The next night, Jonathan was able to accompany Claire in her dream for only a short time. He had to help the other dreamers in their dreams too.

Before he left her, he asked her, "What would bears be without the bees?"

"What?" Claire looked at him as they searched the town plaza in her dreams. "Is that another joke?"

The boy smiled. "The answer is... ears!"

"That is so corny," Claire said but still chuckled. "Funny because it's corny."

"What did the triangle say to the circle?" he asked next.

They looked around the cemented fountain. No sign of Keith here either. Claire sighed. "Fine." Then she asked, "What?"

"You're pointless!" Jonathan laughed at his own joke.

The girl was suddenly silent. Her thoughts were voiced out, "What if this is pointless? What we're doing. Maybe Keith's not here anymore."

Jonathan walked closer to her and put a hand on her head. "I'm sorry. Forget that joke. I shouldn't have said it. And don't lose hope so easily." Using his other hand, he produced a bright red rose and gave it to Claire. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. And I'm also sorry I can't stay with you. I promise to help you again next time."

As Jonathan's image disappeared from her dream, Claire clenched the rose tightly in her hands. He was right. Keith was waiting to be found by her to tell her what really happened to his family.

She would find him.

When morning came, Linda was surprised that Claire and Jonathan were chatting comfortably about school during breakfast. Jonathan insisted on carrying Claire's bag as they walked side by side to the black Mercedes and entered Southeast High together.

Jonathan took Claire's hand and led her to his group after they got into their classroom. "I want to introduce to you all, Claire Mendoza."

The boy's group looked at her with smiles on their faces. Claire was not good with crowds and dealing with many people. She was always only with her own little group of friends and she wasn't comfortable interacting with big groups. Although, she knew she needed to get out of her comfort zone if she wanted to be a teacher. "Hi," she waved at them.

"Hello, classmate," greeted one of the boys, Lester was his name.

"Thank you for helping me before, Claire," Tina was standing with the crowd, beaming at her. Her hair was beautifully styled with colorful clips and she now wore lip gloss.

"You dream hopped already, Claire? How many times?" a short-haired girl whose name she didn't know suddenly asked.

Claire answered, "Uhm, no. Not yet. I just... manipulated my dream. But I would love to."

"Hey." Geraldine was standing beside her boyfriend, Hans Luke, whose hand was around her shoulders. So, they didn't break up. "Tomorrow's a holiday so we're having a party this night at my house. My folks are on a business trip. Want to come? We won't stay too late, of course. To still have time for our dreams."

"I-I uh..." Claire wasn't sure what to say. Her eyes darted to the right and saw Wendy. Her friend was obviously eavesdropping and mouthed "Go!" Claire bit her lower lip as she smiled then said, "Okay. But can I bring my friends with me?"

"Sure thing," the other girl replied.

"Great."

Geraldine continued to say, "We'll meet up at the water fountain in front of Asul's at 5 and go to my house together. Party starts at 6. See you there!"

"Yeah."

Jonathan guided her to her seat and classes started.

The holiday the next day was the Day of Sacrifice. The devotees should offer one thing with meaning to the church and it would be burned at the altar. The flames represented being "eaten" by the angel they served. Last year, Claire's father offered one of the few photos of her mother who abandoned them. Claire had opposed offering the photo at first but her father insisted. As for Claire, she had been offering simple things with not so much importance to her nor held any kind of meaning. Last year, she offered a random handkerchief.

During lunch, Jonathan invited her to his group again but she politely declined and said she wanted to spend time alone with her friend.

"So, what happened to you and Mr. Prince Charming?" Wendy teased as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Well," Claire opened her store-bought lunch. "I asked his help to manipulate my dreams."

"I heard. But didn't you say they were like a cult? Weren't you afraid?"

"I was scared and reluctant at first, but, I-- I don't have a choice."

Her friend sighed. "Kind, darling Claire. You'll do anything for Keith, wouldn't you?" Wendy twirled her sandwich in the Tupperware. "I get you. So, how was it? The dream thing?"

Claire swallowed the spoonful of rice with adobo and then said, "It was surreal!" She told her what happened in her dreams the past two nights and Wendy completely forgot her sandwich.

"Wow. That is just wow. Do you think I can do that too?"

"Of course, you can. Maybe even better than me."

"I wish. I know I'm not a psychic." She exhaled.

"Says the girl who concocted a truth tea." The two of them giggled.

Then Wendy asked, "And how about hot and perfect Mr. Jonathan Del Monte?"

"What about him?"

Her best friend leaned closer to her. "You walked in here holding hands and he carrying your bag for you. You said you spent the whole night together."

"In a dream, Wendy. And he was just helping me."

"Uh-huh." The other girl nodded. "Okay, you don't have to give me a photo of Jonathan anymore. You can have him. I still have Henry Cavill."

"What the heck are you implying?" Claire continued eating.

"But, now, you're already a part of the populars. They even invited you to their party." Her best friend took a look at the crowd gathered around Jonathan. "Thanks for telling them that you'll bring us with you."

Claire looked at Jonathan's group too. "They're popular?"

"Oh yes, they are. You know Tina? She was once bullied but her bullies can't even go near her now." Wendy whispered, "They said Tina knew all their secrets."

"Oh. The dream hop. Dreams lie but dreamers don't."

