Chapter 27: Visions.

Friday.

Day 13.

Issa.

"All I'm saying is that you simply need a new wardrobe, Iss. I've seen you wear those pants like 5 times last week." I sat on my bed while Lectra eagerly, and without permission might I add, went through my closet, feeling very judged.

"Oh c'mon. I can still pair them with like-four other shirts. Plus it's not like I don't clean them each time."

Few days have passed since I was with George. Since we kissed, and pretty much almost did way, way more than just kiss. Again. And now I was feeling twice the amount of guilt for it. Lectra was going through her own problems and I had made our day that was supposed to be fun a load more stressful for her. 

And to make everything even worse, I had unintentionally kicked her out the other day. Way to go me.

After she unexpectedly came back the next morning, Lectra told me that she and Blake had simply talked and got to know eachother better, but by the smell of the alcohol on her, and the obvious hangover, I knew that was a lie. But I honestly didn't care that she was lying to me, she deserved to have some fun without me messing it up for once. 

But now, a few days later, I was surprised to find out she and Blake had begun hanging out more and more without me. Normally I would come with, not just because me and Blake still had to keep up our dating image, but also simply because they were two of the most awkward people around eachother. I felt like their mom keeping track of them most days.

"Yeah alright. At least pick out a cute swimsuit to make up for your poor fashion choices, for me?" Shoot. I had completely forgotten about the pool party on Monday. I didn't have a single swimsuit. What kind of lame ass doesn't have a swimsuit? Maybe one that was kidnapped and didn't have time to pack a suitcase?

"Do not tell me you don't have one Issa." She must have been watching without me realizing and was able to detect in my face that I definitely didn't have any at all.

"Alright, I won't say that, I in fact, have zero swimsuits for the pool party this Monday. That is definitely not what's happening here."

"I hate to say it, but it's a damn good thing you have me Issa. Otherwise you'd be lost most days." I knew she definitely didn't hate to say it at all but I let her have her moment either way, keeping my mouth shut about it. I also knew it was the complete truth.

"Yeah yeah. So I bet you're about to tell me you have plenty to go around in your new closet, am I right?" Lectra began applauding me, like it was hard to guess, then she was stating;

"Bingo. That means we'll have to-" Stopping mid-sentence, Lectra seems to have become frozen in place, mouth still open from previously talking.

"What is it?"

"I-my stuff, the swimsuits. There in my old room. With Wes." It was barely noticeable, but Lectra's hands were now shaking rapidly, obviously letting me know she was stressing the hell out.

"Hey-it's okay. You don't have to go in there. I'll do it." I in no way wanted to have to see Wes. And I knew if I went in there, I would surely snap at him. But Lectra was freaking out this much just from thinking about the possibility of seeing him, so I knew I'd have to do it.

Even if I would definitely want to clock him if I had to talk to him.

"We still have a few days to get them, I'll figure it out." Before I knew it, Lectra was stepping out from inside my closet and stomping over to me, arms stretched wide. She makes her way over and immediately throws herself into my arms for a tight hug.

"Thank you Iss. I'm sorry I'm being a dork about this. I just really don't want to see him." She then steps away from our hug, that I was enjoying greatly, then Lectra sighs deeply as she adds;

"But I have to see him eventually. So I'll just do it. Don't worry about it." My mouth cracks open, ready to give her a big 'oh hell no' when she stops me by waving her hands up at my face. Shaking her head manically, she reassures;

"I've got this." Lectra just smiles at me in front of her, like I wasn't a defensive mother wanting her to just sit back and watch me go after Wes. Then her smile wavers and she was quickly clarifying;

"Maybe not today though?" I finally give up and let her have her way. I roll my eyes at her now and hug her once more as I say;

"If that's what you want. But just so we're clear, I will stab him if he tries anything funny." Lectra doesn't pull away from me as she laughs into my neck, still hugging me back closely.

