Winning chapter, as voted by the readers: chapter forty
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An unexpected text from Amanda woke me that night.

Amanda:
Harry? Are you awake?

I rolled onto my front and squinted at the bright screen, trying to clear my vision so I could send my reply. My fingers tapped away slowly, careful to not let my groggy and slightly disorientated state write a jumbled-up message.

Harry:
I am now.
What's up?

Her reply came quick.

Amanda:
I had a really awful nightmare :/
I know it's something silly but I just feel the need to talk to someone right now.

I knew exactly how she felt. Nightmares could frighten anyone at any age and I, myself, knew that they were most unpleasant. During teenage years, everything that once scared you as a child no longer did - monsters under the bed, dark corners in a room, ghost stories. It was things like the thought of growing up, failing examinations or the future that frightened us. I knew that. I'd panicked about that. So, being a teenager and feeling threatened by a nightmare made it all the more unnerving. 

Harry:
Aw, Amanda, are you alright? :(

I sat up and allowed myself to read her reply intently. I was genuinely surprised at how shaken the dream had left her.

Amanda:
I don't know. I'm shaking. It just seemed so real, y'know?
I know nightmares usually do but this one was just so horrible and ... I dunno I just feel like saying hi.
Hey...

I smiled  like a madman - Mands probably thought I was a madman. I suppose in some ways I was, one example being that I was mad for her. I liked her a lot and the more we spoke I could slowly feel myself falling harder every day. 

I wasn't scared of falling in love. Heartbreaks were something everyone had to endure, whether it be a failed relationship, a family crisis, failing something important. In some shape or form, one would almost always experience a heartbreaking moment at least once in their life.

The only thing I was scared of when it came to Amanda and myself, was that she wouldn't feel the same towards me.

I sent her:

Harry:
You don't need to feel ashamed about being frightened about a nightmare. I sometimes have really bad nightmares and I end up screaming myself back awake. It's pretty horrendous. Don't tell anyone that - no one knows about that apart from my family :/

I felt rather shy about sharing such a personal thing with her. Sure, we'd exchanged a few personal confessions but nightmares were something which usually hit me quite strong. I had no idea why, it's not as if I had anything to trigger such horrible images.

Amanda:
I won't, your secret is safe with me :)

I smiled and sent her a relieved:

Harry:
I knew I could count on you! :P

Then I remembered her nightmare and I forwarded: 

Harry:
...
So, do you want to talk about your nightmare?

A moment later, she began to type. I could almost sense her hesitation as she paused for a few seconds and began typing again a little later. I was there for her, to comfort her if she needed me to do so. Quite frankly, I'd do just about anything for her.

Amanda:
I don't know.
Will it make me feel better? :/

Harry:
I usually feel better after letting it out :)

It was true, for me anyway. I'd often go tell my mother or my sister if I were having bad dreams. Mum was still able to comfort me even in my teenage year and I was so thankful to have such a loving family who truly cared about my well-being.

Amanda:
Hm, alright then.
So, it started with me being in my parent's room, and I saw them sleeping peacefully. Then they woke up and looked at me with worried eyes before they suddenly disappeared. I panicked and ran up to my sister's room and she was gone too. Just, everyone in the house was gone.

It was a little too familiar for my liking. I'd had a similar dream, and I'm sure everyone had at one point in their lives. It was horrible; seeing everything you love most vanish all of a sudden. It was almost like living in a horror movie. Ever since I was a child, my mum had been there to scare the monsters away and protect me from the dark. Nothing had really changed, apart from the fact I could handle nightmares now at sixteen.

Harry:
Oh, yeah, I've had that dream before :/
It's awful.

Amanda was faster than usual when replying. Perhaps she was shaken so much and just had to get her feelings out? Was that her way of coping?

Amanda:
I know, but it was so real! I woke up really worried and I got an even bigger fright when I went into my parent's room and they weren't there. I ran down stairs and found them in the living room thankfully.

