An Unimaginable School Dream

I stared at my front door, uneager to walk inside. I sighed and walked up the wrap around porch, slowly turning the handle open. The air met with my face, making me close my eyes from the sudden change of temperature. It was so warm outside but so freezing in here. I felt an impact around my waist and looked down o see my little sister. Her light blue eyes looked up at me, losing their smile when she saw my face.

“Ales,” she whined, lisping my name like always. She was the cutest five year old, and I felt guilty. I kneeled down letting her fingers touch my bruised eye, her frown dropping lower.

“Hey, Marceyboo,” I said hugging her, receiving a small smile as I said her nickname.

“Ales, why are you hurt again?” Her eyes made me want to cry, and I rubbed her hair. I saw our mother walk into the hallway, giving me a look. I looked back at Marcey, and smiled.

“Oh, I tripped… like last time. It was such a scary trip. Do you know why I tripped?” I asked looking down at her untied shoelaces. She must have been out playing before the sun went down, probably waiting for me out front like mom said she always would.

“How, Ales?” She asked.

“My shoelaces weren’t tied!” I gasped as she looked down, her eyes growing wide. I laughed softly and pulled off her shoes. “You better always tie yours or you could get your eye all black and blue.”

“I will, I promise. I don’t like you with hurt eyes and lips,” she whispered hugging me. She smiled and then ran off to go play. I stood up, staring at my mother in return. She used to not be as strict, what with our father around. Ever since he left when Marcey was 6 months old she had changed.

“You smell like weed,” she snapped, looking too see any symptoms of being high. I silently cursed Jeremy, but just glared.

“Well I wasn’t smoking or anything, so don’t get all mad at me,” I snapped, being defensive.

“What do you expect me to think? You fight at school; you come home late every day, usually later then this. You always go straight to sleep when you get home. You’re always late for school in the morning. Do you see what your doing to this family?” She asked, furiously. I stared at her, shocked.

“It’s my life, dammit. I’m not doing anything to this family. So because I get home late, because I’m in detention, you automatically think I’m on drugs. No, mother. That was you when you were younger, but I’m not that fucking stupid,” I yelled at her. She walked up to me, smacking me across the face. It stung, worse then usual because I was already beat up.

“Don’t you ever curse around me again. How dare you speak to me like that, Alex.” She was holding back tears. The truth hurt, I told myself. I heard a whimper and looked down the hallway to see Marcey standing there frightened and confused. From her point of view, she saw her mommy hitting her older brother.

“Mommy, why did you hurt Ales more/” I felt my heart drop for her sake, and I saw my mother holding herself together.

“Go back to your play room, Marcey,” she stated firmly. She stood there, clutching her doll util I gave her a look. She quickly left the room, only turning back once.

“I’m sorry, Alex. I shouldn’t have slapped you,” she said trying to hug me. I gave her a look, grabbed my skateboard and ran up the stairs, letting her embrace be filled with air. This was too much for one day.

I dropped my stuff, and collapsed onto my bed. This was why I went straight to bed. I was never always asleep, but I could always think in the silence. When there was too much going on, my mind would be out of control. I decided to go through a play by play of my day. This time, it wouldn’t work. Only thought that could be conjured up was the kiss.

It played in slow motion, like in movies. It played on fast forward. No matter how it played, it evoked the same feelings. It wouldn’t go away either. Then I got a new memory added with that one. It was when Jeremy joked on gay people. I mean I wasn’t homophobic but I had always found gay couples… odd. Until today that is. Nothing really changed, just I didn’t agree with him as I usually did.

Then I finally thought of my mom. She was such a hypocrite, and I hated her for that and everything else. Just the thought of her frustrated me. In my anger I picked up my cell phone, dialing up Jeremy.

“What’s up, broha?” Jeremy asked, laughing loudly.

“Hey, you feel like going to school tomorrow?” I asked, though it was a stupid question.

“Uh… no,” he said groggily.

