by Cait Vaughn
“Well since you’re all grown up then you’re ready to apply to colleges. I got some information packets in the mail today.” He pointed to the pile on the table. I glanced through and rolled my eyes.
“Dad these are all east coast private colleges. What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Don’t be silly these are all ivy league schools. Nothing but the best for my girl.”
“You know dad you will have to buy me a car if you want me to go to college, so how about you pick me a car and then I’ll pick a college.” This was my favorite topic of conversation. I was 17 and still no car.
“Trinity we are not doing this again. Cars are very unsafe for teenage girls what with your makeup and texting. Not to mention all the other delinquent drivers out there. I’m not ready for you to be so grown up yet we will talk about it again after high school.”
I rolled my eyes. My dad was a wonderful man but extremely overprotective. Remember the bike story? I was wearing him down though, I was sure of it.
“OK dad I’m gonna go call Courtney. Did you eat?”
He ran his hand through his wavy shaggy hair that needed cut a month ago and looked at the clock.
“Wow it’s almost eight o'clock? No I better find something. You ate[1], right?” He was such an absent minded professor.
“Yup at the food court with Matt. Don’t forget tomorrow night is Maria's end of school bash. Matt’s picking me up at 7.” He frowned a little and went to look for food with no comment and I headed to my room.
My dad was a great dad and I was the perfect daughter. I never drank or did drugs, I stayed out of trouble, and always came home by curfew which was midnight thanks to summer time. My grade point average was a solid 3.7 and all was well. I had never been on a date other than a school dance and I didn’t have a car but my life was full and I couldn’t complain. I understood why dad was so concerned with my safety I was all he had left since mom passed.
I entered my sanctuary and flopped down on my queen size pillow top mattress. I had a white four poster[2] bed frame with a white gossamer canopy covering it that was attached to the ceiling. You would never know we were rich looking at our average house on our average street but my room was heaven. It was a second master bedroom large with big windows. My attached bathroom was straight out of a dream with a stand up shower with a bench built in and at the other end a Jacuzzi tub. I had all the great toys too. New iphone and ipad and a 50 inch flat screen with my beloved
PS4 from which I schooled many a boy, Matt included.
I dialed Courtney. “Trinity my life is over!” she answered dramatically. Laughing I said “Oh Courtney why didn’t you ask Matt for help so you didn’t get summer school?”
“Are you crazy? He would have acted all superior and smart and made me feel more stupid than I already apparently am.” I could tell from her voice she was so bummed.
“Courtney I’m sure he would have been happy to help you and he would never think you were stupid. Ok let’s talk about how we’re going to break you out tomorrow night. Would your dad let me stay for a sleepover if I help you study and then we could sneak out?” She laughed.
“I appreciate that you the good girl would help me break the rules but no need. Dad has to go to a work conference and mom said I could go and it would be our secret. Seriously Trin, how am I going to survive most of the summer grounded everyday and going to summer school with that old coot?”
“You have the best mom ever. You are going to get through this because your certified genius bestie Matt is going to help you whether you like it or not and at the end of it you will be a genius too. You aren’t going to miss out on any fun because we won’t have any without you. Matt will probably be with you every day studying and it will be me alone and bored so get over yourself.
This was me in my element. I pull no punches tell it like it is in a very logical concise way. This is why Courtney and I are such good friends. I help her calm down and she helps me loosen up.
“Yeah ok whatever Ms. Bossy. Speaking of fun did anything happen while you guys were at the mall without me?” She emphasized the last part and I rolled my eyes. I roll my eyes a lot. Immediately an image of piercing eyes and bulging muscles popped into my head. I was not the kind of girl to go crazy over any guy, especially one I had no interaction with so I shook it off.
“Nope same old stuff. Unless you count falling asleep while Matt had a bromance with some guy at the tech store. So Matt is gonna pick me up at 7 then we’ll swing by and get you. What are you going to wear? Are we going casual, club, or fancy type dress?”
“Ugh, no, I am not riding to the palace in that hunk of junk car of his. I will come to your house at 5 and we can get ready there. I am pulling out all the stops definitely full hair makeup and club sexy. I’ve got a new short denim skirt and a sequin black tank top that shimmers in strobe lights.” Maria’s house was a mansion but we called it the palace.
“Whoa are you trying to impress someone I don’t know about?” I teased her trying to see if I could get her to confess her secret love of Matt. I just knew they would be perfect together.
“As if, I just like to make the boys drool.”
“OK I’ll see you then.”
We said our goodbyes and I contemplated a bubble bath but was to tired so with every intention of settling into a good book I dozed off with my clothes on and my book in my lap. I wasn’t thinking about my dream guy or the hot guy, and I certainly wasn’t thinking about how my perfect average life could ever be anything other than well, perfect.
