Chapter 1:

I am in love with Jerry Whitlock. He doesn't know that, ofcourse. I confirmed that when he got me brown farm boots for my tenth birthday and I accepted it with a full grin despite the fact that I hated them.

I am a neat freak and when I was seven, my dad had a small garden where he would work every weekend. He owned a pair of brown boots that left mud stains on the tiles everytime he entered the house with them even though Mom had already warned him multiple times to leave them outside. Well, my mom always made me clean those mud stains. I guess you could say that was one thing my mom and I had in common, the irritated feeling when something or a place is not arranged in a tidy way.

Jerry knew this ofcourse because we practically grew up together. My mom was a newly employed nurse in the town's hospital when she met Mrs Whitlock. She was pregnant with Jerry's little sister, Oma and according to my mom, they clicked immediately and since then became inseparable.

Standing in front of me right now is Jerry and beside him is his sister, Oma. Oma was busy on her phone while Jerry was excitedly telling me about the football match that ended an hour ago. I don't like football or care about it. To be honest, I don't like any sport because it involved too much work but I liked watching him talk.

Oma and Theo were Jerry's only siblings. Theo was very reserved and was always in his room so I barely saw him any time I hung out with Jerry. His disheveled chestnut hair didn't match is dark coloured eyes unlike Jerry whose dark hair is always neatly swept back. Oma had brown wavy shoulder length hair and was too much of a tomboy for me so I didn't exactly like her.

"I'm leaving" Oma sighed, looking up from her phone and at her brother who stopped talking. I pursed my lips at the interruption.

"Don't you want me to drop you at Amy's ?" He asked and she rolled her dark coloured eyes, the only thing the three siblings had in common.

"Well I do but we've been standing on Camila's doorway for almost an hour now. " She folded her arms on her chest. Realization dawned on me and I let out an embarrassed laugh and opened my entrance door wider.

"You can drop her off and come back. I'm on night duty today" I said. He pouted like a child and my heart did a little jump.

"Thank you, Cam" Oma said to me before raising her eyebrows at Jerry. "Now can we go?"

"Fine" His shoulders dropped as he turned around and started to walk down the hallway. He turned around and pointed his index at me "I'll be back"

I clutched my black sweater tighter around my body as I smiled and nodded. He gave me a thumbs up and Oma waved at me before they both disappeared as they turned a corner.

I screamed inaudibly and did a mini dance then quickly scanned the hallway to see if anybody saw that. Once I noticed it was clear, I retreated back into my apartment and shut the door.

How blind could he be to how I feel about him? Or did he know about it but is waiting for a right time? I sighed as I plopped down on my couch.

I checked the time, 12:29pm. I decided to nap on the couch there just in case Jerry gets back. I offered him a key to my apartment about a month ago and he refused it. I was hurt but then I realized he probably was just respecting my space.

I stared at the white P.O.P while laying on my back. It's been four months since I moved here. I had been looking for a way to leave home. I studied fashion designing and I failed to get a job so my presence in that house always felt like I was choking them.

As soon as I got one here, I found an apartment and after many arguments about how they should not bother, they paid my first rent. I moved out a week after and started working in Joel's Kitchen as a cashier. I still draw and cut in my free time but I spend most of those talking to Jerry.

Dad always wanted me to be a Computer Engineer like him because I was good with numbers but I had no interest in it. Sometimes I still feel like he has a beef with me whenever my profession is involved but I let it dissolve as just me overthinking.

There were a lot of things I didn't like about the profession, the top one being the fact that it kept my dad away from home too many times. I wouldn't want that for my child. Neither would Jerry. Jerry worked in his dad's company as the chief technology officer and he was good at it. My dad would compliment him every time they meet. Potential husband material, isn't he?

Speaking of Jerry, I wonder when he would be back. Or was Oma lying and just trying to get Jerry away from me? I knew for sure she has a friend named Amy and I've seen her a few times. She is the complete opposite of Oma with her blonde back length hair and girliness, I sometimes wonder how they get along.

I looked at the clock again. 12:40pm. He said he would be back soon. I took my phone and set an alarm for 1:30pm. He should be back by then.

My eyes fluttered close as I sniffed in the smell of my citrus flavoured air freshener. Jerry's favorite scent. He had an obsession with anything citrus flavored. I preferred grape or apple though. It was a more pleasing scent.

Sleep started to seep in but the ring of my door bell made me jolt up to a sitting position, eyes wide. Jerry. I quickly stood up and ran to the door, pulling it open with a smile.

The delivery man is standing in my doorway with a bored stare. "Camila Lane?"

My smile dropped. "Yes" I collected my boxed pizza and closed my door, leaning on it.

Thunder growled outside my window as I looked at the darkened sky from my opened curtain. I dropped the boxed pizza on the couch and walked to the window.

A raindrop splashed on the window then the rest followed as I watched. I don't know how long I was standing there but my alarm rang loudly from the couch making me flinch. 1:30pm.

I walked back to my door and opened it but there was no one there. Because there was no Jerry. Then it hit me.

He was never here.

I was dreaming. Again.

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02/04/2023