“Good, because I have plans. Fake sick or hurt or something so your mom can call the school. We don’t need more days of detention. Oh, meet me at the big field,” I said checking for any sounds outside my room.

“Okay, what are we doing, man?” I could here him going out on me, so I told him enough so he would understand.

“Just bring the Acid,” I said, letting him whoop in excitement. I laughed and hung up. I’d never done drugs before, always against it. But after my mother so wrongly accused me, this time I’d let her be right.

* * *

“Oh, my stomach,” I groaned as my mom rushed in. It was six in the morning, and she needed to take Marcey in early.

“What’s wrong?” She looked around frantic, then noticing my barf in the toilet. No I didn’t fake it, I actually made myself barf. I go as real as possible, hence the real fighting yesterday in school.

“Oh my lord. You’re probably feeling weak and sick after that fight. Your forehead is on fire, and your sweating a lot,” she said frowning and walking me back over to my bed. I actually had to use a heated light bulb for that.

“I need to go to school, mom,” I groaned trying to get up. She pushed me back down.

“No, you are staying here. I knew I shouldn’t have had the house so cold. Your body was weak and now it’s sick. I’ll the school from work. I need to drop off your sister, and then I’ll go to work and call the school. Will you be okay by yourself? Marcey will be home at two, so try to greet her. I’ll be home at three.” She rambled off, looking at her watch quickly.

“Yeah I’ll be fine. I can see your short with time, so go on. Oh, and mom… I love you,” I said smiling. Her eyes twinkled and she kissed my forehead, and then walked out. I didn’t like lying to her, but I was still mad at her. As soon as I heard the car leave I jumped up, already dressed.

I ran down the stairs, checking that my wallet and cell phone were in my pocket. I ran out with my skateboard quickly making my way over to the huge field a mile away. I saw Jeremy there, waving as I climbed my way up.

“Nice to see you show up. Thought you would flake on me,” Jeremy said punching my shoulder lightly. I smiled and watched him take out his bag with the tiny pellets in it.

“That small? How long should it last?” I said eyeing him.

“Oh don’t worry. Usually mine last eight hours, but it can go up to twelve, depending.” Jeremy knew a lot about drugs. He wasn’t necessarily typed as a “druggie”, but he was well informed.

I stuck out my hand, letting him drop one pellet into it. We gave each other a look, and popped it into our mouth. We walked back some, out of view of the houses in the surrounding area. We ended up in a section surrounded by trees. It had been almost twenty minutes and I growled.

“How long does this fucking take?” I asked Jeremy who was lying on his back next to me. I fell silent as the trees around us began to dance. I gasped and Jeremy chuckled. The clouds up above turned red and purple, and were fighting each other. I laughed loudly, screaming to Jeremy what they were doing.

The tres began to talk with me, and I had a long conversation with them. It was all about ponies, nachos, and bandanas. I looked over at Jeremy and he had a lion face.
“Jeremy, you have a mane. It looks so fluffy and soft.” I tried to get up to pet him, but I stumbled. The whole world was spinning and I was laughing giddily. There was a big cake next to us and I jumped in it, making a cake angel. Huge potatoes jumped out of it in top hats and sang to me. I swayed with them and watched them eat mashed potatoes.

“Oh My GOD. You are eating brother and then there was mashed,” I barked slapping Jeremy’s Jell-o tummy. I picked up some thin, green mint sticks, smelling them before trying one. I threw them down when I saw a airplane, the size for me, made entirely out of gummy worms. I bounced around then flew in it, past the stars and to heaven.

Heaven had lots of old people walking their dogs. They all gave me weird looks as I rolled on the now green cotton candy clouds. I flew myself back down to earth where huge ants were attacking Jeremy. I flung myself at him, shooting the ants off him, until I was thrown down, Jeremy on top of me.

His face changed quickly into another guys face. I looked at this face, wanting to run my hands through his hair. I leaned up, about to kiss him when he rolled away screaming something about a chocolate grasshopper that knew gymnastics. It was Jeremy.