Chapter 4
Aw, perfection, my porch swing by the beach. The sound of the waves breaking was so hypnotic and the swing creaked as I glided slowly back and forth. It wasn’t an annoying sound. It was a comforting sound that made you think of home. Like old broke in sneakers and worn out blankets, that you love too much to get rid of.
“You looked beautiful today.”
I didn’t even startle when he spoke. He was always here randomly cloaked in shadow leaning on the porch railing across from me. Lately, I had noticed an undercurrent of anticipation, as if I expected him to be there. “How narcissistic of me to invent a guy, to tell me I’m beautiful, in a dream.” I said sarcastically. I loved bantering with him. It was the best banter. “Trinity you must know these aren’t just dreams and I most certainly am not a figment of your imagination.” I stopped swinging. These talks were getting so weird.
We used to just watch the ocean and I would chat about my day. He was a great listener. He rarely spoke at all at first and now he wanted to be Mr. big mouth. “Oh yeah? If you’re real, then how come I can’t see you? You’re just a shadow guy in a fantasy land I dream about at night what else could be going on here?” He sat down next to me on the swing.
“I actually can’t tell you anything because you’re dad made me promise. The world is a lot different than you think. You are a lot different than you think. What if I told you that this was a real place that you dream walked to every night and that I was here because you made me be and I had no choice?”
I stood up and moved to the railing. He really knew how to annoy me. “I would say obviously that is all impossible and then I would say if it were possible why on earth would I drag a stranger here and force him to be with me? I don’t need you here and I don’t make you be here, just go.” I turned my back on him. Storm clouds were starting to roll in and I must love rain because it always ended up raining in my dreams. He sighed, loudly, frustrated.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I want to be here with you more than you know. I’m just frustrated because this dream walking is dangerous for you and I’m concerned about your safety all the time and I wish we could meet for real. Most importantly though it’s not safe for you to do this anymore.” I could feel the warmth of him standing at my back but he was just standing there. He didn’t touch me. I wondered if he might after last time. He could be so sweet, sometimes.
“That may be the nice
st thing you’ve ever said but you’re still crazy. I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t know how to stop doing something I don’t know that I am doing or whatever. What do you suggest I do? Can you prove anything you’re talking about?”
“Yes, actually, if you tell your dad about the dreams then he would understand that things aren’t ok and that he needs to change his plan. He would tell you the truth about things. I’m not gonna lie, it would turn your life upside down, but it’s for the best, please, trust me. Please, do this Trinity.” I always loved hearing him say my name even if he was nuts.
“Hey I just realized I don’t know your name or I guess I didn’t give you a name in this dream.” I laughed at the weirdness of it all. “So dream guy do you have a name?” “Actually you did, you call me dream guy and I don’t think it would be a good idea to share my real name. How about this, I’ll tell you my name if you talk to your dad about the dreams, deal?”
I hated it when he acted all smug which was often with this guy. I was starting to get freaked out again and it started to rain really hard.
“Shh, Trinity, it’s ok I would never put you in a position that would hurt you.” I thought I felt him pet my hair but it was so light I couldn’t be sure and I hated it worst of all when he talked to me like he read my mind.
I woke up to a huge thunderclap. I looked out the window to see if it was raining but there wasn’t a drop. I figured it must be heat lightning. It was the middle of the night so I quickly changed into my pajamas and climbed back in bed. This time I didn’t dream.
Chapter 5
It was another beautiful sunny Nevada day. I served eggs, bacon, and toast for me and dad which was a Saturday tradition. Sometimes he made pancakes. The kind that had chocolate chips in it. He was reading the paper. My dream was still bothering me. There was no way I was going to tell him about it but maybe I could feel around for strangeness.
“So dad do you ever have weird dreams? You know like they’re so real you feel like it’s really happening?” I bit into my bagel with grape jelly and he just kept reading the paper.
“Sure one time I had a dream I was falling off a cliff and I fell out of bed. I got a knot on my head so I’d say it was real.” He kind of chuckled in that sarcastic way.
I rolled my eyes. I mean, come on, what a normal average answer. I shook off the crazy. There was no way my boring dad was hiding anything. I just had a very active imagination.
“Did you have a strange dream?” He asked. I nodded my head. “It was weird in my dream it was starting to storm and then a thunder clap in real life woke me up.” He dropped his paper and looked like I said the weirdest thing.
“That is strange. Are you sure there was really thunder? I didn’t hear any last night.” I shrugged.
“It was probably just some heat lightning.” He went back to his paper.
“Huh, well that is different. So, what’s on the agenda today?” He asked, dismissing the strange dream.
“Well I need to get this place cleaned up and then Courtney will be over at 5 to get ready for the party. What are you doing today?”
“I actually need to meet with our accountant this afternoon. I might not get back before you leave so be very careful no drinking or anything and be home by midnight. You need to text me to check in or I’ll worry.”
“Sure but dad it’s Saturday and we’re not leaving until 7 why would you need to be with the accountant all day?”
