I pick myself up from my bed, swinging my feet in the air beside my bed happily. I look at the room around me, slowing the swinging of my feet as confusion kicks in quickly. I look towards the window of my room, getting up carefully and opening it.

No meadow greets me. Instead I see a road, the sound of distant cars snapping me out of my daze. My brain kicks into high gear, organizing the strange dream as just that. A dream. I'm not some florist named Daisy, I'm Tristan. Tristan Watkins. I live in modern times, not… whenever that dream was.

I close the windows and sit down at the edge of my bed. Placing my head down into my hands. I struggle for a bit with sorting information out in my brain. My body feels… weird. Wrong. Nothing feels right, despite me knowing that this is how everything should feel.

That dream is easily the most vivid I've ever had. I can remember every second as if it had just been yesterday. Even now, I'm wide awake and I feel great. It's only six in the morning. I'm not normally a morning person, especially not this early.

I groan slightly, sitting up straight and nursing an encroaching headache. Well, maybe I don't feel that great anymore. "God, what a strange dream…" I mumble, my voice sounding profoundly wrong. I ignore the feeling, lumbering my way towards the bathroom.

I start brushing my teeth, looking into my eyes. For once, the ever present dark circles under my eyes seem to have faded. Aside from the slight headache, I feel surprisingly good for how early it is. Completely awake and I haven't even had any coffee yet. I finish off brushing my teeth and stare at myself in the mirror. Aside from the strange feeling I get looking at myself, I feel really good.

Even if it was a weird dream, it was a nice dream. I smile slightly at myself in the mirror. I tap my chin idly, thinking slightly. Well, as long as I'm feeling good and I'm awake… I might as well try my hand at making some breakfast. I'm no good at cooking, but I can at least make some scrambled eggs and sausage links.

I get dressed for the day, pushing away the lingering strange feelings as I slip on a t-shirt and jeans. That dream was so vivid… even now I can feel the lack of weight on my chest and it makes me feel confused. I know that they're not supposed to be there, but I still feel slightly hollow over their absence.

I shake my head, lightly slapping my cheeks to try and clear my thoughts. I must still be a little sleepy or something, despite how awake I feel right now…

I navigate my way towards the kitchen, passing my sister's bedroom door. The light isn't on, so she must still be asleep. I guess I could make some food for the both of us. I don't know if she'll eat it, but it's worth a shot.

I start making some food, allowing my mind to wander back to the dream. Even though it's been some time since I woke up, I remember every second of that day so clearly. From waking up, to shopping, to hanging out with Marisa.

I'm definitely thankful that despite being a woman in my dream, she seemed especially uninterested in men. I don't know how I would feel if she had gotten all sappy and romantic with a guy. It would be… weird to think about.

And Marisa. She was nice, if a little guarded with her feelings. It really feels like she was a real person who I was just starting to get to know.

I turn slightly at the sound of a door opening, followed by the shuffling of feet on the floor. "The fuck, since when are you a morning person?" My sister grumbles as she sees me. I smile thinly, turning back to the food that I'm making.

"Good morning, Marissa." I say quietly. She grumbles, opening up the cupboard to look for cereal. "Im, uh, making you some eggs and sausage." She glances over at me, her eyes meeting mine with intensity. "If you want…" I amend weakly.

She looks at the pan on the stove, closing the cupboard. "Did you finally learn how to make sunny side up eggs?"

I look down at the pan, realizing that I am making sunny side up eggs. I've really only ever made scrambled eggs. I've only ever made sunny side up in my dream last night... They look done too. I slide the eggs onto a plate, picking up and placing some breakfast sausages on the plate. "Uh, I suppose." I slide the plate over to her and she looks at it critically.

She reaches into one of the drawers, getting a fork out and carrying the plate to the island behind me. She starts eating her eggs while I start making some more sunny side up eggs. Apparently I can make other types of eggs now.

"I have to admit that these aren't half bad," Marissa says through a mouthful of sausage.

"Thanks," I say, focusing on my own food. "Did you sleep well?" I ask, not quite wanting her willingness to talk to me to disappear.

She doesn't comment on my continuation of this idle chit chat, she must be similarly content to keep up the good will between us for now. "Eh. Good enough. Weird dream."

I perk up at that, looking over at her with a quirked eyebrow. "You too?" She pauses at that, looking me in the eyes.

She huffs, turning away and taking another bite of sausage. "It's just some dumb recurring dream. I thought I was done with them for a while, but I guess not." She pauses for a moment, then continues, glancing at me idly. "You too, though?"

I freeze at that, feeling a flush of embarrassment about my dream. I can't just tell her what my dream was about. Or that it was actually a pretty nice dream despite that. "It was just vivid, is all. Nothing noteworthy." She accepts this, the conversation dying between us.

I finish up making my breakfast, about the same time she finishes eating hers. "Gotta get ready for work," she mumbles, escaping to her room. I wave her goodbye, sighing when the door to her room closes. Progress on the communication front, but not much.

