Guess who's back, back, back, back again - and no, it's not Slim Shady. It's a double update!

I sighed loudly at Christian, "You think I know?" I miserably slid down against the walls. 

Not only have I had continuous dreams about Christian Park for the last three years, but he expects that I know the answer.

"You've been having dreams about me?" I glanced up at Christian. 

He crossed his arms, "For the last couple of years. And they're starting to bug me now because you look like the girl from the dream."

"I'm in the same boat as you, idiot," I snapped.

"Meaning you've dreamt about me, too?" he double-checked.

I rolled my eyes, "Duh."

"And..." he struggled to get his words out again, "These dreams... they-"

"Yes, they are about sexual interactions," I crossed my ankles in front of me on the floor, "And I don't know why. To be honest, I thought they were just normal 'dream-guy' things. But no. Here you are in the flesh."

Christian sighed loudly, "My thoughts exactly."

"So how?" I asked him, "Do you know anything about this?"

"Well..." he winced but trailed off.

"Out with it, Par- Christian," I corrected myself. I'd almost automatically said Park - the name I'd been hearing in my dreams for years.

"When I was fourteen - when I first started getting the dreams," he began slowly, "Most of the time - because I was young - they kept me quite confused and I wouldn't sleep. My parents labelled it as insomnia and I went to see a therapist."

He stopped suddenly, his eyes trailing elsewhere. 

"Christian," I said sternly, "I'm hungry and confused, and slightly crazy from all of this, so please hurry up."

"Hungry?" he raised an eyebrow but dismissed the thought almost immediately, "Sorry... uh, anyway... the therapist said that I'd probably stayed up too late reading Playboy," he wrinkled his nose, "Obviously, it's not that. But the dreams wouldn't stop and ended up just coming more frequently. The last month it's been every night. And now... you."

I crossed my arms again, "Well, I don't know what to make out of that. But... if I have another dream tonight - you're telling me everything. Tonight." I paused for effect. 

He nodded slightly. I stood up from the floor and went to open the door to the cafeteria but stopped, "What did you tell Dr Weston about what you dream?"

Christian groaned, "I'd been hoping you wouldn't mention it."

"Christian," I seethed, turning towards him.

He winced, "I told him the truth."

"You idiot!" I cried and smacked his chest.

"Hey!" he shouted, "We're meant to be honest. You heard me say that at lunch yesterday."

"But you don't go telling people that you have dreams about me," I smacked my forehead.

He straightened up with an icy glare, "Are you not going to tell the doctors that you have them of me?"

Honest. As I locked eyes with his reddish-brown ones I realised that he'd just put down his bad boy image of what Shawn described. He looked vulnerable. At the moment, he didn't have power over me. We were equals. Since he'd been honest with the doctors... I had to be honest too. 

I let out a breath I hadn't noticed I'd been holding and said, "I'll tell them the truth. But no one finds out, okay? Apart from the doctors."

"Too late," Christian said and I froze, about to open the door, "Your brother already knows."

"And Em knows," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear, "But no one else. Got it?"

"Of course, Natalie."

I pushed open the door, with Christian on my tail. I felt all eyes move to us. Christian barked out, "What're you all lookin' at?"

Bree scoffed, "So you didn't spend ten minutes out there, making out?"

I shuddered, "No. No, no, no. Ugh, I lost my appetite now."

I moved to the table and Em raised an eyebrow, "You talked?"

"Yep," I sighed, staring at my too-cold muesli.

"And what happened?"

I glared at her, "He told the doctors about his dreams."

Em's eyes widened, "No..."

"Yuh-huh," I stabbed my yogurt, not hungry now.

Beth leaned forward, "What dreams?"

"Nothing," me and Em said together, as the bell went.

***

"Alisa Redfort," Dr Weston called and she moved into the room, nervously. 

I leaned against the wall - now the next to go in. 

Beth tapped my shoulder from behind, "It'll be okay. I mean... there's no needles right?"

I stared at her for a while. Does she even talk to the guys? Actually... probably not. I grimaced, "Sorry... they take a bit of our blood."

She paled, "Oh crud."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, though," I hurried to say, "Shawn said there was almost no pain."

Beth shuddered, "Still... I'm scared of blood."

I couldn't admit to her that I hated seeing my own blood too. Most of the time I fainted... But I'd be strong this time and just keep my eyes closed. 

I took a deep breath and waited in the semi-quiet. Dr Weston called several minutes later, "Natalie Roberts."

I stood up from the wall and moved into the room stiffly. Dr Demonico smiled lightly - to calm me down, no doubt, "Hi Natalie. You're the student body president, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," I whispered.

She grinned, "Well, I definitely can't hurt one of the most important people on campus, can I?"

"We're all equals," I managed to say, but I was focused on the massive needle she was dwindling. 

She glanced down at it, "I'm guessing you don't like needles?"

"Not at all," I whispered.

