“So, you really think there’s something to this dream?” Isaac asked half an hour later. The two of us were at the creek, sitting on the rock we had sat on before. Isaac looped his arm around my waist, almost protectively. I smiled and leaned toward him.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s recurring, so maybe there’s something there,” I told him. Taking in a deep breath, I weighed whether or not to add to my comment. With a sigh, I decided to tell him what was on my mind. “Ike,” I began carefully, not sure how to word what I wanted to say.

“Hm?” He rested his chin on my head.

“Do you believe in, like . . . psychic stuff?” I asked.

He laughed and I could feel the vibration of his vocal chords on my head. “You mean like those ‘psychic friends’ and stuff? Like, ‘Call now for three free minutes with your own, personal psychic’? Like the ones that say me, Tay, and Zac’ll break up by the end of the century and Zac’s gonna be married and an alcoholic by, like, fifteen?” he asked. Even though I couldn’t see him, I knew he was rolling his eyes. “No, I don’t believe in those.”

“I’m not talking about those,” I told him. I turned around so that I was facing him, taking both his hands in both of mine. “Okay, my birthday is March seventeenth,” I began.

“I know,” he said. “Remember, Lynnie said that when we first met? And then you told her that we didn’t need a biography?” He smiled at the memory.

I smiled too. “Yeah,” I agreed. “But, anyway,” I said, continuing my thought, “that makes me a Pisces -”

“Yeah, same as Tay, right?”

“Yeah. Look, Pisces is the sign of the fish - a water sign. And water signs are known for being psychic -”

“Jaye?” Ike interjected. “You lost me.”

I squeezed his hands. “Just give me a minute, okay?” I asked. He nodded. I took in another breath and let it out slowly. “All right. Now, water signs are known for being psychic - especially Pisces. And that’s what I think these dreams are.”

Isaac nodded slowly. “You think you’re having psychic dreams about fish?” he asked.

“Isaac!” I cried. “Didn’t you listen to a word I -”

He cut me off, laughing heartily. “I get it, I get it,” he told me. Then, his face straightening, his composure regained, he said, “You think these are psychic dreams.”

Almost shyly, I nodded. “It sounds silly when you say it,” I muttered, looking down at our hands.

Isaac took one of his hands away and lifted my chin. He looked down into my eyes, brown eyes steady. “It’s not silly,” he insisted. “Nothing you say is silly.”

I smiled at him. “Even if I said that giant mutant space chickens were invading the earth and that blue M&M’s were going to take over the planet?” I asked seriously.

He laughed again. “Okay, maybe I should rephrase that,” he said, grinning.

I smiled, planting a kiss on his lips. “Don’t ever change,” I ordered. “I like you just the way you are.”

Isaac leaned over and kissed me back gently, slipping one of his hands to the small of my back. When it ended, he pulled back from me and smiled. “I like you too,” he said.

The two of us sat in silence after that, content with just being close to each other. Finally, Ike cleared his throat. “Well, if you’re a water sign, what am I?” he asked.

“You’re a scorpion,” I told him.

“Thanks! That’s real nice!” he yelled.

I gave him a playful push with my free hand. “No!” I yelled back. “Scorpio? The scorpion? Duh. I think you’re a water sign too,” I said.

Isaac smiled. “Does that mean I’m psychic too?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I dunno,” I told him. “Maybe.” I looked up into his eyes and asked, “What am I thinking?”

He gave me a sly look and pulled me close. “Is this what you’re thinking?” he asked quietly.

“Hm. Almost,” I told him.

With a small smile, Isaac kissed me. I pulled away just long enough to whisper, “Maybe you are psychic.” That said, we were kissing again.

chapter twent
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