Don't Leave Me #2

When I wake up I'm covered in sweat. “Must have had another nightmare…” I mumble to myself. For the last week or solve been waking up like this, covered in sweat with a quick heartbeat. The weird part about it though, is that I can never remember anything from the dream except for a maniacal laugh and a ragged voice saying “Soon,” or “I'm coming,” along with the occasional “be ready.” For some reason, they always seem to get the best of me even though I know nothing is really coming to get me and that they are just dreams.     I step out of bed and get a shiver down my spin when my backed torso hits the cold air. I grab my phone and check the time. 10:53 is written in bright, white light across the screen. Crap. I slept in too long again. I head downstairs and into the living room where Mark is sloppy attempting to pick up the shit sprawled across the room. He looked at me and his face lights up and he flashes me a grin that makes my heart melt. Wait a second….    “Morning sleeping beauty!” He says in a mocking yet cheerful voice. I grin at him. “Hey Mark.” He drops the couple of clothes he was holding on the floor and flops down on the couch. He starts surfing through channels and looks back at me. “You can sit down you know.” He says with a smirk. I roll my eyes and sit down next to him.    He puts his arm around me the way he always does and I feel my face immediately turn bright red and hot even though we've done this a thousand times before at panels and what not. I don't know why such a simple, common act is having this kind of effect on me. It never has before. Maybe it's because we're away from the crowd and the fans… or maybe I really am starting to like him. No. I'm not gay and neither is he. But if he was… Nope! Stop thinking about this! Bad Jack.   I look up at Mark who had apparently been watching me as I had that argument in my head and he look extremely confused. I throw him a sarcastic smile and he rolls his eyes only to go back to watching tv. I need to stop being such a coward and just tell him. Wait, tell him what? I silently yell at myself. Just “stop thinking about him!”    I cover my mouth with both hands and look at Mark who had stopped the show to stare at me. “Okay, I'm sick and tired of just pushing this aside and playing it off as everything is just peachy. What's going on with you and why did you just start yelling at yourself to stop thinking about someone?” Mark asks with a look of confusion and another emotion I can't quite place.    Shit. How do I get out of this on? “Mark, I swear it's nothing.” I sat with my best attempt at sincerity. “Right. Because it's totally normal to just start screaming at yourself randomly! Not to mention, I'm your best friend. I know when something's bothering you.” He replies.    He gives me a reassuring smile but I just shake my head and look down. “You wouldn't get it, Mark.” I say with a sigh. He puts two fingers under my chin and lifts my head to look at him. “I may not get it, but I would do anything to protect or help you. You just need to help me help you. We could get through whatever you're going through, and it would really help to get the weight off your shoulders.” He says. I smile at his response but my lips stay pressed shut. Mark sighs and starts to get up. “I'll be in the other room if you want to tell me anything.” He says and leaves the room.   My headache is back, more painful than before so I grab the bottle of Tylenol Mark had left for me from when I first got here. what is going on with me? Why do I feel this way with Mark? Mayb   I burry my hands in my face and a muffled scream escapes my lips.what the fuck is going on? People don't just disappear in thin fucking air! Not to mention, last I checked, writing doesn't just… Appear, on the fucking wall! Something is going on. I've got to be dreaming. I'm going to wake up and be in my warm bed with Mark just downstairs. Yeah. This isn't real. This isn't actually happening… Right? Maybe I'm like, bisexual and I'm starting to like him. That would explain a lot…. but even if I was and I did have feelings for him,both he and I have girlfriends, so it doesn't matter anyway.   My thoughts are cut short when I hear a heavy thud from the bedroom. “Mark?” I yell up the stairs. “Mark, you alright?” I yell again. No response. I groan and start heading up the stairs. “Mark? You in the there?” I ask and open the door. My eyes grow wide as I look inside. The room is completely trashed. “Mark…” I whisper one last time. No sign of him. I turn around and gasp. Written on the wall in bright red letters that appears to be blood, is “And you thought it was just a dream… But I'm here now.”   I burry my hands in my face and a muffled scream escapes my lips.what the fuck is going on? People don't just disappear in thin fucking air! Not to mention, last I checked, writing doesn't just… Appear, on the fuckng wall! Something is going on. I've got to be dreaming. I'm going to wake up and be in my warm bed with Mark just downstairs. Yeah. This isn't real. This isn't actually happening… Right?