She winked, "Don't worry. None of the guys have complained. And only two girls have fainted. Plus," she chuckled half-heartedly, "I'm a trained doctor."

I sat reluctantly in the chair. It was one of those plush blue ones like you'd see in a dentist's hospital. They say it's designed that way for comfort - but I know the real reason. It was designed so the blood could be wiped off easily without a single stain. 

Dr Demonico leaned over me, "Do you like rap music?"

"Y-yeah, sort of..."

"Do you know the Alphabet Aerobics?"

"Yes."

"Rap that whilst I put the needle in," she winked, "It'll help."

I smiled half-heartedly and began singing aloud, not caring who could hear me, "Artificial amateurs aren't at all amazing, analytically, I assault animate things..." 

I felt a slight sting halfway through my Ds but ignored it, focussing into the Es. I'd only gotten up to the Ms when Dr Demonico interrupted, "That's the completion of part one, Natalie."

My eyes flew open in shock, "Really?!"

She chuckled, "Yes. Didn't feel or see a thing, did you?"

"No," I responded immediately.

"Part two consists of a small, air-tight space," she said, "You don't have any prior medical illnesses, do you? Claustrophobia, anxiety, asthma, etcetera, etcetera?"

"Um..." I thought back, "I had anorexia when I was thirteen and fourteen... that's about it?"

She chuckled, "I'll have to remember to write that down, but it should be fine. Just step in here please."

I stood up and was guided into a glass chamber about the size of a shower. Before she closed it she said, "Take a very deep breath for me!"

I breathed in a large gulp of air and she closed the door. A light scanned from my head to toes and then back up. I briefly felt a slight pull towards the ceiling - like a vacuum - and then the door opened. It hadn't taken longer than ten seconds. 

Dr Demonico grinned, "Part two complete, Natalie. Mind taking another seat? Or you can stand if you'd prefer. I just have to ask you some questions."

I sat down anyway. The first lot of questions were basic - favourites of things, sports, hobbies, relationship status, childhood pets. The next lot were harder - my medical history. Of course, I had to tell her about the brief time I had with anorexia, but that was long gone. And I had to tell her about the sleep apnea I'd gone through for two months when I was fourteen, as well. My therapist had said the apnea was just another symptom of my brief anorexia. 

Then she asked the inevitable question, "Do you have a clue about what you often dream?"

She had too straight a face. It was probably already written somewhere that Park, I mean Christian, dreams of me. Honesty.

Christian's vulnerable face came back to view in my mind as he had subtly asked me to tell the truth. I sighed, "Yeah, I know..."

"Is this a recurring dream?"

"Y-yes..." I winced, "Since I was fourteen."

"Fourteen seems to be your lucky number," she joked, "How often would you say you have this dream of yours?"

"It used to be once a month or so when I was younger... but it's grown more frequent."

"How frequent?" she leaned forward. 

"I've had the same type of dream for the past month, every night."

"Type? Or the exact same?"

"Each time it varies slightly. But it always takes place in the same location, with me and the same other person."

"What's the location?" she narrowed her eyes, though I knew she already knew what I meant.

"A classroom. But last night he was dragging me out of the cafeteria and then we went into the classroom."

"Who's he?" she smirked.

"In the dream, I call him Park," I winced. No going back now, "But... he bears a freakish resemblence to Christian Park..."

"Does he now?" she smiled slightly, "And have you spoken to Christian about this?"

"Y-yes."

Honesty. Honesty is key.

"And what did you talk about?"

"We argued about it. A lot. We're both confused."

"And he's confused because...?" she really wanted me to spit it out.

"He dreamt - dreams - about me too."

She quickly wrote down notes and I sighed. Finally...

"Now, part four is going to hurt quite a lot," she smiled sympathetically, "You can rap again, but I don't think it will work again as well."

Instead of Alphabet Aerobics I tried for Swimming Pools' verses and she was right. The second my shirt had been pulled up to the top of my ribcage and the cold barrel was pressed to my bare skin I forgot all the lyrics to any song ever created. 

There was a click and I let out a bloodcurdling scream. That side of my ribcage felt like it was on fire, "Fudge! That hurt! Shiz it."

Dr Demonico smiled lightly, "Well... you certainly have a better vocabulary than your twin. He was cussing left and right."

I winced, refraining from touching the grey square inserted into my skin, "Oh, that heart like a mama bear..."

Dr Demonico let out a small laugh, "Okay. Off you go now. The chip should be activated by tomorrow morning."

"And what does the chip do?"

She smiled gently, "Enhances your pheromones. Trust your instincts with that thing."

"Oh... kay?" I said, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Must have been after effects of the needle, "Uh... I need to go lie down. Thanks, Dr Demonico."

"No problem, Natalie."

Song: Alphabet Aerobics - Blackalicious

A longer chappie than I usually write... but oh well :) 

Is anybody else on X-Mas holidays yet? I've been on holidays since the 6th of December - perks of going to a private school in the AUS! 

(^^,) xx Sharky.