Perfect Strangers

By: Anuket

A/N: Second chapter. It’s short and a filler but that’s only because I couldn’t get the other section I had planned to write out right so I just decided to put this up. Enjoy.

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" Yo, River. You okay?" My head snapped around and I blinked blearily at Riana. My foot managed to hit something hard and I felt my body pitching forward but I couldn’t do anything about it. Lucky for me someone with strong leather-clad, muscled, arms caught me before my butt smacked into the pavement.

" Thanks." I whispered, too tired to even try to get up.

" No problem. You okay?" I recognized the voice and craned my neck around to see Kona’s face next to mine. He lowered me the rest of the way to the ground.

" No." Riana’s babbling talked right over my pathetic ‘no’ but I got the feeling that Kona already knew the answer.

" Oh my god! Are you okay? That was like totally in slow motion! Nice catch by the way." Her words had been hyper and speedy up until that last sentence when she totally calmed down and adopted this cool, suave (yeah right) manner and turned to Kona.

" Thank you. What’s wrong little River?" He asked, crouching down next to me. I would’ve rolled my eyes at the name but that required energy I didn’t have to spare.

" Nightmares?" I had made the mistake of mentioning them to Riana once and now that was always her excuse for everything.

" Of course." What I should of said, realizing this a split second after the words were out of my mouth, was ‘Nightmares? What nightmares?’ Instead that’s what Kona said.

" Nightmares?" Realizing my mistake, once again, I groaned, closing my eyes.

Unfortunately, for some odd reason, Kona being this close and saying that one word brought back images and feelings in an odd array of flashes. A strangled scream erupted out of my control from my voice box and my arms were flung away from me in a circle. Kona and Riana jumped out of the way, Kona falling on his back and Riana standing up quickly.

" You okay hon?" Even to my ears I was scary sounding. It always happened like this when I woke up at night, just not quite as bad. I knew my eyes were circles, with every ounce of fear showing in them.

My breathing was coming in short sharp rasps, like I was having an asthma attack and every muscle in my body was coiled and ready to spring, my back pressed tightly against the brick wall behind me. Riana’s voice barely penetrated the fear-thickened haze in my brain.

The one thing I had always thanked the gods (or god it really doesn’t matter) for was that my nightmares never lasted into the daylight. They always vanished with daylight. But now. Every nightmare, all the fear and pain, came rushing back to me, plunging the bright sunlight into darkness.

The only thing that really registered was Kona’s arms once more wrapping themselves around me and our bodies rocking back and forth as I, slowly, calmed down.

" Better?" He asked quietly, breath warm on my ear. The fear had slowly left my eyes and my breathing had slowed down considerably. I nodded, still not moving my arms from around his waist.

" You scared us." Riana said softly, bending down and placing a hand on my shoulder.

" Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ve already missed first period." Kona said, pulling me up from the cold concrete.

" Yeah." I agreed. Riana looked a little shocked that I, little Miss Nerd, was agreeing to cut class. With a boy. In her mind, it didn’t matter that she was coming with us.

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Thanks to my one and only reviewer fuzzybunny234. You’re the greatest!