"Oh, you don't worry about that. Because so will I." I finally lean back from her and see nothing but seriousness in her eyes. She laughs once more then directly after there was knocking at my door making us both jump. Lectra and I both stare at it, not moving, not knowing who it could be. I was sure Lectra was thinking Wes, but my guess was George, or better yet, Cam.

"Okay fine. I'll get it." Lectra pokes her head around me to glance at the door very nervous like, then she was hobbling over to it. Taking her time opening it, there were more pounds coming from the otherside again, real impatient sounding this time.

"Issa? Leah? Someone there? It's Blake." Lectra turns around to eye me, obviously relieved that it was just Blake. She whips back around and finally opens up the door, letting Blake in.

"What took you guys so long?" Blake pretty much tramples Lectra trying to move inside the room in a hurry as he talks to us. It was obvious he was distressed about something, but neither Lectra or me say anything.

Beating us to it, Blake rushes saying;

"Issa. I don't mean to worry you, but George is going to be down here real soon. He's going to ask you to stream with him later." Lectra and I both heard him perfectly fine, but we stared at eachother as if he was speaking some unknown language. I definitely hadn't explained to Blake that George and Cam streamed together at all yet, only Lectra and Wes. All I can do is boggle at him, words departing me all at once.

"And how do you just know that?" Lectra took the non existent words right from my mouth. Blake doesn't bother looking at her, like she didn't even say anything, and just stares back at me with big bloodshot eyes, until finally he says maniacally;

"I-just know. Just like how Issa knew about what was going to happen with Lizzy." My eyes widen but I don't get the chance to question him any longer, because just as Blake had predicted, someone was knocking at my door once more.

"I swear if that's George-" Lectra says what everyone is thinking as I walk purposely slow over to open my door.

"Hey." George was standing just outside my door looking undeniably annoyed to see me and Blake together again. I don't even bother saying anything back to him, I didn't honestly care as much at the moment. I blink back at him then turn to gawk at Blake again. Lectra was studying him equally as hard as I was when suddenly George speaks up again;

"Okay, clearly I just interrupted some weird threesome, so I'll just say what I came here to say and be on my way." I whip back around, forgetting he was here at all then just nod at him.

George went to speak again but this time he made sure to whisper, so neither Blake nor Lectra heard, unaware that they all knew already;

"I forgot to mention the last time we talked that Cam wants you to watch our next stream, for ya know, practice." Holy shit, Blake was right. Was he having the same crazy dreams I was having here too? I was eager to interrogate Blake but first I had to get George to leave.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds great." George nods again looking conflicted but begins backing up more into the hallway, ready to leave finally. As he backed away now, while still staring into my room, George proceeded to glare directly at Blake, clearly still pissed.

"My room. Tomorrow at 3." I nod back at him so he began marching down the hallway away from us. I slam my door and twirl around to look at Blake. He now looked totally regretful about telling us anything.

"Explain right now."

"I wish I could. It just started happening to me."

"Is it like Issa's dreams?" Lectra beat me to the question first, again. If he was also having the same dream visions I was having, could that also mean he was going to and from the normal world too?

"No. It wasn't a dream. It was just a super intense feeling. I don't have to be asleep for it like you do. I was wide awake when it came to me." Okay, so maybe Blake wasn't like me, but I could dream, pun intended. I'm sure he might have mentioned something by this point had he really been like me.

But he was still obviously different, and I wasn't about to ignore that.

"So this 'feeling' told you George was coming to see me? What's so important about that?"

"Who cares, the real question is why is it happening to him too now?" Lectra finally spoke up again beside me startling me, almost forgetting she was also here. Blake finally acknowledges her talking then simply states;

"That's a good question." Walking very wobbly like over to my bed, Blake sits himself down looking absolutely exhausted. He inhales and exhales deeply then he explains;

"It drains me though. That's for damn sure." All I can do is study Blake hard, trying to make sense of the situation, which felt stupid of me. The same thing was happening to me, and even that made no sense. Although Blake didn't travel to the normal world like I did, so I still had him beat on that craziness.

