Just Dreams

Yellow Hoodie

The next morning I feel exhausted even though I slept through the whole night. That dream left me feeling drained, like I just pulled an all-nighter. I reluctantly prepare for school, and to my surprise my mother is sitting at the kitchen table downstairs.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, yawning.

“I’m going to be leaving at around nine to go see the doctor,” she pulls out my chair for me, “looks like you didn’t sleep much last night.”

I gratefully plop into it. “I had a really crazy dream.”

“What about?”

“A Dream Dimension and Conscious and believing and a boy who stutters and this girl who has a weird kinda Brooklyn accent kinda something else,” I list everything in a very vague fashion, holding up a finger to represent each item.

“Some dream you had.” She comments, giving a small smile. “You always did have one heck of an imagination.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, “Imagination.”

The rest of breakfast is filled with semi-awkward normal mother-daughter conversation. School, boys, friends, looks, tests, all that kind of stuff. I can tell my mother finds my answers to her questions a little disappointing.

“Any nice friends?” she asks, sipping her coffee.

“Not one.” Is my reply.

“What about possible lovers?” she gives a look.

“Nope.”

“Is school going good for you?” she asks, sounding a little hopeless.

“Yeah, I’m learning just fine.”

She looked relieved when I said that. Last thing she wanted a socially awkward outcast who was also an idiot. After that we just sat just say and looked at each other awkwardly until I finished my breakfast and left for school.

Math was cancelled due to an assembly. As everyone streamed into the auditorium my eye was drawn to one girl who was sitting all the way in the front, head down, wearing a bright yellow hoodie. I don’t know why she caught my interest, maybe it was the neon bright hoodie, but every time I tried to look away I felt my eyes slowly coming back to rest on her. Suddenly she turned, her eyes finding mine. They were a strange greenish gold that matched her hoodie, probably the work of contacts. Our eyes remained locked for what seemed like an eternity before a group of students blocked off our view of each other.

I release the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. She put me on edge for some reason. As I took my seat I realized that she was in clear view in all her neon hoodie wearing glory. I stared at her back some more, with nothing better to do.  

“She your new love interest?” A boy beside me teases, noticing my stare.

“Are you jealous because I’m yours?” I ask.

He blushes before turning away, muttering about how girls are so rude. I stick my tongue out at him, not caring if I look childish.

I turn back and see the girl smiling at me, a crooked half grin. I wink at her, and in that moment we looked like friends. Then the girl scowls at me and I look away, embarrassed.

“Oooh you got dumped!” the boy mocked, laughing loudly.

I flip him off before slouching in my seat. I don’t pay any attention to the assembly.

At lunch I make my way to my usual place at the back of the school only to find a not taped onto the wall. I look around, suddenly fearful. Was I getting suspended, maybe even expelled? Did someone see me and tell? Is this a note that’s going to inform that I’m now a target of black mail?