Night At The Library (Lost Souls #1)

Chapter 23: Will (the next morning)

A pillow hit my head.

My eyes shot open, the remnants of a dreamlike night with Julie fading away as the reality of the morning hit me. John's voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

"Wake up, man! We are going to be late!" John's voice was insistent, a reminder of the responsibilities of the day ahead.

"Mmm," I mumbled, trying to hold onto the fleeting scent of vanilla that seemed to linger in the air from my dream with Julie. But as the remnants of sleep slowly dissipated, my mind raced back to the library.

"Julie," I muttered to myself, a sense of urgency washing over me. Julie.

How had I ended up back in my room after such an unforgettable night? The details were hazy, like trying to grasp at a fading dream.

Without wasting another moment, I scrambled out of bed, the image of Julie's face etched in my mind. I hastily grabbed my belongings, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. As I stood there, ready to rush out the door to find Julie, John's gaze met mine with a mix of concern and confusion. We've been through so much together, from the early days of playing basketball in the junior league to the late nights studying for exams. He was more than a friend; he was like a brother to me.

"Will, what's going on?" John asked, his brow furrowed in worry. I hesitated, torn between the urgency to see Julie again and the need to explain to John.

"I need to find her," I whispered, my voice laden with urgency and longing as I lazily fell back onto the bed. "She could still be at the library."

John's eyes were on me, his expression filled with concern, much like the look Mom used to give me whenever I'd have a tough game.

"The library?" John asked, confusion evident in his voice. "What are you talking about, man?"

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. How could I explain the inexplicable night I had just experienced to John?

"Last night, John," I began, my voice softening as I recounted the magical encounter with Julie. "I had the most incredible night with the most beautiful and intelligent girl I have ever met."

I watched as John's expression shifted from confusion to curiosity, his eyes widening with interest.

"We talked for hours, shared stories, laughed..." I trailed off, the memories of the night flooding back to me. "It felt like we had known each other forever."

Understanding began to dawn in John's eyes as he listened intently to my recounting of the night.

"But then, this morning..." I hesitated, the weight of disappointment settling in my chest. "I woke up here, alone. I need to find her, John. I need to know if last night was real."

"I love you man, I really do. But when did this happen? Yesterday we were celebrating Karson's birthday. We were partying till dawn. You got really drunk and started mumbling about your poetry or something. The guys were making fun of you, and I had to defend you."

As John's words washed over me, a jumble of blurred images gathered in my mind, trying to piece together what he was saying. "No, that happened two days ago," I insisted, my voice sounding more uncertain than I wanted it to.

But as I tried to recall yesterday, the memories were fuzzy and fragmented. Flashes of waking up at the library, finding Julie at her desk with beautiful light brown hair scattered on the desk, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding. It all felt so real, but John's words cast doubt in my mind.

"I don't know, man," I said, my voice trailing off. "Maybe I just... dreamed it all."

John's expression softened, a look of sympathy in his eyes. "It's okay, Will. Sometimes our minds play tricks on us. Maybe you just had a really vivid dream."

I nodded, a sense of disappointment washing over me. Was it really just a dream? The thought was disheartening, and I couldn't shake the feeling of longing for the moments I had shared with Julie.

"Come on," John said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get going. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

As we left the room together, my mind still lingered on Julie and the magical night that may or may not have been real. The scent of vanilla still hung faintly in the air, a haunting reminder of a dream that felt more real than reality itself.

And as we stepped out into the morning light, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance that Julie was out there somewhere, waiting for me to find her, waiting to make our dream a reality.