The City of Dreams -- Part 37 (The End)

[Or is it the beginning?]

[[Sorry. Couldn't resist.]]

I woke up with my alarm the next morning. I felt about as energetic as a day-old pancake, but I'd expected that. I rolled out of bed anyway. That was the kind of day it was going to be: do it anyway.

            By the time I'd showered and made it down to the kitchen, Mom was the only one awake. She stared at me.

            "Hey," I said.

            "Hey," she said.

            I pulled cereal out of the cupboard and grabbed a bowl.

            "There something going on today?" asked Mom.

            I shrugged. "Not really."

            "You DO know what time it is?"

            I looked at the clock. "Yeah."

            "You also know that you could still be sleeping?"

            My body seconded the question, but I ignored it. "Yes, I know that." I poured out the cereal and went to the fridge for milk.

            "Okay then," said Mom, and she went back to reading the newspaper.

            Breakfast went down fast. I never have too much room in my stomach in the morning. It's like my digestive tract has to have a warning before it can really get warmed up. Unfortunately, that usually means I end up hungry sometime in the middle of calculus, but I had a plan for that. After sticking my dishes in the dishwasher, I made myself an extra peanut butter sandwich. Pretty daring, I know, but I was in a daring mood.

            "You going someplace?" asked Mom as I put my lunch in my backpack.

            "School."

            "You walking?"

            "Yeah."

            "Why?"

            "People keep telling me I need exercise. And I hate running."

            "So you're walking to school."

            "Yeah," I said. I pulled on my backpack. "Do you know how far it actually is to school?"

            "A little over two miles, I think," said Mom, "though it might be more."

            "Could you have Tamara keep an eye out for me, in case I don't make it there as fast as I planned?"

            "No problem," said Mom. "Have a nice walk."

            "Thanks," I said.

            I walked out the door. The morning air was cold, but with my fleece jacket all I needed was my mittens. And maybe a scarf, but I didn't have a scarf. I'd find one for tomorrow.

            "You don't look terrible," said Mike in calculus.

            "Stop it," I said. "You're making me blush."

            "No, really," said Mike. "You look better. Something happen?"

            "Not yet," I said, sneaking a bite of my spare sandwich. "But it will."

            Brie found me on the way to English. We bumped shoulders.

            "How are you feeling?" she asked.

            "Like crap," I admitted.

            "Really? You don't look it."

            I shrugged. "I figure it will come and go. It always does. But I feel like I've got a reason to be awake now. I think that makes a difference."

            "Is it me?" asked Brie, batting her eyelashes and pouting her lips.

            I laughed. "Yes," I said. "It is. At least part of it."

            "Oh," said Brie. She stopped walking. I stopped and looked at her. She blinked several times. "Why did you say that?" she asked.

            "Because I meant it."

            "You idiot. I need a Kleenex. What a stupid day to wear makeup."

            I pulled a Kleenex out of my pocket, handed it to her, and looked someplace else. She finished, and we walked the rest of the way to English.

            "What's this?" asked Sook at lunch.

            "They're called 'Uno cards,'" I said, enunciating slowly and clearly. "Sometimes used by lesser humans for recreational interaction. In other words, they play 'games' with them."

            "Thank you, Mr. Obvious," said Sook. "I was wondering why YOU had them?"

            "I thought we could play. You want to shuffle, Brie?"

            Sook still looked stunned. "Seriously?"

            "I'm pretty sure he's serious," said Mike. "He's going crazy today. His sister even said he walked to school."

            "Which sister said that?" I asked.

            "Tamara."

            "When did you talk to her?"

            "Before calculus. She wanted me to keep an eye on you, make sure you weren't sick or something."

            "I'm not sick. Well, I am, but I'm trying to get better."

            "So you're not sick like a cold," said Sook, "you're just nuts."

            "Exactly. All kinds of nuts. Mixed nuts, cashew halves, salted peanuts, Brazil nuts--which, technically aren't a nut, I think. I'll have to look that up again."

            "You looked it up BEFORE?" asked Sook.

            "Sure. There's lots you don't know about me, Sook. I am a man of mystery."

            "You are a man of caffeine. What happened to you? Why are you laughing, Brie?"

            Brie just shook her head and dealt the cards, seven to each of us. I'd heard about rules for playing 'Killer Uno.' Maybe we'd have to try that tomorrow. There were a lot of things in line for trying out. I hoped I’d have enough tomorrows waiting.

            "You want me to come over?" asked Brie. I'd hurried fast enough to catch her at her locker after seventh period. Then I'd invited her.

            "Yes," I said.

            "Today?"

            "If your parents wouldn't mind."

            "Would we be the only people there?"

            "No, Tamara would be there. Cindy has track or something, but Dad gets home around four, and then we'd all be there for dinner at five. If you wanted to stay."

            Brie was smiling at me. "Let me call my mom."

            Three minutes later and we were walking out to Tamara's car.

            "You're seriously inviting me over to your house," laughed Brie.

            "Why are you laughing?"

            "I don't know," she said. "I feel all mixed up. I feel like I'm dreaming."

            "That would sound really cheesy," I said, "if I didn't know exactly what you meant."

            She bumped into my shoulder again, and then we were holding hands. I smiled at her, but I guess it wasn't quite the happy smile I wanted. She leaned back a little and looked at me carefully.

            "How do you feel?" she asked.

            "Terrified," I said. "Also, like crap. Also, like running away."

            Brie squeezed my hand tighter.

            "How are you going to feel tomorrow?" she asked.

            I squeezed her hand back.

            "Better," I said.