Ever since we moved in together she's been getting more distant. Not that she's required to interact with me, but I do somewhat miss the doting older sister I had when I was younger. I shake my head lightly, banishing those thoughts. She'll come around when she's ready… and if not, I need to come to terms with the fact that my sister is just different now. You can't force people to be different than they are. That's the kind of thinking that gets people hurt, and I try my best not to hurt people if I can help it.

I pick at my food slowly, trying to remember what I have to do today. No school today, and I don’t have work either. I pull out my phone, looking through my notifications. I scroll through my phone, pausing on an old note that I’d written.

I sigh, taking another bite of sausage and looking through the note. That’s right, I’d promised to go out shopping with Sarah and Brooke. And to think that I just spent the night shopping in my dream. Well, that was pleasant enough, maybe this outing won’t be so bad.

I let out a small sigh, shrugging my shoulders uncomfortably as I look up towards the mall. Looking around and scanning the few crowds of people walking around, I don't see either Sarah or Brooke at a glance. I'm a little early for our outing, but that's mostly due to the particularly early morning.

With twenty minutes still left to wait for my shopping companions, I enter the mall and make my way towards the coffee vendor near the entrance. I'm surprised to find that I actually recognize the barista working there currently. She clearly recognizes me too as I walk closer because her smile widens as I approach the counter.

She leans against the counter with her elbow, giving me a cocky smile. "Hey there,Tristan. Fancy seeing you out and about for once. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"What? Can't I come get a coffee from my favorite Barista?" I reply immediately, the answer coming out smoothly. It's only after I've said it that I realized what I've said, feeling slightly confused about why I just said that.

Hannah, my childhood friend, pauses at this. She looks me up and down, slightly flummoxed before shaking her head lightly. "Jeez, what's got you so chipper and social today?"

I shake my head, looking down at myself in confusion. "Uh… I guess I got a good night's rest last night."

She smirks at that. "You should do that more often if it will always make you this flattering." I wince at that, shrinking in on myself. "Well, you've definitely got me in a good mood now, so let's say this one's on me, how's that sound, Tris?"

My mouth curls up into a light smile at that, nodding gratefully to her. "Thanks Hannah, you're the best."

She laughs at that, smiling wide. "Don't I know it! What'll it be then?"

My eyes wander to the menu, scanning the coffees. Normally I'd usually get something to wake me up, but… I already feel pretty good this morning. I settle on something fruitier, one of the specialty fruit teas. Hannah sets about making my drink and I content myself with lounging around nearby, watching her make it.

After a few minutes of waiting, Hannah slides the drink across the counter to me. "Don't be a stranger," She says, "at least not stranger than normal that is." She adds cheekily. I smile at that, nodding gently. I opt not to say anything, not wanting to surprise myself with saying anything more embarrassing. I wave her goodbye, navigating my way back to the entrance of the mall.

I'm so in my own thoughts that I'm caught entirely off guard by a hand touching my shoulder. I tune into the world, turning my head slowly, seeing Sarah waving at me.

"You okay there, Tristan? I was calling your name and you were completely zoned out." Her tone is slightly concerned as she looks me over.

Shaking my head, I reassure her. "Sorry, just thinking about something. Wasn't paying any attention at all, sorry."

She lets out an airy chuckle, nodding in acceptance. "Well, I'm here finally. Hope you weren't waiting long."

I pull my phone out, looking at the time. Still five till eleven. "You're fine, It's not even the time we agreed to meet yet." She simply nods in response, pulling her own phone out to look at it. With Brooke still left to wait for, I try not to feel too awkward waiting alone with Sarah. We decide to sit on a bench while we wait for her. Sarah hums to herself happily, tapping away at her phone, but I still feel strangely stiff waiting here with her. Where's that surge of social grace I felt when I was talking with Hannah? I could really use some of that for the rest of the day.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Brooke finally shows up, saving me from this terribly awkward situation. “Hey you two!” I relax a bit as Brooke shows up, standing up from the bench and offering a small smile. “I didn’t think I’d be the last to show up.”

Sarah chuckles lightly, looking over at me. “Tristan was here before both of us.”

I shrug, trying to hide my embarrassment by taking a sip of my fruit tea. Brooke doesn’t waste a second, taking advantage of my obvious embarrassment to toussle my hair playfully. “I guess you were just playing coy when you said you weren’t sure about joining us shopping then?”

I pull back slightly, adjusting my hair after it was tousled. I sigh, my face feeling red as I gather my thoughts. “I just had a good nights sleep is all, I got up early and didn’t see any use in sitting around just to be late.”

Sarah smiles, bonking Brooke on the head. Brooke yelps, looking back at Sarah in annoyance. Sarah ignores her though, her eyes still on me. “We’re glad you decided to join us, Tristan. Be sure to let us know if you see anywhere you want to stop by.”

I just nod politely, trying not to draw more attention to myself than I already have. Normally I try not to do anything to draw attention to myself and today I’ve just been doing nothing but drawing attention to myself. Brooke sighs, completely unaware of my internal turmoil as she spins on one foot. “Well, speaking of, where to go first?”

