1 Boyfriends?

Diane woke up, sweating and crying. There was a pain in her chest that she can't really describe. But it's there, and it's intense enough to emotionally hurt her through this dream she has. Every night for the past week, Diane wakes up with the same pain. And the sadness and emptiness inside her when she wakes up kills her. She can't stand it. She needs to know what the dream's significance was. The only thing Diane could ever remember were the screams. The terrible shrieks that came from nowhere. And everywhere. All she knows is that in her dream, she's waiting for someone. Hoping and praying that someone will come back to her, to fill in an empty gap in her heart.

But this was only a feeling. A feeling that eventually fades. And she forgets, only to have it come back to haunt her, in her dreams, in the night. Part of her wants to believe that this is just a dream. Only a dream. But the other side wonders why it feels so real. Why does it feel so much like a memory when she can't ever remember loving someone that fierce?

Diane was in the middle of making breakfast when her mother called her. Scrambling to wipe her oily hands on a towel, she picked up the phone and answered.

"Hey, mom," Diane said. She put the phone on speaker mode and placed it on the countertop so that she could continue to cook. Diane could barely hear anything over the sizzling of bacon on the pan.

"Diane, do you mind paying your mother a visit? I have something for you," her mother said.

"Sure, I'll be over at about ten. Is that ok?" Diane asked.

"Yes, yes," Diane's mom assured. "Be sure to wear something nice!" Then, she hung up.

Huh. 'Something nice'. I wonder what she's up to, Diane thought.

After breakfast and a quick jog around the park, Diane was ready. She'd decided on a pink sweatshirt and black leggings. Accompanied by a pair of silver Converse sneakers, she thought she looked rather nice, considering she normally wore jeans and crumpled shirts. Grabbing her keys, Diane hopped into her midnight blue Camry. As she drove to her mother's house she felt her excitement build up inside of her. Diane parked in the empty garage, which was normally occupied by her father's car but since he passed away, it was usually empty. Diane raised her hand to ring the doorbell but her mother was already there. Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

"Come on in!" her mother said cheerfully.

There were voices coming from inside the house. That was odd. Diane's mother, Christy, had been spending her time in solitude since her Diane's father had passed away. She only came out when necessary. But right now, it sounded like Christy was hosting a party. Was her grief for her father gone already?

Christy looked Diane over, shook her head disapprovingly, and ushered her in. To Diane's horror, the voices were coming from men. All of them were men. This most likely meant that Christy had something in store for Diane. And that was not something Diane was looking forward to. The excitement she'd felt only a few minutes ago was gone. In its place stood dread. She did not want to know what her mother was planning for her.

"Mother!" Diane exclaimed. She was horrified at the sight of the seven party-goers.

"Yes, yes. I know, aren't they handsome?" Christy asked, oblivious to the reason why Diane had called out. "Now come on, it's time to introduce you to them," Christy said, steering Diane towards the living room.

Diane tried to fight back but Christy's firm grip kept her moving. When Diane got closer, the men stopped talking and stared at her. Self-conscious of her out-of-place look amongst the fancy suits the others, Diane started to fidget.

"This is Diane Falkov, my daughter, and your potential wife," Christy said, gesturing towards Diane.

Potential wife!? Is this the surprise my mother had in mind? Diane thought, confused and angry. What is she trying to do? Hook me up with some random guy? Does she think that I'm going to go along with this stupid plan? Sure I'm not married but I'm still young! I have years before I have to start worrying about marriage! And I'm not even ready to date yet!

Diane was jolted back to the present when her mother elbowed her in the ribs, hissing "Come on, say something!"

Diane started to back away. "N-no. No, no, no. I-I can't do this." And she fled, running down the hall and up the stairs. She locked herself in her old room. She was breathing heavily, leaning on the door for support. Diane didn't know what had come over her. When Christy had said "potential wife", a feeling of terror had passed over her. For a second, she felt as if she was already promised to someone. But the feeling passed and she managed to calm her racing heart. Taking deep, long breaths, Diane flung herself onto her bed. Tears started to fall out of nowhere. How could she do this to me? I'm already 29. I can make my own decisions, including choosing my own husband. Diane glanced up, tears blurring her gaze. She tried to blink the tears away when her eyes focused on a picture on her bedside table. It showed her and a boy. A boy she'd never seen before. He had dark auburn hair and hazel eyes. Both of them were happily laughing and they seemed to be in some kind of an amusement park. One that she was sure she'd never been to before. She dragged the sleeve of her sweatshirt over her eyes, drying the last of her tears. Diane got up and picked up the picture. When was this taken? Who is this boy? At the bottom of the frame, the words "Soulmates for life." was carved into the wood. How can I be meant-to-be with a boy I have no memory of? Then another thought occurred to her. Could this boy be the person I thought I was promised to? Diane started to laugh. She couldn't believe that she was actually taking this picture seriously. There was no way it was real. It was probably photoshopped, making it seem like she was with this boy when she really wasn't.

But she couldn't shake off the feeling that she somehow knew this boy.