19 - Light and Dark

The weeks dragged by agonisingly slow until the final day of school. That day went fast as a snap.

Classmates Robin had never associated with, or talked bare minimum to, spoke to her like she was a long-time childhood friend. They babbled on and on about their summer plans: two week of vacation to Disney World, hiking in Yellowstone National Park, lodging with their relatives in Napa Valley for a week, travelling to universities, job stuff - all things Robin couldn't care less about. When they finished their long calendar of activities, they expected her to come up with her own bucket list.

Truthfully, she had no idea what was in store. It had been months since first being introduced to the Simms, yet she still felt like a stranger to them - in terms of knowing their past holiday trips, summer fun, the works. She knew more than she had four months ago, but the weeks had passed in such a daze, that any newfound information escaped her.

So, she stood there until the awkwardness became overbearing and the probing acquaintances left her be or until they began to chat with her again.

Robin met up with Sal and Tyler at the end of the day. They had their yearbooks in hand and were regarding their signatures and well-wish notes.

"So, you two finally graduated," Robin said as she ambled on the sidewalk sandwiched between the two seniors.

"Yeah, but I still don't see why they hosted our graduation early." Sal elbowed Tyler. "Do you know why, dork?"

Because of Robin, they spoke to each other more often. It was nice that the two loners had finally gotten someone else to make them less so.

He glared at her. "Don't know, don't care. Now, let's go." He motioned for Robin to follow before pausing. "Do you need a ride, Sal?" he asked.

"Yeah. My car is still in the shop!" She groaned. "Can you believe that?"

He snickered. "Kinda."

She snorted. "Yeah? Tell me why you can believe it, dork face."

"'Cause you drive like a maniac. Boy, I'd sure as heck be tucked in at home if you ever drove drunk." Tyler chuckled as he fumbled for his keys. "You'd probably kill half the town's population."

With a click, the doors unlocked, at the same time Sal slapped him on the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Rubbing the area of impact, he retreated to the driver's side and slid in.

Sal entered gracefully into the backseat with Robin wearing a proud smirk on her face. "Oh come on, wimp. That didn't hurt. And that was for being an ass since you wanted to know," she teased as she buckled in.

Robin couldn't help but release a small giggle of her own.

Sal's smile only widened.

"Yeah, well you asked, and what's up with the language?" Tyler asked.

Sal's eyebrows nearly leapt off her face. "What are you, some boy scout or choir boy?"

"No." Tyler snapped on his seatbelt. "But you don't ever talk like this in front of my parents."

Whipping her attention to him, Robin squinted. She looked at Sal who had a similar 'are you an idiot?' look.

"Duh, of course not. My parents would whoop my tush if they ever heard me disrespect my elders - not that your parents are old or anything. My parents are really strict, ok. Just give me this one act of rebellion. Besides, it's not like they're going to find out. Right?" She gave him a hard stare, accompanied with a quirked eyebrow.

"Sure, I'll keep your goody two shoes rep." He rolled his eyes and turned on the ignition. "You're just that kind of bad girl aren't you?"

Sal rolled her eyes and turned to Robin. "Guys never know when to shut up," she said.

"That's not-" he protested.

"Unbelievable! Do you see what I mean?" Sal slapped the back of Tyler's head again.

"Ow! Stop it, Sal!"

Robin could barely contain her laughter, but somehow she managed to suppress it for the time being.

"Then get it right, dummy. Don't talk back to a lady. It isn't man-like." She snorted again. "Haven't you ever heard of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?"

"Isn't that in reference to like love or something?" He released the break and pulled out of the car park before Sal could assault him again. "I mean, I think that was how it was defined in the online idiom dictionary."

"Whatever, nerd." Waving him off, she looked to Robin. "You've been awful quiet."

"Well, I was just letting you two have the floor. I didn't want to break up the love fest."

"We're not in love!" They cried in unison, sharing a blush.

Robin held her stomach as she bursted into laughter.

