Catch a Falling Dream

I Hate Alarm Clocks

"Sleep hath its own world, and a wide realm of wild reality" 

- Lord Byron 1816

        I was in a state between dreaming and reality. You know, when you realize you could get up if you wanted to, but you squeeze you eyes shut to keep dreaming. In my dream, I was at our family's old furniture store, but it was blurring and loosing color. "Grandpa, don't leave me!" I cried, hugging him. Some people say you can't smell in dreams, but I could swear I smelled a mixture of mint, wood shavings, and Chloe, his cat. I hadn't smelled that for almost a year. Still, it was fading fast.

        "Maybell, I'm always with you. I just wanted to let you know to pay attention to your dreams. They give us things that don't exist in reality. Things may start getting weird in the next week, but I believe in you. By the way dear, the answer to your physics test today is six eighty f..." His words got fainter and then...

        As I heard the alarm clock ring at 7:28, I groaned. I had exactly twenty minutes to get to the bus stop for school. I looked around my room, staring at my light blue walls with clouds and my messy desk with notebooks and art clutter. I looked behind my bed and smiled at the dream catcher my grandpa got me years ago. It was made of grape vine and turquoise and the web looked intricate as if woven by a spider. Then I looked down at my bedside table and eyed my evil alarm clock, an obnoxious neon orange one my dad got me so I wouldn't lose it. I knew that if I didn't get up soon, my mother would yell at me, Maybell Juniper Wakefield! Get yourself out of bed now!

        Unfortunately, at that very moment my eight-year-old sister Brooke was the one pounding on the door. "Get out of your room now!" She shrieked. "I need to use your bathroom to brush my teeth. Mom's using the one upstairs."

        "Coming, I'm coming!" I groggily slipped out of bed bracing myself for the cold air. I put my glasses on instinctively and reached the door. Brooke ran in and slammed the bathroom door.

        Meanwhile, I looked for an outfit. I didn't have much time. I put on a green digital watch. 7:31 it read. I really needed to get going. I rummaged around the piles of clothes in my dresser. Finally I pulled out a white shirt and a gray sweater to go on top. Then I found my golden key necklace I always wore on the shelf above the clothes. With a pair of blue jeans, I was ready to go.

        I banged on the bathroom door and thirty seconds later my sister finally came out with white foam all around her face. I laughed. Ever since she had a cavity, she got way too obsessed with brushing her teeth well. Mom was a dentist, and even she thought Brooke was over doing it.

        "Brooke, you know mom still loves you even with a cavity, right? Besides, it was a baby tooth. They pulled it out. You are cavity free."

        She smiled and I wiped off her face with a towel. I changed quickly, and then looked in the mirror, placing my brown hair into a simple ponytail. Then I ran downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar. I drank a glass of milk quickly. I glanced at my watch 7:40. The walk was about 5 minutes, so I needed to leave soon. Dad had just come downstairs and was brewing some coffee.

        "Bye sweetie! I hope you have a good day at school. Was my help on the physics homework useful last night?" Dad was a high school science teacher (although thankfully at a different school than mine) and had been helping me with physics, which I struggled with.

        "Yes, thanks Dad," I said a bit untruthfully. I honestly didn't understand physics, but at least I had my homework done. Math was easy for me, but somehow the word problems always tripped me up. "Anyway, I'd better go now." So I grabbed my jacket and walked out the front door. Chilly Minnesotan autumn air greeted me. I walked to the bus stop looking at the golden leaves. About this time last year my grandpa was in the hospital. I shuddered, trying to not think about it.

        After a few minutes of waiting at the street corner, the yellow bus arrived. I loved the feeling of the bus pulling up because it was something that stayed constant in my life, unchanging for ten years of school. As I hopped on, I saw my friend Kate. She was one of those people that was good at everything, from school to social life. Still, she chose me as a best friend. That morning, she was wearing a purple shirt and a black skirt. Her thick honey colored hair was in a long braid.

        "Hey May! How are you on this fine and fabulous morning?" She asked. I had to love Kate for her enthusiasm.

        "Tired. OK I guess. You?"

        "Great!" She said with a sparkle in her eyes, clearly holding back something she wanted to spill. I gave her a look, like what is it? We communicated non-verbally a lot. As in, I could tell her what food I was in the mood for just by my face. OK, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but you get the point.

        Finally she spilled the beans. "Oh, I just found out that I'm qualified for the next stage in my skating competition!" She gushed.

        I nodded along, but felt a nagging feeling. Why didn't I ever do anything fascinating? I sat at home with my cats sewing and doing art, but not much else. Kate was good at everything from Ice-skating to chess to acting. Still, her life was far from perfect. Her home life had never been easy but she excelled despite all the obstacles. Besides, as a supportive friend, I felt happy whenever she was.

        After ten minutes or so of her chattering and me nodding and asking questions, we got to school. Middle Creek High, as it was called. We had five minutes to get off the bus and head to class. Well, off to physics, I thought. I grabbed my books from my locker and headed up two flights of stairs.

        Room 311. I enter and sit at my seat in the back of the room. Mr. Neddles, the teacher was writing on the board. He was an older man who made me want to fall asleep during lectures. Oh, well. I attempted to to do the starter question on the board. If Melodie is driving a car of 1000 kg at 6 meters per second and she collides with 900 kg car going 8 meters per second what is the speed and direction after the cars collide? I stared blankly at the question. The bell wrung. Dustin rushed in twenty seconds late. Dustin, my other friend was always late for things. He was the type of student that never really studied but teachers liked him anyways. In his spare time he designed video games. He was smart but laid back. Most teachers didn't mind, but Mr. Neddles couldn’t stand Dustin.

        "Well, Dustin, I can tell my class must not be very important to you because you've been late every day this past month. So, I'm sure you've mastered the material and will do just fine on the homework test I have for the class."

        NOOOOO! I started panicking. Could I fake I was sick? Go to the nurse? He passed out tan papers and told us not to flip it until he said so.

        "You may now turn your papers," he said slowly. I turned it over and gasped.