"Yeah. You haven't been... acting like yourself."
I sighed, not really knowing what else to say. "Sorry."
Andy wrapped an arm around me, pulling me a little closer. "You know you can talk to me, right? Whatever's wrong, you know you can tell me."
If only that were true, I thought wistfully. But it would do no good, so I merely half-smiled, allowing my head to rest on his shoulder and said, "I know."
We got our pharaoh papers back that day, and I saw that mine was an A plus. Despite myself, I caught myself glancing up at Derek's desk, craning my neck to see what he got. I saw another A plus on his, so I felt a small surge of satisfaction at getting two As.
As soon as school was out, I hoisted my backpack and started to make my way out of the building, intending to walk home and get ready for work, but suddenly I felt my heavy backpack –and me with it—being pulled on. I stumbled a little, and before I knew what was going on, I was pulled into an empty classroom.
There stood Derek, looking right at me.
I sighed, looking away from him. "What do you want now? Ruining my life isn't enough for you, you have to make me late for work, too?"
"No, I wanted to—"
But I stopped listening, because my eyes, wanting to look anywhere but at him, had fallen to his shoes. His black shoes. With yellow laces.
I looked up at him, my jaw hanging open. "When did you get those?"
"What?" he asked, frowning at me. "Did you even hear me?"
"Answer me," I said. "When did you get those shoes?"
He frowned, looking down at his shoes. "I've... had these shoes."
"No," I said, shaking my head. "You have not had those shoes. I have never seen you wearing shoes with yellow laces."
"Oh, the laces are new. My shoe laces got ripped the other day, this was the only color the store had left."
"Oh," I said absently, staring at his shoes, remembering my dream.
"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning at me. "Nikki, you haven't heard a word I said, have you?"
I shook my head lamely, my mind racing. What did it mean? Was it a coincidence? Was it a warning? Had it already happened? Was anything going to happen or was I just crazy?
"I have to go," I said suddenly.
"But—"
"Later!" I called behind me, practically running out of the classroom.
I couldn't get home fast enough.
By the time I burst into my trailer, I was completely out of breath from running, but I had to get to that journal, because as soon as I saw his laces I had a sudden memory of something my mother had said.
I grabbed the journal she had used in October the year before Derek was born, and I went over the pages until I found the entry I was looking for.
"There it is," I whispered to myself.
Speaking of Mike, I had the strangest thought today. I have no idea why, because he told me just yesterday that he didn't have a girlfriend, that the girl who gives him rides home from work isn't his girlfriend anymore and they’re just friends, but for some reason when I was dropping fries today, the thought suddenly crossed through my mind, "At least we don't have to worry about her getting pregnant."
It was such a strange thought to have. And what's funnier, it's not the first time I've had such a silly thought. I remember last month, I had only met him that week, and Michelle had asked him casually if he had any kids. He scoffed, and said, "No way." I remember looking at him, and for absolutely no reason, thinking, "Don't sleep with anyone then," because for some reason I just felt like he was at risk for getting someone pregnant.
Of course I couldn't say that to him, because he would think I was crazy.
But today I just felt oddly thankful that we dodged that bullet, because I really like him...