Jamie woke from the dream in a cold sweat, as usual. But this time it had been different, she hadn't just heard the gunshots, she'd felt them.
One bullet to the right knee, then the left, then, after Butt's little comment, the final one...straight through the heart.
The same dream for almost twelve years. One more week of it and it would be exactly twelve years.

Ever since the night of the death of her father, she had had the same dream over and over, every night of every month, of every year. Nothing else, not when she was moved to a foster home, not when both her new parents committed suicide, not when Ana adopted her, never, it was always the same dream.

Slowly she recovered her breath and looked at the clock, with its blood read numbers. It was two in the morning, two thirteen if you wanted to be picky about it. Jamie didn't, she really never cared for specifics.

Ana would be asleep still, so she was free to prowl the house as she usually did after The Dream. Ana didn't mind it, she never had.

As Jamie got up and dragged on the jeans she had beside her bed and remade her bed with it's black comforter and sheets, putting the little dark blue pillow in the middle of the bed. Ana had bought it for her the first week she had been here, she had been ten, and Ana had foolishly sought to change her taste.

Closing her door behind her, Jamie made her way down the stairs to the living room to go through the books on the mantel above the fireplace.

She had never really understood Ana, with her love of light, solid colors, her interest only in books of mothers and they're children. Her dislike of dark colors and undisguised repulsion of spilled blood.

But, no matter their differences, Ana was her only friend. ‘Friend’ might not have been the best description, but it was a description. Ana had tried to be a mother to her, had tried to replace the one Jamie had lost. But no one could take Jamie’s mother’s place, no one.

Jamie knew that her looks weren't what kept most people away.

She had a classic kind of beauty. Long, wavy, black hair, usually up in a ponytail. Big almond shaped eyes, that were a mixture of blue and violet. A straight, pert, nose. Tanned skin, that came from her Apache grandfather, soft to the touch. She had long, curvy, legs, her nails were very nicely manicured (it was the only thing Ana did insist on) and she was slim with lightly toned muscles.

What kept most people away, was the fact that those blue-violet eyes held a barely reined in temper, and a very simple way of showing it. When Jamie didn't like someone, she made it a point to let them know it.

There were many ways to provoke the temper she just barely held in check, one of the most common was for someone to give her an order. No one did that, unless they were looking for a fight, and a bloody one at that. Ever since her fathers death, she had not taken orders, and, she remembered with a smile, the last person stupid enough to think they could boss her around learned that lesson real quick.

She couldn't stop the laughter that spilled from her as she remembered the poor fellow. He had been on two dates with her and decided that he wanted to introduce her too a few of his friends. So, for they're third date, he had had a party, and invited every one of his friends. About half way through the party, He decided he and his friends wanted drinks, so, he had told her to go get them. Big mistake. When he ordered her to after they fought about it, she went and got the drinks. She had walked up to him, and tapped his shoulder. He had turned around and earned a face full of root beer for his efforts.

To make matters worse, for him, his parents walked in right after she had finished her little stunt with the soda. They had been furious with him for throwing a party without they're consent. To bad for him they had gotten that 'anonymous' phone call. After they had cleared everybody out, they had thanked her for the call, and congratulated her on her aim with the soda.


That night had been the highlight of the year.


Served him right, she thought, as she remembered the look on his face when she had sprayed him with the soda. She was standing there laughing when Ana came in, looking rathe flustered and more than a little confused.


"Is something wrong, Jamie?" Ana asked, coming to stand next to her cautiously.


"No, sorry if I woke you, Anastasia." She said, pulling herself together.


"Jamie, I thought we had gone over this. You may call me Ana, but never Anastasia. It is far too formal for my liking, you have been living with me for almost eight years next week."


"Sorry, Anasta-"


Ana cut her off with a raise of her silver-gray brow.


"I mean, Ana. I'm sorry, Ana." Jamie said.


"Much better. Now, do tell me, what is it that is so humorous?"


"I was just remembering The Great soda boy party. Remember?"


"Yes actually, I do remember. Why did you spray that young man with soda, Jamie?"


"He told me to go get him and his friends drinks, but I told him no, so we got into a fight, and I sprayed the soda in his face for revenge." She explained, grinning wickedly.


"Oh really, Jamie. You must learn to control your temper better. It wouldn't have wounded your pride very much to-"


"To what? Let him boss me around? Let him think he was in charge of me? Ana, it was more than just my pride. It's a way of life, no, it's my way of life." Jamie said, crossing her arms over her breasts and glaring out the window. Seeing a faceless man with a gun.


Ana sighed sadly and gave up, they had had this argument hundreds of times since Ana had adopted her. It usually ended in tears for Ana and less dignity for Jamie.


Ana walked into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. They were both already up so why not just go ahead and get a head start on the day?


"Jamie, since your up, why don't you go get ready for school, maybe today you'll actually be able to not get sent to the principal, then we'll eat and just...." She trailed off.


"Just go on about our separate business and ignore each other." Jamie finished for her, turning to walk up the stairs. Before she could escape, Ana spoke from the bottom of the stairs.


"Was it The Dream again, Jamie? The one with the faceless men with guns?" Ana spoke so quietly, that, if Jamie hadn't been waiting for her to aske, she wouldn't have heard her.


"It always is, isn't it?" Jamie said, sweeping a hand through her long hair, a rare action she did when she was anxious.


"I'm so sorry, Jamie. I wish there was something I could do to help."


"To bad no one can do anything to help isn't it? Poor Jamie, hah! I'm used to it, besides I think it's fading. It wasn't as bad this time." She lied, hoping to atleast calm Ana down a bit.


Ana only smiled sadly, seeing straight through the lie. Jamie didn't know how she did it, but she was able to walk to her room calmly on steady legs. As soon as the door closed behind her, she sagged agianst it for a moment.


Atleast now she only had to put up with school and work. She had an after school job at the Fast Forward Cafe in town. Her only friends her age were her pals at the cafe.


The Fast Forward Cafe was the only thing she looked forward to. It was the only place she could go where she didn't have to act happy, because she was happy at the cafe.


God blessed The Fast Forward Cafe; she thought, as she grabbed an outfit out of her all black closet and went to take a shower.