Sleep Disorders

Chapter 5

Nathan 🌵

It was nice to see Grace again.

Her strawberry blonde hair cascaded down her back like a golden waterfall and she was smiling that sweet, mysterious smile that got my heart doing back flips in my chest. Gosh Nathan, get a grip! You don't even know this girl.

"Hmm I detected a frisson," Ahmad said, breaking me out of my absurd thoughts.

"A what?"

"A frisson. A tremor of intense attraction. I detected one between you and that hot chick that just asked for a smoothie," he replied. I shook my head.

"There was no frisson. We're not attracted to each other. I barely even know that girl," I explained.

"You know her name," Ahmad said with a shrug, as if knowing someone's name was all you needed to like them.

"How do you know I know her name?" I asked raising my eyebrow at my eccentric best friend.

"You called her Grace. And there was a definite frisson between you two."

"Okay quit trying to be smart," I said and went back to serving customers.

---

"She's really hot though. You guys will make a cute couple," Ahmad said. I had just finished my shift at the sandwich shop and we were walking down the busy streets, keeping to the pavement of course.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a yawn. Work drains me. In fact, everything drains me. Maybe it's because I never have any energy to begin with. I just wished that I could fall asleep at night.

"You and that Grace chick. She's really hot. Didn't I give her a 9 or 10 the last time I saw her?"

"Yes, Ahmad. And I don't understand how you can be looking at other girls and rating them when you actually have a girlfriend," I said, reminding him of Yusrah, his "one true love" or so he claimed. Ahmad just smiled and said, "I'll rate Yusrah as well. She's obviously a 10. No wait, she's higher than a 10. Is it possible to rate people higher than 10?"

"You're just saying that because you're scared that she'll kick ass if you don't," I said with a smirk. Yusrah was a black belt in karate.

"No kidding though, that girl is strong. I went to watch one of her karate tournaments the other day and damn! Remind me not to mess with her," Ahmad said. I laughed.

"I'll remind you," I said. It was quite obvious that Ahmad was totally, irrevocably in love with Yusrah. Those two were completely smitten with each other! I liked Yusrah. She was good for Ahmad. She had an amazing personality and she had a way of making everything funny with her sarcastic comments and hilarious jokes.

I yawned again. "Dude, you should go home and get some sleep," Ahmad said.

"Ahmad, you know how much I would love to sleep but I can't control my insomnia anymore than you can control your restless leg syndrome." Ahmad cringed. He didn't like it when people mentioned his sleeping disorder. Even though he only had a mild case of the disorder.

"Whatever man. I'm going to the skate park." He had been carrying his skateboard under his arm the whole time. He put his board on the ground and placed one foot on it. "You coming?"

"No thanks. I'm too tired. I think I'll just head straight home," I said. What would I even do at the skate park without any skateboard? Besides I really was tired.

"Okay see ya," Ahmad said before skating away.

---

I didn't go straight home like I said I would. Instead I ended up at my favorite place in the whole world (besides Joe's Pizzeria). The woods was quiet, except for the soft twitters of the birds who fluttered from tree to tree. I waded towards my secret place hidden between the bushes and tall trees. It wasn't such a secret place anymore since Grace knew about it. I wondered if she ever came here again. I did tell her that I wouldn't mind sharing my hidden hideout with her.

Once I reached my secret location I first checked if the ground was dry and then lay down in front of the small pond like I was accustomed to doing. A slight breeze blew and I closed my tired, puffy eyes. I didn't sleep of course but I rested my exhausted body and enjoyed the peaceful tranquility of the big bad woods (okay, so the woods is neither particularly big nor bad but you get my point).