"You can't say anything about the streams, okay Blake?" Blake is already laying down, arms folded across his chest, relaxed as he nods an okay at me.

"So-now we have two crazies in our group? That's fun." Lectra struts over to me acting way too casual, like Blake hadn't just told us that he was also having visions. She's makes it to me and begins poking my ribs lightly then she points out;

"Bet you feel better knowing it's not just you with these powers-eh?" I nod at Lectra, knowing she was spot on. I knew Blake was most definitely freaking out about it internally, but Lectra was right. I was nothing but extremely relieved that it wasn't just me going through shit, because now I was sure I wasn't entirely losing my mind. I look at Blake and notice he was still laying down on my bed, but his arms were now covering his eyes.

"Are you doing okay?" He doesn't move or say a word, but Lectra does for him;

"Uh, I think he's out cold Iss. He wasn't kidding. That sure does drain him." I glance back at Blake who I now noticed to be snoring softly. Lectra responds with a small 'aw' then she proceeds to whisper;

"Maybe we should just leave him alone for awhile and let him get some sleep?" I nod in approval at her then we head out of my room, not really having an exact target of where we were heading to yet. Lectra and I are aimlessly cruising down the hallways when it finally hits me straight on like a train what George had said to me inside my room.

"Lectra, please tell me I imagined George inviting me to his room tomorrow." She stops, looking just as distraught as I did, then it briskly switched over to a daring smirk.

"Oh no, you definitely did not imagine that. His room at 3-to stream." She ends her sentence with an audacious wink, making me flash a glare her way that said 'watch it'.

"Okay, I know what you're thinking, but no, I will not be engaging in any other activities besides practicing, like he said. I mean, did you see the way he looked at me? He hates me." Which was the point of it all. To get George off my back. But it still managed to feel wrong.

We had begun walking again, still without a plan on where to go as Lectra added;

"Well, I have heard hate sex is pretty darn fantastic so-" The minute those words leave her mouth, I was swatting at her relentlessly, making her have to guard herself from my punches.

"Lectra, get your head out of the gutter!" As disgusted as I was with her for even thinking I would do that with George again, she maybe had a point. I sure as hell wasn't planning on doing anything with him this time, but I had just almost done exactly that in Cam's office not too long ago. And I hadn't planned on doing anything then either, but I couldn't resist him. Ugh.

"Alrighty, but we all know I'm at least a little right."

"Not this time." Who was I kidding, something was probably going to happen now that I jinxed myself.

"Okay-where the hell are we going Iss?" Me and Lectra both stop dead in the hallway, looking around at where we were. I look at the room I was stopped by and read it to myself. 

"Looks like the lounge area for the guards. I haven't been over here much."

"Ew gross. Let's hope we don't see her hanging around here then." Lectra didn't have to say her name, I knew she meant Claudia. Even though I absolutely despised Claudia, I had to admit that she was possibly one of the most attractive females I've ever seen. She was maybe in her thirties, but still somehow looked ageless. I got why Lectra was jealous.

"I doubt we'll see her. But just in case, let's go somewhere else." Lectra didn't say differently, she was turning and heading back where we came from just as fast as I was. Knowing with me and Lectras luck, there was actually a high chance of seeing at least somebody we didn't want to see, I found myself hurrying with her down the hallway.

"Let's just chill in the library." Lectra nods her approval at me and we finally make up our mind on where to go.

•••

"So you and Blake have been hanging out kind of alot recently. Any reason for that?" We had been in the library for hours successfully avoiding everyone, and it was actually feeling good to just be talking to Lectra, which we both desperately needed.

"What? No, we're just friends. And it's pretty clear you're what's on his mind, not me Iss." Lectra answers me and I don't see much of a lie in her words, but she didn't bother making eye contact with me.

"I'm just making sure. I don't want to be kissing Blake in front of you while you like him. I'd feel horrible."

"Well nothing to worry about then." Her words definitely seemed rushed, and maybe even a tad peeved that I was still talking about it, so I ultimately settled on it.

