Ecliptic

2.

I always knew Archer was special. But I never new just how much until the day he told me about his dreams.
We were outside in the tree house my parents built, just talking. It was Freshman year and I was "calmly" complaining about the amount of work due tomorrow. Archer gazed at me knowingly, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
"Solace, why don't you do it then, instead of complaining about it" he teased, putting his hands on his hips playfully.
"I'm irresponsible" I said truthfully.
"You're ignorant."
I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Ignorance is bliss sweetheart." I giggled. "Besides, I want to travel, not bookkeep. Why read about things when you can go out and see them for yourself?"
Archer sighed. "Because then you can understand them."
I danced blissfully around him. "The only thing I need to know to go to Europe is that Gelato is the best thing in the world and Zeus was king of the gods" I joked.
Archer looked down. All playful tones left his voice.
"I feel like there's a bit more to it than that."
I stopped. He seemed offended. I slowly walked over to him and looked up into his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said.
But I knew him too well to believe that. Archer wasn't very emotional, at least not that he showed. So for this reaction to come to the surface... that meant something.
"Archer."
He rolled his eyes and ducked away. "You'll think it's stupid."
"Of course I won't!" I sat down and patted the floor next to me. "Sit. Talk."
He came over, reluctantly, and looked anywhere but at me. I sat and waited patiently.
He wrung his hands for a while, but finally blurted out "I keep having dreams I'm a Greek goddess."
For a second, I just sat there. It was strange, sure, but I didn't see why he thought it was crazy. Dreams are weird.
"Dreams are weird," I told him.
"No, but it feels real." He looked nervous, embarrassed even. Oh.
"Hey, Archer, you know, I'll accept you no matter who you feel like on the inside..." I set my hand on his knee and smiled.
"What?" He looked genuinely confused. "Oh, no! Thats not what I mean... I'm saying, the dreams aren't confusing. They make sense. They feel like memories, and I only find them strange when I wake up and know that they can't be."
I paused and thought a moment. I'd heard of lucid dreams but this was a little weird.
"I don't know, I mean it's just a dream."
He shook his head. "You don't understand..."
I took his hand. "Hey, we'll look some stuff up about weird dreams and Ancient Greece okay?"
Archer narrowed his eyes and I threw my hands up in submission.
"I'm serious, if you want to figure it out, I'll help you."
He gave me a halfhearted smile and nodded. "Okay." He sighed and started to climb down.
I gathered up my things and followed him into the house, picking up may laptop. Did I expect to find antything? No. Did I find anything?
Yes.