“You don’t want to hear about the boring stock market and our unhealthy economy.” He folded his paper and popped me on the head with it in an affectionate way as he left the room. I thought that was strange but dads are weird, so I let it go.
I popped in my ear buds and got the house cleaned up while rocking out. I kept the house clean dad took out the garbage and was very handy if anything broke. We mostly ate out but we could both cook too. It was just our thing. Since my mom was gone I was the woman of the house in a lot of ways. It never bothered me. We took care of each-other. That’s what family does. I remember when mom would clean on Saturday and I would straighten up my room and at the end of the day all my laundry would be folded and I was only responsible for putting it away. Things change and now I do my own laundry, no big deal, just life.
I had just finished cleaning and was drinking sweet tea on the porch steps when Courtney pulled up. She had a big makeup bag and duffel which probably had her clothes and flat iron in it. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and capris set from Victoria’s secret. Not that Courtney needed Victoria’s secret. She was a bombshell. Courtney is mixed. Her mom is from Brazil. Her dad was from here but still had deep red hair and green eyes from his Irish roots. The combination of the two was beautiful and explosive.
Courtney was petite like 5’2” tall. She had generous curves everywhere a woman should and skin that looked perfectly tanned all the time. Her hair was dark but always shone with this deep auburn red that ladies spent much money trying to replicate from a bottle. It was thick and she hated it because it took so much work to be perfect according to her. It was still gorgeous and she wore it long like mine. Even after she straightened it there would still be this natural wave to it that just made it seem luxurious. To top it all off she got her dad's green eyes. Dark green like a forest mysterious and earthy. They were big and round with thick long lashes and they’d just suck you in. I seriously thought she was more beautiful than anyone should ever be. Sometimes she looked so airbrushed perfect it made me feel less than average.
“Girl, what are you doing in those sweaty rags you need to get in the shower now. I just have to do my hair and get dressed. Do you even know what you’re wearing tonight?” She said all of this as she marched past me in a tizzy, typical Courtney. High octane, all the time.
Chapter 6
As I stepped out of the shower Courtney was putting on her hair spray. This was a serious ordeal she said it took a lot of product and if you saw how much she put on there you would think her hair would be frozen in place but it was flexible hold and her hair bounced and swayed like normal. I sat down on the bed in my towel. “Pick me something to wear.” I said. Courtney was high fashion I was a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl I always let her dress me up. She definitely knew best.
She picked up a dress I hadn’t noticed lying on the bed. It was red with spaghetti straps and it was just a straight sheath dress. The kind that hugs all your curves. If you have them, of course, which I do not. I rolled my eyes.
“That’s not mine which means it’s yours which means it will never fit my stick figure correctly.”
“I picked this up when I got my skirt, it is yours, think of it as a late birthday present. You do not have a stick figure you have the perfect thin frame. You’re curves are just more manageable. Be glad you don’t lug these puppies around all day.” She giggled as she pulled up her tank top that she was always, almost, spilling out of.
I smiled. “Thank you, I love it.” I took the dress in the bathroom and blow dried my hair. My hair was always straight. I liked it freshly blow dried, because it had more volume. I put on some mascara and strawberry lip gloss which I was obsessed with. I was a very no fuss no muss girl.
I hated wearing tons of makeup because I felt like I had a stone face and I always forgot it was there and would smudge something.
As I slipped the dress over my head I heard Courtney yell “Coming!” and leave the room. When I looked in the mirror I did not feel average. The dress fit me like a glove but was perfectly made to lift, hold, and hug the right spots. It fell to mid-thigh and had a black stripe that started at the top left and went down and around to the other side where it fell straight down the right side of the dress. This accentuated my figure, which I actually had in this dress. I stepped into the bedroom wondering what shoes I would wear and saw my black strappy heels sitting on the bed. They were four inch heels and I groaned a little. The sacrifices we make for fashion.
I made my way carefully to the front door and Courtney and Matt
were sitting on opposite ends of the couch in awkward silence. The tension was thick for sure. Matt looked really good he was wearing a black and white striped button-down shirt with new jeans. Matt is a geek and he dresses unconventionally sometimes but he’s also really cute. He has a tall lean frame and shaggy hair that's always covering his eyes. When he dresses nice and brushes his hair, like tonight, he’s a head turner for sure. Courtney looked like a literal rock star.
I didn’t enjoy being the center of attention so it helped to have a friend who shone so brightly because then I could be invisible. Courtney squealed in excitement. “Trin, you look amazing!” She bounced up in her normal chipper way and headed for the door talking about how much fun this would be. I swear she never sat still.
As Courtney climbed into her s.u.v. Matt said, “Whoa, I’m driving.” Courtney ignored him. “Fine, then, you’re on your own because I won’t be seen in that falling apart car. Is it even safe?” She asked.