"Yeah. And the rest of them just know things and know how to act to attract others or to be admired. They perfected many tests."

Claire remembered Lester bragging about his scores to everyone in class. Jonathan was silent about his grades but he could've done well with his tests, too. And, it seemed, the rest of his group was the same.

Wendy continued, "I guess they dream hopped into our teachers' dreams. Insane. And now, you'll be like that too. Popular Claire Mendoza. Not the cheating part. Just the being popular."

"I don't care about getting popular. I just want to find Keith." Suddenly, Claire remembered Keith's bloody form and she almost shivered.

Wendy placed one hand on top of hers. "I know. And you will."

They ate in companionable silence, then Wendy spoke again, "Remember Fiona breaking up with her cheating boyfriend? Well, she eloped with her new boyfriend from out of town. Another crazy thing, right?"

"Our town had always been crazy," Claire responded.

"Right."

No one from Jonathan's group was at the town's plaza by 5:00. Claire's friends were also not there yet.

"So... you want something to drink?" Jonathan offered. "We still have time before the party starts. It's my treat."

"No thanks."

"Okay." He sat beside her at the cemented fountain. People of all ages strolled along the town's plaza. Inside Asul's Cafe, teenagers hung out in groups, drinks in their hands or on their tables. In a nearby restaurant, friends and families ate their early dinner. Someone was selling balloons in one corner. A kid insisted on having one and his parents complied. Jonathan spoke again, "How'd it go last night after I left? I guess you still haven't found him?"

Claire knew he was pertaining to Keith. "No. But I'm still trying."

"Don't worry, I'll help you tonight. And maybe, the others can help too. I'll make them dream hop to your dream."

"Thank you." The girl was grateful. She felt bad thinking badly of Jonathan before. He was actually kind and a true gentleman. Not at all the narcissistic, self-centered guy she thought he was. "You're a good man," she suddenly said. "You help me." Claire's fingers played with the hem of her blouse. "And you helped Tina too. When she was bullied. I know how being bullied feels like because I was once bullied too."

Jonathan's mouth gaped and he immediately asked, "Who's bullying you?"

"No. No one. Not anymore. I said before."

The boy pointed his thumb to his chest. "If you ever get bullied, just tell me and I'll tell them I have your back. I'll make Richard take them to jail," he said these words like a child. He must be joking but Claire couldn't laugh.

Another memory of Keith flashed inside her mind.

"Claire is my friend!" Keith declared in front of the bullies. "I have her back so she's under the protection of my family! If you don't stop, Richard, our butler, will take you to jail! And it's not nice there!"

Claire shook her head. Why did Jonathan keep on reminding her of Keith?

She looked at him and realized that he was staring at her. "W-what?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable beneath his gaze.

His hand caught a stray hair and tucked it behind Claire's ear. "You're so pretty, Claire," he said as red tainted his cheeks. "You make me feel weird inside. Alive. Weird and alive."

"I-I..." she stuttered. How would someone respond to that?

"Ha!"

Claire screamed as she felt hands on her waist.

"Got ya girl!" It was just Anika, standing behind her with Wendy and Georgie.

Soon, Jonathan's group started arriving. The boy acted jolly with his peers like he didn't just say something awkward to Claire. Claire mingled with them, too, but her mind was constantly being bugged by images of both Jonathan and Keith.

The party was noisy. The DJ, someone from a university outside Sta. Barbara, blasted pop music Claire wasn't familiar with. Geraldine's house was dark with colorful disco lights solely lighting the place. About thirty teenagers partied inside, dancing, laughing, chatting, and just having a good time. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled the air.

Wendy brought her tarot card and was reading someone's future beside Claire. Claire's eyes were fixed at the center of the room. She watched Jonathan as he danced with two third-year boys from another class named Thomas and Will, if Claire remembered correctly.

Jonathan laughed and an image of a laughing Keith appeared in Claire's mind.

They had the same laugh.

Claire shook her head and downed her punch. She watched him again. His hair was wavy and brown. Keith's hair was the same. But their eyes... they were different. Keith's eyes were chocolate brown while Jonathan's were light gray. Was Jonathan wearing contact lenses?

What the heck was she thinking?

But... what would Keith look like at age eighteen?

Claire stood up, put more punch in her paper cup, and drank it all at once. She looked back at Jonathan--

My gosh!

This was driving her crazy. She told her friends and Geraldine that she needed to go home early. Good thing Jonathan didn't notice her leave.

When she got back to the mansion, she stared at the image of Keith in his family portrait. His nose... his jaw... his face was square. They seemed to look like Jonathan's, but Claire wasn't sure. Some people didn't look quite like how they looked when they were young. One of her hands raked her black hair. What if her visions of Keith were only fantasies and the reality was that Keith had grown up and was now--

No!

She couldn't be sure.

She headed to her room and searched through her stuff. She had a few pictures of Keith and her together, mostly taken by the church where they always met. Claire stared at the image of Keith again and only became more confused. She took one photo and put it in her bag. The rest she put back from where she got them.

That night, she didn't call the Dreamweaver, nor did she search for Keith in her dreams. She imagined staying in her room the whole night, while Jonathan's words echoed in her mind.

"You make me feel weird inside. Alive. Weird and alive."

Word Count: 2,070
Total Word Count: 15,183