Work Text:
Today was the last day of senior year, and Norman was going to do it. The man was going to admit his feelings to the girl of his dreams, literally. He was finally going to understand how he knew her. After he tells her, everything will make sense. Of course, what you believe to happen, and what does are two very different things.
Some would say this story starts freshman year at Gracefeild high school. Well, I say that it starts about three years before that event. I believe that it began with the first dream.
It was about two in the morning when Norman woke up, sweating as if he was a water fountain and crying like a newborn. The twelve-year-old had his first nightmare. He could still remember parts of it as he sat in the dimly lit room. Needles poked his skin on all sides. Test tubes surrounded the hospital bed. Insitions were made on his skin as he yelled and screamed for the pain to stop. Things loomed over him, demons that were only of his nightmares. He wished and prayed at night that he could fall back into his dreams where a red-headed girl played tag with him and other children. He longed for a house that he didn't recognize that sat perched on top of a hill, with the large oak forest surrounding it.
So he went back to sleep, hoping for dreams, but instead gaining nightmares. It continued like this for at least a year, until it finally, finally came to an end. After that, his mind consisted of running through trees, enormous bunkers, and a single name that seemed like a part of him. He would repeat it whenever he was down like it was the best thing in the world, Emma, Emma, Emma. He would say her name, over and over, Emma, Emma, Emma, she became his mantra to calm down.
"You know, you really should stop obsessing over dreams," Ray had told him once, as he blew smoke out of his mouth. "Look up outside of your head. Lots of girls would love to have you," he said before letting out another puff. They were fourteen at the time and fresh out of middle school. He had college to worry about. And, Emma, his brain reminded him.
"You should stop buying cigarettes," Norman changed the subject, "They'll kill you."
Ray raised his eyebrows, and his twitching fingers stopped for a moment. "Really?" He asked. Norman nodded, and Ray wrapped his lips around the end once more before inhaling deeply, "Good."
A month or two passed, and he had been seeing the same dull place every single night, an office while he waited for something. Who or what that something was, he didn't know. And so he waited, and waited and waited some more. Until the door in the front of the office opened, just before the first day of freshman year, to reveal the red-headed girl, Emma, his mind filled in for him. They leaped into a tight embrace, and Norman woke up for school, feeling refreshed.
His first day started well enough, albeit with a few missteps. He might have gotten hit in the face with a locker once or twice. Ok, it was five times but, that's not the point! The point is that he was dazzled the entire day from his dream. Emma was no longer a girl, she had matured, and he could tell. That night she sported a backpack and no longer wore the crisp white clothes she did at the house. A braid done over her left ear caught his attention, and to Norman, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. It wasn't until that moment he realized how much he'd missed her.
Missed her? Missed seeing her in his dreams, of course, but how could he miss her? Norman has never met Emma, has he? It was just before the final period when Norman made a horrid connection, Emma isn't real. She never has been and never will be, Just a figment of his imagination. Ray was right, he should've stopped this nonsense long ago, then he wouldn't hurt like he was now. So with a heavy heart, and sinking eyes, he sat down in a seat near the back row of the algebra room. The roll call began shortly after, with the teacher starting in the A's. Norman waited for his name, Emma, Emma, Emma, A depressed voice in the back of his head chanted. "Minerva, Norman," he heard dully.
"Present," he said, out of habit. Emma, Emma, Emma, It repeated
"Ratri, Emma," The teacher called. 'She's not going to answer,' Norman's mind filled, 'Emma, Emma, Emma'
"Present," Came to a light feminine voice, his eyes flickered in the direction of the sound to see her, Emma Ratri. She had long spiky hair, messily pulled up in a ponytail, and a light windswept look to her bangs. It was different from his dream, where her hair was short, but she was Emma, his Emma. With her deep grass green eyes, and her playful happy smile. Did he understand what was happening? Not at all. Did he care? Not at all!
He had never approached her really, only sharing a few fleeting glances in the halls before scurrying off to class. There was only one downside to his newfound crush, he learned nothing in Algebra II.
"You must be a prophet," Ray had rationalized, "How else could you see the future?" It boggled even Ray, one of the smartest people he's met, but Norman didn't care, he never cared about anything during lunch nowadays. "You can ogle at her later, I want some theory input here!" Ray began, shaking Norman out of his daydreams.
"What do you think her favorite ice cream is?" Norman asked, suddenly as if Ray would have an answer, "Does she even like ice cream?" He started fiddling with his sleeve, "Of course she likes ice cream! Or maybe... Coffee! Coffee would be better don't you think?" Norman frenzied.