I carefully got out of bed and moved towards the stairs, creeping down them as quietly as I could as to not wake my mother and step-dad. They're kill me if I woke them up so late. Once I was downstairs, I flicked the TV on and made sure it was as low as possible yet not quiet enough to make it impossible to hear.

Amanda was many things, but she wasn't fake. It was something I'd thought of before I'd started to talk with her again. She was down to earth and for some reason, even unbeknown to myself, she had an unshakable grasp on my heart. She was intriguing and kind - when she wanted to be.

We were going out now, still in the beginning stages of a relationship, of course and I couldn't have been happier. Waiting for her to reply to my asking had been a nightmare and she had seemed reluctant at first. Not that I blamed her; I could be very straight-forward and a little too strong at times. But I'd fought to be with her and I wasn't planning on disappointing her any time soon.

I glanced down at my phone and tried to continue comforting her as best I could. I typed the first thing that came to mind and I regretted it instantly.

Harry:
See, when I had that dream, I went outside and there was nobody in the entire street. Town, in fact. It was like that episode of Spongebob Squarepants. It was scary stuff...

Oops. You complete idiot, I thought. "Stupid," I muttered aloud.

"Stupid?" 

I jumped suddenly, swivelling round to see my mother standing in the doorway, dressing gown wrapped tight and slippers on feet. Guilt took over me instantly and I smiled sheepishly. 

"Did I wake you?"

"Yes," she said simply. She didn't seem cross and I was thankful. Mu mum was something else when rage took over. "Can't sleep?"

"I'm talking to Amanda," I told her, waving my phone up at her. "She's upset."

"Is she OK?" My mum shuffled into the room and took a seat beside me on the couch. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and waited for my answer.

"She had a nightmare," I said and mum gave me a knowing look. She knew how terrible a person's nightmares could be. "I'm just trying to make her feel better."

"Always the little gentleman," she chuckled. "How's she doing, the poor girl?"

I glanced at my phone and laughed. I showed my mum the last message I sent and Mands' reply.

Amanda:
Are you honestly trying to comfort me with Spongebob talk?

"Really?" Mum scoffed. "You referenced an episode of a kids cartoon?"

I shrugged in defeat. "I said the first thing that came to mind. I was tired and a fool."

"You're a fool all the time," my mum teased. "However, make sure you get back to bed soon, OK? You can't be lying in your bed until the afternoon."

"I won't," I promised. "I'll be back in bed soon."

"Good boy," she praised, pressing a kiss to my curly head before heading into the kitchen for a glass of water. I told her a goodnight before she disappeared back into her bedroom and shut the door.

I was quick to get back to messaging.

Harry:
Shit, no, sorry! I just meant it was like that episode because everyone disappeared...
No?
...
OK, I'm sorry :(
Pretend I never said anything.

She replied with:

Amanda:
It's fine, Harry! XD
Urgh, sorry.
I just realised it's after 3:00 AM.
Sorry about all of this :(

After three in the morning?! I sure was a lucky bugger that my mum hadn't been mad at me. Waking her up in general was sometimes a nightmare but at three - I was lucky to still be alive.

Harry:
It's fine! I'm here for you, whatever you need :)

It was true; I'd do anything I could for her because I knew, deep down that she was the girl for me. And hopefully I was the guy for her. I tapped my finger impatiently against the side of my phone as I waited. The mere fact I was desperate to receive a message from her was only one of the many reasons that I knew I was head over heels, and truly, foolishly-

Amanda:
Why did I ever hate you? XD

-tragically in love with her.

Harry:
Because you THOUGHT you knew me ;)

Please let me know what you think in the comments? I should be updating this quicker because I'm desperate to finish it before March and I have about six or seven parts of the story to write, so yay!

Please go vote for my stories in the FanFiction Awards! It would mean so much to win something and al the details are on my message board. Thanks in advance!

Cazza x