Phantasmagoria

11-Dreon

This time, I saw orange locks the moment I wake up and it came with ashot of pain piercing through my eyes. I still couldn't remember what it was but I try to shake off the uneasy feeling. I grab my The Beatles shirt as I run towards the Pavilion. It's strange how the world does not stop spinning for you. I barely had time to worry because of the role I had to play in this lonely dwelling.

I see Tony and Cheese arguing about something when I reach them. "Where's Flynn?"

"He said he's sick but I know he's just gonna have sex with Kyle" Cheese rolls her eyes.

"Oh he is sick. Twelfth day anniversary. Flynn stole my condoms." Tony scoffs.

"Wait, Is Kyle a she?"

"Nah. He's worried Kyle might have the disease. So where do we go?" Both of them look at me, as if I had been the one to decide all along.

"John's?" I shrug.

"No, definitely not John's. And no, Tony, no pizza for breakfast. We're going to Starbucks." She smirks as she sashays toward the shotgun. "You drive, Dreon!" She throws the keys and I barely even caught it.

The strong aroma of coffee and sweet bread welcomed us as we walk in. It was only seven in the morning and we still have an hour to spare before class.

"You okay, man?" Tony asks as he sits across the table.

"Yeah I just, I couldn't remember my dream." His face lit up.

"That's great news bro!"

"No, it's not."

"Think of it as life finally giving you the element of surprise." He smirks and places his hands on the table. "You'll get used to it."

Cheese comes back with our coffee and bacon calzones and I try to listen as they talk about how sick Flynn was for skipping a school day for sex.

"Have you ever had sex before?" Cheese looks at me in her I-know-your-secret-so-you-better-do-it-right face.

"No."

"Oh come on."

"Aw, man! Why not?" Tony says.

"What's the big deal?" I ask.

Cheese looks at me in disbelief. "Drei. You're 17. You're smart. Goddamn smart. You're kind. You're sweet. And damn, you're super hot. Rachel from Speech likes you-"

"And Caroline" Tony interrupts.

"AND Caroline. The cheerleader who I don't really recommend because she's as dumb as a stupid pompom, god she's totally a hussy but I heard she's really a demon in bed. But anyway, you also got Jewel, Lizzy from Arts, Robin, Monica, Miss June the new Math teacher, even Paul the computer nerd. Who knows who the others are? And you haven't had sex yet? It is a big deal, Drei. And you have a big D."

I take a sip and laugh. "Yeah how about Estelle?"

"ESTELLE?" They simultaneously shout, loud enough to irritate the entire café. I suffer to stifle a laugh.

"She's pretty."

"Bro are you out of your mind? Estelle's like a total wuss, man." He hissed in disgust. He bites on his calzone.

"Flynn told me she once made out with Joey Carlton, the one who calls me Cheddar, remember him? Anyway so he got bruises because she kept on biting and clawing and screaming god knows what. Joey said she's a witch. He couldn't make his penis work for almost two months because Estelle had spit some voodoo magic in it or something." Cheese explains, her face screaming disgust and discomfort.

"Well then, alright. No sex for the big D." I laugh.

Cheese stares at me as if an idea forms in her mind "What if-"

"Oh no, no Cheese. I'm not having sex with you."

"Yeah, yeah right. That's kinda disgusting. I don't do virgins." She snorts. "Wait a minute, not even a kiss?"

"No, Czarina. Don't."

"No I mean you haven't had kissed anybody yet? Not even accidentally? You're insane!"

A flicker of a girl's blue eyes appeared on my thoughts. I touch my lips instinctively. "I think I might have."

The days outside of the nine-year imprisonment was not much special as I thought it would be. I had thought a lot of things to do when my parents declared my freedom, and yet, I find myself detached from the real world. As if the dream of being free is ruined when it had come true.

If a playwright were to write about me, the audience might have fallen asleep already for the first five minutes. There would be nothing special about it, not even the forgotten story of the boy who remembers his dreams.