"FOCUS!" Ray demanded, and it seemed like it worked because Norman took a big breath in, and started spouting theories.
"I don't know, maybe I met her before and just forgot? Or it's all a coincidence that she acts, talks, looks, and sounds like the same Emma. Or perhaps..." His hand scratched the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.
"Perhaps, what?" Ray tried to get him to continue.
"No, it's silly and not logical. The idea goes against everything I know. Just forget it."
"Now I'm curious," Ray started, "Dude, we're grasping at straws here. Any idea is a good one." Norman's eyes flickered around before he sighed.
"What if we met in a past life?" He asked, "What if my dreams aren't dreams but rather memories?" It was far fetched, and he didn't want it to be true because, in his more recent dreams, Emma was crying. She was crying, and Norman knew it was because of something he did.
Ray hummed, “Maybe,” he finally said, “ But, not likely,” His finger tapped against his chin in thought. “Even if it did happen, what are the chances you’d meet two people from your past life in your new life and remember them?” That’s right. Norman saw Ray too, of course, they just thought it coincidence since they’ve known each other from a young age; And Norman could have just seen him in his dreams because Ray was normality in his life.
“Unlikely,” Norman agreed, “Very unlikely but not impossible.” He turned back to look at Emma, who was speaking with a teacher that he didn’t recognize, and fell back into his trance. “Do you think she has a dog?” He asked Ray.
The black-haired boy rolled his eyes and left his friend in favor of grabbing some cafeteria food.
Three years later and there he was, standing in front of the AP calculus door on his final day of high school. Somehow — somehow meaning he overheard which course she was taking and took it with her — they had ended up taking math together for all four years. Norman inhaled sharply, before walking through the entry, and to his seat. Class began and ended as usual, with the teacher probably giving some important information and Norman ignoring her in favor of watching Emma; Who mostly doodled in her notebook.
Was he a stalker? No!... ok maybe, but only a little bit. It’s not like he knew where she lived, or her schedule or anything. All he knew was that it was adorable how she would push her pencil’s eraser into her chin when she was stuck on a problem, or how she liked to make tiny paper airplanes to fly to her friends in the class. He loved how she would sneak chocolate into class and eat it when the teachers turned around because after it was successfully consumed, she would have a bright look of accomplishment on her face. The class was over before he knew it, and Emma was the first to rush out the door.
Norman almost felt his heart stop, before he bolted out of his seat and into the crowd of strangers, catching a glimpse of the stick of orange hair that always stood proudly atop her head. She had turned right in the halls, and so Norman took a right. He followed the little orange thing that barely stood in the crowded area. The next time he saw her face was outside the school on the curb of the road. Emma. His mind automatically said.
“Emma!” he called out, Her eyes met him, and for a moment he tensed at the sound of her voice.
“Norman?” She had asked, “How do you know my name?”
“Uh,” I see you in my dreams, which I think is my past life trying to get me to meet you again in reality, “You’re name comes after mine in AP Calculus.” This was the worst, Lying to Emma felt like a stab wound in the heart. “You?”
She appeared almost shocked, before turning a bit red and whispering “Same.” There was a small bit of silence between them, like a canyon being filled with pebbles. “Uh,” She started, “What did you want?” It was said in a way that made it seem like she wanted to stay right there but run away at the same time.
Norman's eyes widened, as he realized that he had called out to her, “Oh, right- well I- Um… I was going to- no, I’m- the thing is!” his gibberish stopped for a moment as he inhaled. “Would you maybe want to grab lunch sometime?” The question was, in every sense of the word, awkward as Norman stared at his shoes as if he was going to die if he didn’t. “Please?” He added.
Emma smiled softly, “Sure, that sounds nice, how about noon tomorrow? I’ll meet you here, I assume you have a place in mind?” It came out much smoother than her previous ‘What do you want?’ statement.
“Yeah,” he said, a bit more confidently, “Ok, and I do have a place,” It seemed so much easier to talk to her now. Like a great boulder had been lifted from his chest.
“Alright, See you then, Norman,” She winked as she walked off down the street.
“See you!” he shouted back in excitement, waving his arm wildly at her slowly shrinking form.
Norman seemed like the happiest man alive that day, he wore a smile from school to his apartment. Yes, Norman would be happy for a long time, because he just got a date with the girl of his dreams... literally.