The Pact - Season 1: Episode 6

The summer days went on. My brother had been right, summers in Lenton were definitely the best in the world, and I knew that no matter what, this is where I wanted to live for the rest of my life. After that day, Lynn and I became really great friends, and so while David would be working at his uncle’s resort, we would hang out together. And David and I became inseparable. We were totally in love with each other, and everything was just perfect. One day, while we were cuddled together in the hot tub, David held me close to him and said,

“I really don’t know how my life would have been if I had never met you. I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I haven’t known you that long, but I really feel like I have known you forever. And I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Seriously David, I have felt the same way about you ever since our first date. I honestly feel like we were meant to be together.” He squeezed me closer and said,

“I thought I was in love before, and I guess in a way, I was. But it never felt this way. I think about you all the time, and I miss you so much when we’re not together. And I’m really glad that you and my sister like each other. Because you know, even though I love you so much, I would never hurt my sister by being with someone who doesn’t like her. After all, she broke up with Tyrone because of me, and although she was hurt, and angry at me, she did what was best for me.”

“Lynn has really become my best friend. I’ve had friends before of course, but I have never had a best friend that I felt so comfortable with, as much as I feel comfortable with your sister. She’s fun, she’s always laughing, and she’s a really great friend.” He smiled at me.

“What would you do if your brother won’t like me?” I smiled.

“My brother is so happy for me right now, that believe me, I think he would not say anything, even if you happened to be his worst enemy. He won’t like you, only if he thinks you’re going to hurt me.” He kissed me softly, and said,

“I can’t promise you that I’m never going to do something to hurt you, because people hurt each other all the time, especially the ones that they love. But I can promise you that I will always love you, no matter what.”

“Ditto,” was my reply. “Anyway, why don’t we go out together some time this week, you, me and Steve? That way, you two can meet, and maybe you will become friends with him. He does hang out with a friend from University, who lives next door to us, Damian – but he’s so boring, poor thing. I think that Steve needs to have some fun, and he needs a friend like you.” David agreed, and so that evening, I went home to tell my brother the news.

As I was running in all excited, I heard voices coming from the living room. I walked in and my brother was sitting on the couch, and sitting next to him, was a beautiful girl with curly hair, all dressed in red. She looked up as I walked in.

“Hi,” I said. She smiled back, and Steve smiled too.

“Michelle, this is Mandy. And Mandy, this is my sister Michelle.” She came over and shook my hand.

“So finally we meet. I’ve heard so much about you – and all good things believe me. Your brother adores you.” I made a face at him, and then asked.

“So you’re his girlfriend? She blushed, and answered.

“Well, we’ve known each other since last year. We had the same classes, and we did some assignments together, and we became friends. But now we met again over the summer, and yes, we are kind of dating.” Steve sensed her embarrassment at my question, so he said,

“Excuse my sister for being so blunt. But she’s always like that, so direct at everything.”

“That’s ok,” she said. I sat down opposite them.

“And it’s even more than ok for me. Because now I have met your girlfriend, so you owe me one. I want you to meet David.” I turned to Mandy. “David is my boyfriend,” I explained. Steve seemed really happy at this proposition, and agreed at once.

So the next day, we went out together, the three of us at this bar. David and Steve seemed to like each other, and we were having a good time together. At first the conversation started about our lives in Texas, and Steve talked about his life in Lenton, and the summer job at the resort. Then somehow our conversation turned to school. “

So you study Medicine?” Steve asked.

“Yes, that’s what I started out as, and I guess that’s what I’ll keep on doing this year. What are you studying?”

“Music,” replied my brother. David looked surprised.

"Music? Wow. Do you play an instrument?”

“Sure I do. I’ve played the piano since I was a kid, but I prefer string instruments.”

“My sister plays the guitar too. And I play the drums.” This was news to me.

“Really?” I asked. “You never told me that.” He blushed.

“Well, I’m not really that good. It was more like a hobby to me. But lately, you know, I’ve become to really like them even more.” A thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Steve, your girlfriend says she was in your course. Does she play an instrument too?”

“Yes, she plays a lot of instruments, but like me she prefers string instruments. That’s why we had assignments together, because we shared a lot in common.”

“Wow,” I laughed.

“Aren’t we one happy musical group? I don’t play any instruments, but I have taken voice lessons for a long time now, and I like singing too. Maybe some day I would do a really big musical.” Steve smiled.

“Some day you are going to write a really big musical.” David looked up quizzically.

“My sister doesn’t know how to write music, but she can write some really good lyrics.” I blushed, and at that moment I wished that my brother had not said those things about me, because I was rather embarrassed at that, and I had only shared my lyrics with him, and no one else. David was surprised.

“Wow, you will have to show them to me. It’s not fair that your brother gets to see your artwork, and I don’t.” I knew I couldn’t get away from this, so I promised to show them to him some time soon.

The rest of the evening progressed pleasantly. And on the way home, I asked my brother what he thought of David.

“He seems like a good guy, and he seems like he’s really in love with you. I like him, but there’s something else.”

“What?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “But all evening I’ve had this weird feeling that I’ve known David for a long time. There’s something so familiar about him.” I nodded in agreement.“That’s the way I felt about him, the first time that I met him. And to be honest with you, while you went to the restrooms, he said the same thing about you. Maybe that’s because, even though we didn’t know it, we all shared the same interests, you know.” My brother smiled, and he said that that was probably it.

But that night something really strange happened. I was fast asleep in my bed, when I heard a scream coming from my brother’s bedroom. I ran to his room, and I saw that he was tossing and turning in his sleep. At first I thought it was just a bad dream, but when he screamed again, and started sweating out, I knew this was not just any nightmare. My mind flashed back to those last nights in Sherwood, and I was scared. I was so afraid my brother was going to have a relapse. I moved cautiously towards the bed, to try to wake him up, when suddenly he started screaming,

“No, don’t. Don’t do it. Stop! Make him stop! …” I quickened my step, when suddenly Steve’s next words made me stop in my tracks. “DAVID!” he screamed. “What did you do? Run … help… now … please, no, please.” I ran quickly, and shook him awake. He was sweating terribly, his heart was beating fast, and tears were streaming down his face.

“Steve, wake up!”

“What happened?” I asked. He stared at me, dumbfounded,

“I don’t know. I guess I had a nightmare.”

“Yes,” I said. “What did you dream?” He shook his head.“I can’t remember anything. All I know is that it was a terrible nightmare. It felt so real. I’m afraid to go back to sleep.” I got him a glass of water, and stayed beside him, until he calmed down. He looked at the bedside clock.

“It’s three am. I have to sleep. But I’m so scared. Michelle, will you stay with me tonight?” I nodded, and cuddled in the bed beside him. But neither I nor he got much sleep that night. I could feel him tossing and turning, while I had too many thoughts running through my head. Steve’s reactions had been so similar to those in Sherwood, that I was scared. And why did he mention David’s name? Did it have anything to do with what happened in Sherwood? But what if Lynn was right, and our life in Sherwood never existed, and I had imagined it all? Was I the one who was going crazy? I resolved that the next day, I was going to call my parents, and ask them for the truth.