“Well, there’s this new book I wanted to pick up from the bookstore, but that’s closer to the other end of the mall." Sarah looks towards the doors to the mall, gesturing for us to follow. "Why don't we just play it by ear? I love a little bit of window shopping."

I follow the two girls from beside them, sticking the closest to the walls and out of most people's way. They chat idly between themselves about the various clothes stores we pass, commenting on the dresses and jeans displayed in the windows as we pass. I try my best to pay attention to their conversation, but continually find myself with nothing to add. With not much else to do, I just idly sip from my tea as I admire the fashionable outfits we pass by.

My eyes nearly pass over another dress before my brain stops it in it's tracks, pulling my eyes back forcefully. It's not a perfect match, but the dress looks remarkably like the one from my dream. It's a simple yellow dress with some purple flowers that I can't identify dotted across the fabric at an even distance. The bottom of the dress has some lace, as well as the sleeves.

I feel a hand jostle my shoulder and I'm brought back to reality, realizing that I was caught staring at the dress. "You okay, Tristan? You got lost in thought again." Sarah asks. Behind her Brooke is looking at me funny, glancing between me and the dress.

I duck my head down, pointedly not looking at either of them as I step away from the dress. "Sorry, it's nothing, we can keep going."

Before I can walk any further, Brooke grabs my arms and I can't do anything but look up at her. She stares into my eyes for several seconds and I just try to look away. "What's going on with you, Tristan? Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

I try to pull out of her grip, but Brooke is headstrong as always and won't let me go. "N-no. It's really nothing, okay?"

Sarah comes up from behind, putting a hand on one of Brooke's arms that are holding me. "Brooke, let him go. He looks really uncomfortable."

I feel a surge of hope that Sarah has come to save me, but Brooke shakes her head, locking her eyes with mine once more. "Nuh-uh. Not until I hear a good answer. Cause so far it just sounds like he's being dismissive."

I sigh, feeling really annoyed. "It's just Deja vu, okay? That's it. It reminded me of something and I got lost in thought, are you happy?" Brooke's grip loosens and I'm finally able to pull back.

She frowns at me for a few more seconds, placing her hands on her hips. "If you say so." She says.

I struggle to catch my breath, glaring at her. I was lucky I didn't spill my tea in all that. Sarah hovers nearby me, looking worried as she glances occasionally at Brooke. "That wasn't very nice, Brooke."

She just folds her arms. "He's been acting spacey all day. More than usual. I'm not gonna let him get caught up in his own head like that. If he wants to try on the dress, he can try on the dress, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise." My brain short circuits at that last part, running it through my head again as I find myself glancing at the dress once more. I didn't want to try it on, it's just like another one I… wore. In a dream.

Looking back at Sarah, she actually seems to be watching me look at the dress and I internally curse myself for looking at it again. "Do you want to try it on, Tristan?"

I shake my head, turning away from the window. This isn't the dream and I'm not a girl, I don't wear dresses. "No, of course not. I wouldn't look as good in it." I stiffen as the words come out of my mouth and I can feel my brain shutting down all of my bodily functions as I feel panic start to set in.

Sarah's soft voice comes in quickly for the kill as I feel her wrap her arms around me. "Oh… Tristan. I'm sure you'll look fine in it. Is this what you've been worrying about all day?"

I'm no longer in control of my body and I can't say a thing as I watch in horror as Sarah drags me towards the store. Unlike Brooke's forceful methods, Sarah's gentle kindness kills me slowly as we get closer and closer.

Just before we cross the threshold of the store, my brain reactivates and I find the strength to yank my hand away. "I… I…" I turn away from the store, stuffing my hands into my pockets and walking away. "I'm sorry, this was a bad idea. You two continue without me."

"Wait, Tristan!" Sarah calls out from behind me. I half expect Brooke to yank me back by the collar at any second, but to my surprise she doesn't. I'm able to quietly walk away from the mall and get into my car.

I don't immediately turn the car on, just sitting in the drivers seat and staring aimlessly for a couple of seconds to let some of the anxiety wane. Eventually, I let my head fall forward and hit the edge of the steering wheel. "What is wrong with me, today…" I groan, tears welling in my eyes.

For the first time in a while, alone in my car, I cry my eyes out before driving myself home. Once I'm finally home, I flop into my bed and cry some more while I lose myself in my thoughts.

The rest of the day is a blur and I spend the majority of it in my bed on my phone. There are a couple of notifications from Sarah and Brooke, but I pointedly ignore both of them. Everything is too confusing at the moment and I'll respond when I'm feeling more normal.

When I do eventually get up to eat, I find Marissa in the kitchen heating up some leftovers. Wrapping my blanket tighter around myself and not wanting to talk, I pull some cold pizza out of the fridge and retreat back to my room. I don't bother with a plate or heating it up, I just need nutrients.

She doesn't say anything to me and I don't even look up at her, so I don't even know if she noticed. I finish the pizza, still feeling strange and numb. I'm not even sure when I fall asleep, but eventually sleep does take me.

Wistful-Shiver

This is what I have so far of this one. Probably gonna upload what I have of another story too so I can get those out in the open. I'm gonna try to get back to writing all of my stories soon.