Chapter 5

There was color everywhere. Everything I touched was so bright and full of volume. Nothing was dull, or unreal. It could have been in a fairytale.

I was at the park with Gabe. We were sitting on a wooden bench watching fathers playing frisbee with their children, kids fishing, mothers reading, the bees sucking pollen out of the white daisies surrounding us... it was a beautiful day. Nothing could have been more perfect than now.

Just then, a man in a grubby gray t-shirt came stomping over toward the park. His blond hair was flopped in different directions and he had a large stomach. 

“Get back here!” The man yelled. He came running over to Gabe and I as I hid into Gabe's arms. The man pulled out a knife from his pocket and came closer.

"I hate you!” I screamed to his face. I punched him right in the nose, and It gushed with blood. He got back up and shook my shoulders back and forth furious

“Annabel!” he whispered. Phil was still shaking my shoulders as he said this. The whisper got louder and louder and soon turned into a shout.

“What?!” I yelled and popped my head up.

was holding his nose tightly as a small bit of blood dripped from it. Gabe was sitting just a foot away from me on my bed. I looked out the window- it was pitch black. I sighed in relief and bruhed my fingers through my hair, "Just a dream," I mumbled.

Gabe was tightly holding his nose as a small bit of blood dripped from it.

"Come with me!" I said, pulling his arm. We went across the hall and to the small bathroom. I gave him a few tissues and ran them under hot water, "Here," I said, handing him the dripping tissues.

"Thanks."

“So,” I yawned, “How did you get into my house anyway?” I asked in confusion. I was still super tired and still not even sure if I was in real life or not.

“Well...” he blush under the tissue. His cheeks turned bright pink- you could see it all the way through. “Your window was open from cleaning today, and I couldn't fall asleep...” He blushed a deep red, “So... I guess I just snuck in by using the window" 

“It's okay. But the question is, are you okay?”

“I'm fine. But, you do punch like a ninja,” he laughed.

I laughed along but then sighed. “So I probably yelled, "'I hate you,' too."

“Yeah, but that's okay."

"Hm," I paused but got interrupted with another yawn.

“You should get to sleep,” he said abruptly.

“Okay... but first let me crawl you home! I don't want you to fall!” I sounded all motherly and overprotective.

He punched me playfully in the gut but then smiled. “Okay.”

wooden board in the dark of night. I could see into his lit room with his clock that read 2:35 A.M. Gosh, what did Gabe do all night?

We climbed through the window and crawled carefully over the

He jumped through the window, and held my hand to help me down too. I was dizzy from standing up and almost colapsed to the cherry floor. 

“How about you sleep here for the night? I don't want you to fall now that you're so dizzy.” He whispered supporting my back again like what my grandpa does for my aunt Julia.

Okay," I mumbled sleepily into his shoulder. He placed me on the right side of the bed and walked over to the left side. Even though his bed was only a full size, it fit the two of us perfectly.

We'll make this work, you'll fit," he whisper chuckled and went under the covers. His arm wrapped around my waste, and I flinched a little bit but found it actually very comfortable. The heat in his arms went through my body- it almost gave me the chills. But, it felt nice.

"Sweet dreams, Annabel White."

"Sweet dreams, Gabriel Smith."