Sal crossed her arms. "I have a boyfriend anyway, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. Mason."

Sal nodded. "Besides, Tyler has someone he likes too," she cooed.

"Sal!" he snapped. "Shh!"

Ignoring him, she smirked and gave a dismissive hand flick. "From what I've gathered, she's average height, brunette, has blue eyes, and is younger than him."

"Sal, shut up!"

She chortled. "Not that the age is any sort of helpful clue. Tyler's probably one of the oldest geezers in our graduating high school class. Ha ha!" She pointed at him like a child.

Grumbling, Tyler's white knuckles were curled around the wheel. The turn signal blinked as the car stopped at the light.

"But it's only a crush," she insisted.

Robin swallowed. "D-Do you know who she is?"

"Even if I did know, Mr Hush-Hush would swear me to secrecy. Sorry."

"No. It's not a problem." Robin twitched.

Her mind was racing. He could not possibly like me, could he?  He have told me if he did, right?  The questions jumbled in her head. She would be lying if she said she hadn't seen anything passed his amiable nature.

For the rest of the ride, Sal and Tyler bantered like siblings. She called him names and he always corrected her. It was like a game, and Robin happily observed. It kept her mind off of her feelings.

They dropped off Sal at her house and then detoured to McDonalds for fries and burgers. Tyler needed to run over to work and promised Robin a meal for making her wait the whole ten-minutes while he dealt with his boss.

Whatever the boss had said made Tyler in an extremely good mood. He wore an ear to ear grin all the way home, insisting that he reveal the news at dinner. And the wait was totally worth it. His boss was promoting him to his dream job.

Out of closed amateur photo shoots of impromptu family members, Tyler would now photograph actual models as an intern with a popular, new photographer named Xavier Lamez. It was a jump he hadn't expected, but it came with one small price: Tyler needed to rethink accepting his university of choice in New York if he were to take this position.

His boss allowed him to think it over, but from the glee in his eyes, Robin was almost sure Tyler wouldn't have a hard decision. After all, he had told her he wanted to stay relatively close by. This would give him the opportunity to do what he loved and stay with who he loved.

He had also gotten into the one of best universities in New Jersey and Robin knew that his parents had always secretly preferred him staying close anyways, so they were happy. They agreed taking on this job was a great choice and paid well. That gave him the option to lodge alone or with them, and he wisely chose to stay until he got his feet on the ground and was more financially secure.

A big part of Robin was relieved, but she would take that secret to the grave before telling anyone that. He had become a very good, trustworthy friend, and she feared if he left, she would clam up again. Deep down, in a place she didn't want to acknowledge, she felt like she was going losing her two friends eventually. It was inevitable, and it hurt to think about.

Sal was staying too, but it was only a matter of time before she would leave for Michigan. She and Robin had grown inseparable - Sal was maybe the first real girlfriend Robin had in ages. It was a blessing to have someone to confide with and return the favour.

Tyler and Sal were as close as anyone ever got with the likes of Robin. He helped her deal with her post-mortem blues, and she dealt with the hell of Robin past. Each friend slowly healed parts of Robin's heart. It was almost unbearable to comprehend that soon they would leave the nest.

After dinner, Robin retired to her room. Having pulled an all-nighter the day before, she was exhausted. Beyond exhausted. Listening to the crickets chirp lulled her into dreamland.

Twisting and turning, Robin fought against the blanket's tight grasp. "No! No! No!" she mumbled. Her eyebrows knitted together as her legs kicked the air. "Please no! Stop!" Pearls of sweat trickled down her temples. She panted laboured breaths.

"Noooo!" Jolting up, Robin's eyes danced erratically. They shot to all the shadows cast from the moonlight shining through the open window. As she blinked, her eyes found the alarm clock. 12:44 am. Robin toddled to the window and slammed it shut. Slipping back under the covers, she sat against the headboard and hugged her knees.

