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It was hot, really hot, hot to the point my skin felt like it was burning. But it was dark, pitch black apart from the little points of red light. I felt very dizzy, with the motion of falling down and fainting. But I couldn't see, and the fall didn't move me from my place. Then I was hit, scolded in the stomach and it came into view. I turned and ran as fast as I could. Could I be fast enough? My head was swimming my stomach sick with fear. I wasn't fast enough, it got me. The terrifying beast ripped me apart, blood everywhere. The pain was unbearable.

I was turning, screaming, sweating and the sharp pain woke me. My eyes were still closed but I was panting, so relieved as the texture of slightly damp grass seeped into my senses beneath me. It was just a dream. I'm okay. My hands roamed quickly across my body, finding that I was still in one piece.. no damage. I lay there for a while gasping, finding my breath with my eyes tightly shut as I calmed down.

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Abruptly I gasped, my eyes snapping open at the sound. A face was close to mine. I jumped back across the grass, lifting my torso up at the same time. That brought more panting on. I couldn't hear anyone next to me, I didn't think anyone would find me here. My mind swum, confused from reality seeping into the nightmare. It was Anna. Anna was here. "God!" I shouted, though my voice was strained and didn't come out right. "You scared me!" in a slightly more polite tone. My eyes flickered around frantically to see if anyone else was there. There was noone around. My eyes went to the floor and then back to Anna. "What are you doing here?" I asked still out of breath "I didn't.. I didn't think anyone would be here". I wiped my head and my neck feeling my skin. It was hot and a thin layer of sweat covered it. I ran my fingers through my hair and scratched the back of my head, getting my head together. I was still shocked and frightened from my dream, but I breathed in and out deeply to find myself again.

Oh, Great, I thought, again I make a fool of myself. Why did she have to see that? And before, when I frightened her off. I didn't realise I had hit myself on the side of my head with my hand until I felt the blow.

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I nodded understanding what she was saying. Thankfully, my breathing went to a steady pace. I looked at her in the eyes and it only then dawned on me. She was here again. I felt safe and happier when she was there. I didn't know when or if I would speak to her again, but she had come to sit down next to me. Sit down, watching me sleep? Noone had done that before. And she hadn't run away again. Maybe she expected it this time, knowing I would act like a freak this time. I must really look crazy. I was surprised she wanted to speak to me again.

"I'm Sorry" I began, feeling like an idiot. "I must be scaring you" I said shaking my head. She was just an innocent girl at school, seeing a class mate have pain attacks and nightmares in one day! I looked down at my hands, ashamed of my behaviour for the first time in my life. Ha, me, James, caring about scaring someone? What had got in to me? I acted so weird and soft around her!

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I paused "Yeah, I guess I do kinda". I felt somewhat embarrassed to admit this, because I had never been one to talk about feelings. Especially with my parents. Thinking about them made me angry so I blocked them out of my mind with force. I sighed leaning back, leaning on my arms to take a more relaxed position on the grass. I was more relaxed, knowing that we were here alone, and everyone else was inside, out of sight.

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I smiled, a laugh pulling my lips up. "Er, No, I don't think I should go back to sleep". I doubt I wanted to ever go back to sleep, but I knew it was inevitable. Maybe I won't have nightmares next time, though, I thought. But I didn't feel much hope for that. 20 minutes she had said? Somehow that made me happy that we could stay here for a while. "Stay" I said maybe a little too eagerly than was planned "If you would like".

Her face was pretty, and though she wasn't smiling she still had a glow from her skin. However, I had very little optimism that she found me attractive too. After all, I was the one acting weird.

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"Crazy?" I asked, confused.. "Why would people think you were crazy?" Your the opposite, fascinating.. I thought as I listened her speak. Her voice was very soft but nice to listen to. I couldn't believe it was the most she'd talked to someone at school. I would have thought a lot of people would want to talk to her. But wait. I remembered something she said. She had said something about her parents? I was new here, so I wouldn't know anything about this girl, but if others knew more about her, then they could have reason to? I didn't want to think that, I wouldn't take to anyone who considered Anna crazy. She didn't seem anything like the crazy I would associate with. I've known people who were crazy, even go crazy myself. However, I refused to believe this quiet girl could come off as that herself.

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I took her hand, even though I felt silly having a girl pull me up from the ground. I just couldn't resist the offer. I was slightly annoyed that we had to go. I couldn't help but notice she hadn't answered my question though. Did she hear me, or just ignore me? Maybe she didn't want to answer, but I really wanted to know why others found her crazy. I'd have to try again some other time, I thought. As we walked, I thought about what had happened earlier when I had made a scene in the cafeteria. I wondered why she hadn't asked what had happened. I would have thought anyone would be curious why I was in pain or having nightmares at my age. I guessed she'd made her own assumptions.

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I laughed "Enjoy? School? Do those two words even go together?". "Yeah, they sent me here" I continued "Hoping for discipline I assume". Looking at her I gave her a smile, one of my eyebrows raised. I had my hands in my pockets of my baggy jeans. Standing next to eachother now I could tell I was quite a bit taller than her. We would probably look a bit of an odd couple walking alone. We were the two people in school that stayed alone and we looked quite different. I looked down at her. She was very neat, and I was scruffy, that made me smile for some reason. "You like this school?" I asked back.

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"Hmm you noticed that, huh?" I said smiling. I didn't think I should continue talking about that and I was grateful that we had reached our classroom. I groaned as I entered the door, loud enough so the teacher could hear and flashed a mocking smile at him. I didn't care what he thought of me and he knew I didn't care too. I might have skipped if it weren't for Anna. I glanced at her before sitting down heavily at my seat. At least this was the last lesson.

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I was quite surprised that Anna had asked to sit next to me. A good kind of surprised, I was pleased that she wanted to "Yeah, Sure" I said pulling out the chair next to me for her.

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The teacher had droned on for a while now before ordering us to write something about a subject I have no interest in. I looked around to see others writing, only a few whispers were heard from the back of the class. I looked over at Anna working, thinking how foreign it felt to have someone I know sitting in the class with me. I held my pen at my book, but I just twisted it in my fingers. I didn't want to write, and they wouldn't make me. I continued to glace around the class and the girl that had said hi to me in the morning caught my glance, giving me a little wave from her seat. I ignored her, though and turned back to look at the desk.

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I laughed at her note quietly, then wrote back "And writing notes to eachother doesn't look guilty?" I leant back on my chair and put my hands behind my head to show her I wasn't interested in doing the work. Instead I watched her work. I thought that she must enjoy doing the work, but I didn't understand why. The seconds ticked by on the clock and the room grew eerily quiet. The teacher looked busy with marking some papers, so he didn't notice my position of obviously lazy behaviour.

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