sticky messes with my friends?

The clock seemed to be in slow motion. The red neon lights seemed to take decades to change from 8:47 to 8:48 to 8:49. Why did time seem to move like molasses when I wanted it to speed up, and move at the speed of light when I would much rather it slow down? I don’t know. My best guess is that it was some cruel trick the universe enjoyed playing. I looked up, 8:50! Ugh!

I hit play on the stereo and lay back in bed. Time always seemed to fly when I was asleep. Maybe I could get a nap in before the nights little adventure.

I lay there staring up at the ceiling. With the window cracked open and a breeze blowing on my face, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

All of a sudden, I had a very uncomfortable falling sensation. Not like the previous out of body
experiences, but one where I felt dread. I
was
in real danger. I woke sitting straight up with my arms still flailing. My heart could have been mistaken for a hummingbird’s for the speed it drummed on. I quickly looked around my room. I was alone.

I hate falling dreams! Ever since my little epiphany with Elliott all of my dreams seemed so real. Worse was that this one was different. Utterly real somehow. I lay back down on my pillow and tried to calm down. A sharp tap on my window pane and I was like a lightening bolt, upright again and full of energy, with nowhere to go. I looked over my left shoulder to see Nicholas pulling up the glass and letting himself in. And he had flowers.

This is not a date!
Tonight I was on a mission. It probably wasn’t a good idea to upset Nicholas when I really wanted to try and see if he was somehow a key to my projecting. But I didn’t want to lead him on too much. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get it through his thick-headed shaggy-blond skull. I scooted so my back was propped up against the wall.