The nightmares were relentless. Ever since she and Tyler began poking around her parents' case, the past haunted her sleep. Only a few occasions of the week was she fortunate to have a good night's rest, but the dreams always lasted too short.

"Hey, Robin." A knock came to her door.

"W-who is it?" She was practicing the breathing techniques she had taught herself after her father's beatings. It was a temporary method to wash away some of the pain and focus instead on something else, thereby acting as a barely effective Tylenol.

"It's Keith. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks." Robin gripped her comforter tighter.

"Oh. I thought I heard yelling." His voice was tired.

'I was screaming?'  Robin's face flashed with horror and her cheeks flushed rose. "No. Just a tiny bad dream, that's all. Nothing to worry about. I'm fine." She could feel herself trembling.

"Okay." He yawned. "Get a goodnight's rest. See ya in the morning."

"Ok. Thanks, Mr Simms. You too." She listened for the creak of the floorboards before she released a breath she did not realise she was holding.

Close call. Too close. Robin slapped herself mentally. How could she be screaming in her sleep? Yet, how could she hide it was the more important question. Sleeping on her stomach made her stomach sick. Curling up with her back to the door wasn't much of a successful noise barrier either. Not sleeping had to be the solution then. As heavy as her eyelids felt, she much rather feel like she could control her thoughts than the alternative.

She wanted Tyler. He always had a remedy for fear. A hug. Oh, his hugs were the warmest things she had ever experienced. They were even warmer than Jonas's embrace. How she longed for a hug because damn it, she was terrified out of her mind. She had to keep reminding herself that she was in a the Simms's house, not in her parents. Her father was gone, yet he still tortured her. How could a dead man have such a grip on the living?

The nightmare felt so real. All of them always did.

It made her heart fight to break outside of its confines.

It made her shirt soaked through as if she had just fallen into a pool on a humid day.

It made her hair look like a bird's nest from whipping it back and forth on the pillow which was also damp from her perspiration.

It made her legs sore from kicking at all the invisible foes grabbing and bruising them.

It made her head spin because she was so exhausted but so scared at the same time she feared sleep would bring about the onslaught of hellish dreams again.

Her eyelids drooped, but she flinched into awareness. It was only one am. Only forty-six minutes had passed since her last nightmare. She sighed. It was going to be a long night, she reckoned.

Minutes ticked by in torturous length. It crawled on five minutes and crept to ten. Slowly but surely, the minutes became an hour and then an hour into another hour. But by then, she had long lost her fight to stay awake.

Her treacherous eyes had closed and her head had flopped onto her knees, resting against the small crevice in between them. She was no match for exhaustion - not after being worn down for so long. Robin no longer processed the will necessary to combat the luring temptress.

To her surprise, when she awoke, Tyler was leaning against the door. She jumped at the sight, and clutched the blanket, pulling it up to cover her from his eyes. Even with her clothes on, she felt vulnerable until his stare.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

Robin's mouth fell a little before she quickly stitched it back together. Words would not form fast enough so she nodded.

He looked hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I thought you were asleep."

"I heard your screams, Robin. How could I sleep?"

She wanted to ask why he had not bothered to comfort her when hearing her cries, but she knew if he had, she would have asked him to stay with her for the rest of the night. She wished he could protect her from the enemies in her dreams. But, her conscience told her she could not ask that of Tyler or herself. She couldn't believe it, but she was slowly realising that she cared for Tyler - more than on a friendship or a brother basis. She could not let in on those feelings. Sal had only furthered her conscience's argument. His heart was already taken by someone else. Who was she to try and vie for his love? Surely he would not want her. All she was was broken - he deserved a whole girl.

"It's ok. I'm fine now." The only alternative was shutting him down. It was the only solution to save her heart and his.

Word Count: 2300

A/N: I'm dedicating this chapter to LeighWStuart and her story Ferocious. If you love a paranormal horror, where the teenage main character, is in an asylum haunted by the past of her two missing friends, this story is definitely for you! Please check out this spooky story, and remember to bring your teddy bear!