He wasn't certain how long the test went for, after all, it was a dream. Besides, he was too enrapt by Her to pay attention to time. Her delicate, long fingers and the way she wrote. The movement of her head and flick of her long hair. Even the way she breathed entangled and absorbed him.
The vague figure of a teacher, he supposed, came around and picked up the tests. Taylor watched as She picked up Her books and followed Her into a locker room.
It was strange. He must have been to the school so many times, but each time it was as if he'd forgotten the layout. It was like he was doomed only to vividly remember Her and have everything else a mere blur in his memory. Like a dream.
Taylor leaned against the locker next to Hers and watched as She put away Her books and took out Her lunch. He saw a vague shape - a guy - walk up to Her. Taylor couldn't hear what was being said of course, but from Her body language, he guessed the guy was making moves on Her that She didn't much like. Taylor vaguely remembered this guy showing up before.
How much he wished he could ger rid of this guy. But every time he tried, his hands simply passed through his body, as if he were a ghost. A shadow in this world.
And so Taylor watched and followed, followed and watched, like he always did. So many times he wanted - he tried to run over and hug Her, to kiss Her and touch Her hair, Her face. So many times he failed, bitterly disappointed.
He watched Her eat. It was kinda strange when you think about it - that someone could be so fascinated by watching someone eat. But he was.
She always sat alone at lunch. Sometimes She would read a book or do some homework. Other times She would bring out some sheets of music, go into the music room and play or sing. Just once he wished he might hear Her. If only once, to hear Her voice, to hear Her sing. Just once.
Today she read. 'Little Woman'. Yes, Taylor vaguely remembered Her reading a lot of classics.
At one stage he was certain the bell must have rung, because She book marked Her spot, got up and headed back to the locker room. After retrieving Her books, She headed to the flight of stairs...
"No!" Taylor cried, and no one hearing.
He rushed down the stairs to where she lay. Somehow She had fallen - perhaps the crowd above. Many surrounded Her. Just before he reached Her though a voice shook through his head.
"Taylor."
Taylor sat up in a cold sweat, panting. Isaac was kneeling next to him.
"Taylor?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
They looked at each other. Isaac concerned, Taylor anxious. He grabbed at Isaac.
"She feel down the stairs Ike." Taylor gasped at last. "She fell and She's hurt and She wasn't moving."
"I'm sure She'll be fine."
Taylor started shaking.
"I love her Ike, I, I can't... I can't stay awake not knowing..."
"You have to get up ok?" Isaac said. "C'mon, we have -"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I, I can't do this Ike." Taylor was obviously distressed.
**********
A little while later, Walker, Diana, Isaac and Zac had come to the conclusion that they had been working too hard, hence the trouble event in Taylor's dream. They immediately arranged to go back to Tulsa for a while.
It was not as if it were bad timing or anything. In fact they (Jess and Avie in particular) really wanted to return home soon. Besides, the guys wanted to make up some more demos and always felt more comfortable recording such things at home as opposed to a full-on recording studio.