Here's the other thing about Collins's dreams, the only thing she could ever seem to remember clearly about them was how she felt during those blissful moments spent in her own alternate reality. She could always discern whether she felt content during her sleep or if she were frightened from the occasional nightmare. And after she'd come to terms with the fact that she'd dreamt of JJ Maybank, she quickly registered the sort of peaceful happiness that she felt when she woke up, before complete and utter uncertainty had taken over.
She tried to shake off the feeling with cold shower, but even after she'd gotten out and she looked at herself in their water stained bathroom mirror, Collins couldn't seem to brush it off. She'd had one conversation with JJ and she was already dreaming about him. Not to mention that it hardly counted since he was intoxicated during it and most likely didn't even remember a single thing they talked about. She'd known him for years yet she always questioned whether or not he knew her; that was how invisible she'd always been to him.
Even when her brother had been friends with his cousin for about as long as she could remember, and therein knew JJ for almost the same amount of time, it was as if Collins's existence was never known by the boy. No matter how many times Charlie had hung out with Ricky, JJ, and John B- lighting up a joint or supplying them with some beers, Collins wasn't apart of that life, therefore JJ had never had a chance to notice her beyond their Econ class. At least, not until she showed up at the Boneyard last night. 
But there was no point in trying to explore why his face was the one she'd recalled seeing in her sleep because nothing was going to come out of it anyhow. Collins couldn't let her mind go wild with the possibilities because she would only disappoint herself in the end either way. Feeling like she'd been acknowledged and admired for once in her life had felt good when it came from JJ, but it didn't mean that he would see her as anything other than invisible like he always had since they were kids. The sooner Collins came to terms with that, the better.
"Got any plans for today?" Charlie asked her, his voice coming out in a croak from only having woken up just a few minutes ago. 
Collins slid past him through the bathroom doorway and she shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno, might try to stop by the library and look through some of their old ACT study books. Other than that, not much."
"Sounds good." Charlie nodded while squeezing a glob of toothpaste onto his toothbrush.
Collins hovered by Charlie and watched him carefully. He was acting so nonchalant, like they hadn't witnessed a shooting the night before the last and helped carry John B's body into his van so his friends could take him home. A part of her wanted to bring it up, at least talk about it because she still wasn't feeling too great about the whole ordeal and Charlie was just sweeping it under the rug. But she didn't want to start anything by doing so because she didn't know what kind of dust she could be stirring up if she did.
"I'm gonna head out then, I'll see you later." She slung her bag of books over her shoulder and headed for the door, receiving a similar response in goodbye from Charlie that echoed from the bathroom through shaving cream coated lips. 
Following the dirt road leading into town, Collins's sneakers treaded down the path and she held her book in front of her. She'd taken on her other books and set Treasure Island aside for the time being because she didn't want to finish it quite yet. It was a short book and she wanted to savor the ending for just a little bit longer before she returned it, so she was divulging into the rest of her selection as a sort of distraction. 
She was so distracted in fact, that Collins hadn't even noticed and been completely oblivious to the rusty Volkswagen van that had come rolling past her when she was walking alongside the road, John B at the wheel and JJ in shotgun.