The Dream Machine

Three

After Mr. Sanchez left, I got to my feet. Now, it was time to sleepwalk through Band. I regained my balance and started to walk down the hallway, noticing that it was the same people that had been in my dream. My heart screamed to tell someone, anyone, but I knew I couldn't. I could not let anyone know my dangerous gift, that is, without them sending me to a mental institution.

I found Lizzie outside the library, apparently waiting for me. She was looking through another one of her favorite dystopian romance novels as I walked past. My crush soon put the heavy hardback back in her gigantic, green bag and ran towards me.

"Hey, are you upset?" she asked me, seeming concerned.

"Of course not," I replied, my nerves burning at the realization that Lloyd had already spilled the details of our conversation with her, "I'm totally fine. I think that you and Lloyd being together is cool. Predictable even."

"What are you talking about?" she declared, failing at hiding her defensiveness.

I might as well start breaking them apart now, "Oh, it's just the way he always looked at you, ignoring me in the proccess, that kind of stuff."

"Oh, okay," We continued walking in silence. The awkwardness between us was too thick to cut with scissors, much less a well-put together statement, so we just continued strolling. My heart was racing. Now was my chance, my chance to tell her that all of those years being her friend have turned into something else..."You're a great friend," she croaked, shattering the quietness between us like a rock to a mirror, "I just thought you should know that." She then walked away, leaving me standing there, alone, how it was meant to be if I couldn't get her. I was friend-zoned, and there was nothing I could do about it, if I was a normal kid, which I had found out this morning that I am not.

The period went on pretty much the same from then. Instruments were played in Band. Hers a flute, mine a perfectly-fitting-for-my-size bari sax. We had exchanged glances at each other the whole class, only to realize that some of them were meant for Lloyd, the tuba player behind me. It seemed that not only had he beaten me at getting Lizzie, but also at the bigger instrument competition. I don't know how she could go straight to him anyway, I mean, I met her first.

It was around ten years ago. I was at Lakewood Springs Elementary School, sitting in the back of Mrs. Dinglebin's classroom, reading a book, because even back then, I was a nerd. She walked up to me a handful of mulit-colored blocks in her hands. "Hey," she had asked me, "do you wanna play with me?"

"Doesn't it look like I'm busy?" I scoffed, wanting to be secluded from the rest of the playing kids.

"You look lonely," she replied, "Like you need a friend."

"I'm perfectly fine by myself."

"Well, I was just hoping you would play with me. I don't want you to be alone. Everyone needs a friend, even kids in the corner alone."

She had tugged my heart strings by those words by themselves. I got up and ran towards her. "Okay," I agreed, "let's play. What do you wanna do?"

She enterlocked her hand with mine and said, "Blocks."

"Are we gonna build something?"

"We could, but what I really like to do is write our names with them."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, one day, when I'm a teenager, I want to be able to see my name on a big screen or in a huge picture. It shows that my life has meant something to someone. That's all I've ever wanted, is to make someone happy." She answered.

It was pretty big words for a preschooler, but those statements stuck with me, all the way 'til now. I loved her back then with we started to spell out our names with those silly blocks, and I still love her now. I probably will always and there is nothing she can do about it.

I walked out of the band hall and continued towards my next class. Lloyd isn't my only friend, but he's the one who's had the biggest impression on my life, especially at the moment. I also have George, my lab partner in Science with Mr. Sanchez. He ran up to me after I passed the cafeteria and headed towards the stairwell.

"Sandler, big news!" he exclaimed.

"Is someone going to Pluto, because I'm pretty sure you'd sign up in the first five milliseconds." I added. Did I mention he's a science nut?

"No, NASA's not doing that...yet."

I had reached my locker and was already turning the dial, "Then what is it?" His fiery, red hair was all crumpled across his head, making it known to me that he had not had much sleep last night, "And did it keep you up all night?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. I invented something, something so awesome, it's kind of creepy." he paused for dramatic effect.

"Are you gonna hang me out to dry or tell me what your invention is?"

"I made a dream machine!"

"You mean a machine that only exists in your dreams?"

"No!" he screeched, "A machine that shows me their dreams."

"Isn't that kind of invading?" I pondered, my skin already crawling at the reality of him realizing my gift. But wait, this is a good thing, if I tell him about my power, I can try his machine and learn more about my ability. George knows a whole lot about science and he can definitely help, "George," I proclaimed, "I think I just found your first test subject."

"Who?" he questioned.

"Me."