I lay on the pudding ground, watching witches and vampires above fighting and getting married. I heard this shrill ringing that was about to explode in my pocket. I picked up the bomb, poking a green button.

“Hey, Alex. Why won’t you or Jeremy answer my texts?” a weird, opera singing man was singing to me.

“Oh can you sing… what the trees are singing. They sing about marshmallows and their best friend, Mr. And Mrs. Banana,” I gush out, getting really excited.

“Alexa, I found a badger that said he would build us a dam!” Jeremy yelled.

“What the fuck? Alexa? Why did Jeremy call you- Oh, so you guys are taking a trip, huh?” I knew this voice. Oh that’s right, he would swim in a big coffee cup.

“How come you never me swim in your coffee pool?” I whined watching a dinosaur play with a pink bunny. I giggled.

“Damn, could you scream any louder? I just wanted to tell you guys the party is tomorrow night instead, but I guess I’ll tell you later when you see straight,” the opera man said, his voice ending.

I wasn’t aware of how much time passed by as we went on a chase after a big rubber ducky. Slowly all the fun went away, the rubber ducky being eaten by a large plastic frog. The trees gave me many hugs then said good-bye. The clouds started to cry on me, even after they sang a good-bye song.

The pretty colors faded away, leaving a dull green and gray around me. I shook my head as gummy bears turned into people walking by. I looked to my right at a searching Jeremy.

“Jeremy… what time is it?” I asked five minutes later as everything was pretty much back to “normal”.

“Uh,” he fumbled with his phone as I searched for mine in the grass. “It’s…. it’s 2:15. I think,” Jeremy shouted as I found my cell phone and wallet, amiss in the soaking grass. It was raining, and I felt my heart race. Marcey was home, and I wasn’t. I shoved my phone and wallet into my pocket, yelled bye to Jeremy, and snatched up my skateboard.

I didn’t trust my skating skills at the moment, but I had to get there quick. Occasionally the road would look like a huge roller coaster, or a nearby car would transform into some animal from a zoo. I passed my house at first, but backtracked when I realized.

I ran up to the house, opening the door quickly. I looked around for Marcey, running into the playroom. She looked up and smiled, but then frowned.

“Mommy said you were sick. Why are you all wet? Why weren’t you here when I got home, like mommy said you would be?” Marcey looked so sad and curious. I ignored a dancing chicken that was on the windowsill. I wiped back my drenched, black hair and smiled.

“I am sick, but I was so sick I had to go out for some air. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Then it started to rain and I rushed home to meet you once I realized I was late. Do you forgive me?” I pouted and she smiled, kissing my nose.

“Of course, Ales. You should go change into warm clothes before you get sicker. Take a hot bath like mommy says,” Marcey said scrutinizing me. I chuckled and agreed. She was use to being by herself for an hour until mom got home.

I ran upstairs, hopping into the shower, closing my eyes as I tried remembering stuff from earlier. I got out and threw on some sweatpants and an Alesana T-shirt. I was about to walk downstairs but my cell rang. I quickly picked it up and ran down the stairs, watching TV while Marcey played on the floor.

“Hello?” I asked answering my cell.

“Sounds like somebody is lucid now, little bitch. You were fucking crazy,” jack said laughing, as I looked over at Marcey again., smiling.

“I was, was I? How do you know?” I asked, being careful of my words.

“I called your dumbass. I was trying to tell you two my party is tomorrow night. Still going to be there?” He asked

“Of course, I gotta go my mom is almost home. Later, broha. You should call Jeremy though,” I added hanging up.

“Hey Marcey, are you going to tell mommy I went on a walk?” I asked her, pouting again as she turned around. She gasped, smiling.

“No, silly Ales. Why would I? I like walks,” she said once again getting absorbed into her game. Our mom got home ten minutes later, and I told her I was feeling better. She took over watching Marcey and I went to bed, eager for sleep