"What about you? Are you nervous about being alone with George?" As quickly as she had gone distant with me, she was back and more animated this time. I saw no reason to lie to Lectra about how I really felt about seeing George alone again, so I gave it to her straight.

"You're damn right I'm nervous. I just don't want anything-to happen."

"Like maybe, I don't know, sleep with him?" Lectra took the bottom of her pencil she had previously been drawing with and began stabbing me with the eraser teasingly.

"I already said I wasn't going to have sex with him, Lectra."

"Mhm, sure. Just tell me when you do, okay?" Rolling my eyes playfully at her, I give in at last, even if I didn't really mean it.

"Fine. I'll tell you every last dirty detail, 'kay?" A couple seconds after I had spoken, there was a mocking laugh coming from the entrance of the library pointed our way. Lectra and I both snap our heads over to see Lizzy eyeing us deviously. Great.

"What is so funny?" Lectra beats me to the angry words I suddenly wanted to throw Lizzys way at the sight of her grinning over at us.

"Oh nothing. Just the fact that you think George still wants you." Holding back the urge to bolt up and grab her neck, I take a breath and ask;

"And why would you think that?" I knew perfectly well that George did in fact still feel something for me since the first time we were together, but I needed to hear Lizzy's explanation.

"What, you guys haven't seen him with Cam the past few days? It's kinda romantic, really."

"Just spit out whatever the hell it is you're trying to get at, alright?" Once again, Lectra steals my words right from me.

"I'm talking about their cute little dates they go on. Without you, might I add. Didn't you three want to have a relationship together or something? Guess they both forgot. Sad." In the corner of my rage filled vision, I see Lectra stand up from her seat ready to pounce at Lizzy. I throw my hands up and grab her, holding her in place, then I quickly sat up instead and paced over to Lizzy.

I approach her and the only expression I see on her odious face is fear.

"If you even think of touching me, I'll go to-Cam!" She hesitated on saying Cam's name, as if choosing her words carefully. I could only wonder why.

"I have a feeling he won't care too much-" I then stop and study her, almost on the verge of shaking as she watched me strut up to her. I exhale, calming myself down then reassure;

"But I'm not going to hit you, so relax. I just have a few questions." All I hear is Lectra behind me letting out a distant 'ugh', clearly disappointed I wasn't about to smack the bejesus out of her like I truly wanted to. Then Lizzy was speaking up, voice quaking;

"What then?"

"Who is this ex boyfriend of yours that I evidently slept with?" All she does is laugh now, looking like she was oh-so full of power now.

"You mean besides Blake now? I can't tell you that sweetheart." Almost slapping her right then, my hand raises then quickly falls back down to my hips, regaining my composure. Knowing damn well I wasn't sleeping with Blake, but wanting to uphold the image of us being together, I simply state;

"Never slept with Blake, but whatever. And why the hell not?" She simply shrugs then tosses a load of her blonde curls over her shoulder and begins picking at her cuticles this time as she spoke;

"Just can't. Any other questions for me princess?" She sneered the word, not meaning it nicely in any way.

"Yeah. And this same ex boyfriend you can't tell me about, what did he do to me that I 'deserved'?" I had purposely added my conspiracy about it happening with the same ex she was so sure I slept with, to confirm my suspicion. By the look on her face, I was right about them being related somehow. It was the same guy.

It was then, only a few moments after, that her bitchy visage she was overusing washed away and in return she somewhat looked taken aback by my question this time.

"So you really don't remember?" I shake my head, stunned by her change in demeanor so suddenly. Then it was gone and she was back to mean girl again, paired with a cheeky smile. She repositions herself like she was getting ready to tell me a story then begins;

"The night you got here, you were blacked out." I blink back at her, already knowing I was blackout drunk the night I was taken here. It was the reason I couldn't remember a damn thing.

"And?" Lizzy rolls her eyes in irritation, then she sighs and adds;

"C'mon. Connect the dots." Lectra behind me seems to have finally cracked the code, because she was rushing up beside me and grabbing me, pulling me away from being too close to Lizzy.

