Prologue
Each raindrop fell harder than the one before. The light was making way for darkness. My plan to go onto the balcony and count the stars had been cancelled.
Counting stars could seem strange to some; not normal. But what exactly was normal anyway?
I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't be like everyone else. I wouldn't be put into a box, labeled. I didn't care about the in crowd on being the most popular kid on campus.
I was more of an artist. Photography and poetry was more of my thing. But everyone wasn't into counting stars. Or lying on a bed of grass and finding objects in the clouds. Or DREAMING.
Sometimes I hated being different from others. I just want to be normal. Whatever that is.
I stood at the doorway of my balcony watching the rain as I smoked a wine black and mild. The rain falling was NORMAL. Duke Ellington playing in the background was normal. I was normal. In just that one moment. Whatever normal is.
Chapter 1
"Dream! Dream!" He was being shaken and stirred like an alcoholic beverage by his best friend, Epiphany. She owned a spare key to his apartment, for emergencies, but she used it at her leisure. Dream had fallen asleep on the couch after giving in to the rain's hypnosis.
"I thought I told you to use that key for emergencies," said Dream as he sat up on the couch.
"It is an emergency. I need you to getu p and go somewhere with me," said Epiphany.
"WHere?" Dream asked as he put on his shoes.
"School. They are having a Pre Dawn Throwdown tonight."
"Oh, hell no! You know I don't do gatherings like that anymore. Too many freshmen."
"Come on Dream. I'm sure someone that pisques your curiousity will be there. Swag might be there."
"Fuck Swag," Dream said as he lit the remains of his black and mild.
Dream was never the one for secrets and Swag was just that. A secret. He was a star on the school's track team and a true womanizer. Or so he thought. And Dream fucked around with him on the low a few times but it never got any further than that. Just fooling around.
"SWAG SWAG SWAG! He's all you ever talk about and now it's fuck him?"
"Yes, ma'am. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep," said Dream as he stretched back out on the couch. Epiphany fanned the smoke that swirled around her face away.
"You loser. Get ya ass up you bohemian, dread loc wearing sorry excuse for a best friend!"
"What did I tell you about calling them dreads? They are just locs!"
"Whatever. Ever since you realized you had to stay at NCU another semester you have been acting very grumpy and bitter. Now get up before I snatch you up and let's gooo."
Dream sighed and stood up. He blew the last bit of thick smoke in Epiphany's face and laughed.
The gymnasium was dark, the music was loud and Dream didnt want to be there. He was more out of place than a nun in a whorehouse. But being the friend he was, he came for Epiphany.
She was the one who knew everyone. Dream and Epiphany could never walk around campus without her stopping to talk to someone. Epiphany had been like that since junior high school, so Dream was used to it.
Dream stood over to the side watching everyone shake and gyrate. Work up and sweat until their shirts were soaked and hair dishelved.
"Act like you want to be here, Dream, " said Epiphany, walking back over to her friend.