"Let's just go Issa. Ignore her, she's probably just lying like she's good at."

"Even you know I'm being dead serious Leah." Lectras eyebrows push together as she looks at Lizzy now at the sound of her knowing her name, overtly baffled.

"The hell-who told you my real name?" Lizzy coolly shrugs then turns to begin walking away from us, ending the conversation abruptly. Lectra turns to me finally with a deep stressed out breath, then she let's go of my arm hastily, like she forgot she was even hanging on to it.

"Let's go back to your room. I'm sure Blake is awake and gone now so we can talk privately there." I nod at her, and we begin walking again. I was dreading going back to my room, as I was scared of what Lectra had clearly caught onto from Lizzys story.

I was even more scared because deep inside I had a feeling I already knew what Lizzy meant.

•••

"I hate to be that person-but are you okay?" Lectra had taken me back to my room again, free of Blake now, then she hesitantly told me what Lizzy had been referring to, and that I had been right about my suspensions, sadly.

"You know, weirdly, I'm better than I should be feeling." After she told me that Lizzys ex must have taken advantage of the fact that I was too drunk to even function, I didn't cry or even give much of a reaction. It was definitely from shock, but I was strangely fine.

It didn't take long for me to realize the dreams I was having about the mysterious guy I was laying with have been Lizzys ex. Now it made sense why I couldn't see his face, I was too drunk to really see him completely. It still didn't tell me who he was exactly though and why I was having the dreams about him.

Lectra had quickly became a detective at some point and was now trying to deduct who the guy was that Lizzy wouldn't tell us about. As if she would ever figure it out. There were probably hundreds of guys to look through that Lizzy dated in just slept with. We were stumped.

Looking frustrated, Lectra got up from my desk and began pacing.

"Why was Lizzy even there to see it happen that night anyway?"

"Well probably because the boyfriend, at the time, was there with her. Then she must've simply caught him with-well, me." Lectra stops walking and stares me down now, looking sorry.

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to Iss."

"No, I want to figure it out. I've been having these psychic dreams about this guy, so it must be important." All she does is nod, then she was back to pacing like we were even at all close to figuring this out. Then what she says next almost makes me choke on my water I was drinking.

"Maybe it was Cam-I mean he is the one taking people here after all. He might've taken Lizzy too after she saw it all go down." If I hadn't known the real story about Cam and his Boss, I totally would have believed it to be him, but I knew better.

"It can't be Cam." Lectra didn't seem convinced by my statement but she went along with it anyways.

"It just doesn't make sense why she can't tell you the damn guys name at least." I was beginning to lose faith in us figuring this out, so I sat back in my bed and closed my eyes, wanting to just sleep.

"Well, obviously he's important in some way that we can't know his-" That was when it hit me. The reason she wouldn't tell us his name, why she was so willing to just go to Cam for protection. Except she wouldn't really be going to Cam for it at all, she really meant the Boss.

The mystery guy was the Boss. Whoever the Boss really was. It had to be.

He and Lizzy must have dated before she got here. Everything was unfolding together at last, and I wasn't sure I liked it. The Boss was the guy that took me here-after he had assaulted me that night.

"Issa?" I heard Lectra saying my name, but I was so shocked that I couldn't bring myself to pay attention to her. Lizzy must have caught me with the Boss, which made him take her here with me too for some reason. Had she used something against him?

"Okay, I think we should just get some sleep. You're clearly getting worked up." I knew I couldn't risk telling Lectra about the real Boss. I didn't want her getting in trouble, so I simply agreed with her and we layed down to sleep. It wasn't long until Lectra passed out, leaving me awake by myself.

All I could think of was the fact that Lizzy and the Boss were together before she got here, trying to make sense of why he also brought her here with me that same night. And to top it all off, I had to talk to him in person on Monday.

I never ended up coming to any conclusion, and even better, I never even ended up sleeping at all that night.