That wasn't supposed to happen

Kathryn and I are working at Solstice, and we are keeping the cafe open late for a show of some sort. I feel alright about this until we try to use the cash register and the "3", "00", and "cash" keys are broken off. In a panic, I try to get the espresso machine mechanic to come back and fix it, but he has already left. When I turn back, someone has started a list of everything sold and convinces me it will be alright. Matt, A-Strike, Jacob, Eva, and some other band members approach, and I greet them warmly. Later, they are over talking to Devin, who I think is also helping with the event, and I overhear A-Strike say, "Yeah, and I keep getting these e-mails from the dream blog- we all have, since our names were first mentioned it put us on its e-mail list and won't stop sending us updates!"
I can feel my cheeks burning.I say, "No... not all of you?"
A-Strike says, "Yeah, we're all on the list now!"
Shit! I just had a dream about making out with Matt. I turn to him, and he looks at me for a second before turning away in embarrassment. I ask, "Matt, can we talk outside for a minute?" He nods, and we step out into the alley. I say, "I'm really sorry, Matt, that shouldn't have been something you had to read."
He says, "No! Look, it's okay, don't worry about it Jenny!" much in the way Kris said I shouldn't worry about being a jerk.
I continue, "I just think, well, it wouldn't even have been weird if Andrew hadn't mentioned it and-"
"Exactly!" He cuts in enthusiastically, and says, "Good, I'm glad we're clear on that!" and he hugs me, and we both get a little too intimate.

I am on an a hike with a group of classmates, including my secret lover, and a teacher. We reach vantage point on a steep cliff, overlooking the sun setting on the ocean. Everyone begins to move down the steep path to the beach, and I quickly try to find a way to indicate to my lover that we should stay behind. Just as the last student rounds the bend, I turn around, and almost stumble over a body lying face down on the ground. I gasp in shock and then decide the man is probably taking a nap. I shake his shoulder and say loudly, "SIR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" several times, before backing off and realizing I probably shouldn't touch the body. I do spot a wallet nearby and pick it up. I pull out photos of a man, who I presume is the body, although I can't see his face. The name on the credit card says "Wilder". I yell to my brother, who appears at my side. "Nick! Do you recognize the man in this picture? You had Mr. Wilder for English in high school, didn't you? Is this him?"
Nick nods.

I find myself suddenly underwater, unsure of which way is up. There is too much pressure and I need to get to the surface. I do i somersault, looking for the sun, but there are odd glints of light in the dark water in every direction. Suddenly there is a powerful rushing, something shooting up beneath me from great depths. A giant iron capsule nearly slams into me as it rushes to the surface.
I get a flash of the future: the scariest mutant sharks I can imagine are thrashing around in the water around me, having been released from the capsule when the chain anchoring their isolation chamber to the floor of the ocean snapped-
I am underwater still but there is no sign of the capsule or the sharks. This time I notice a chain leading down into the depths and I understand it leads from the capsule at the bottom to a buoy on the surface. I immediately start swimming to to the surface, knowing I have to get away before-
The capsule explodes from the water near me and shoots into the sky. I frantically swim towards the same cliffs I stood on before with the body of Mr. Wilder, hoping I can get away before the capsule falls from the sky and the sharks are released.
Now I am with someone, a friend, possibly my lover from before. We are still about a hundred yards from the base of the cliff, but we can see the bottom is not more than twenty feet away. We hear yelling from the cliff- we are saved!
But then we get a better look- the figures line up, each one carrying a large stone over his head. One by one they throw the stones, and all I can do it sit there and think, "Are they really throwing stones at us?" until one nearly hits me over the head and I have to dive underwater.

I examine several packages of macaroni from the cupboard, reading the instructions and trying to decide which one to prepare. They all have strange complex instructions, though, such as, "At 4900 feet, boil 10 quarts water for 30 seconds, then remove half, saving one cup for later use. Add half package of macaroni..."

I walk across campus, soaking wet, giving a tour to the same group that was at Solstice earlier, now also including Anna, Kellen, and Alex. We arrive at Red Square... but it is white. I assume it is ice- they must have removed red square, installed a lake, and it froze over. Kathryn suggests, "Let's go swimming!" Everyone agrees, the weather is as nice as can be (cloudy), and starts removing their shoes.
I am the first one ready, running backwards as fast as I can with my elbows out behind me to break through the ice. Alex and Kathryn are close behind. When I reach the "shoreline" and throw myself backwards, however, I do not crash through ice. I get tangled up in the white butcher paper that is actually covering the lake, and my feet get stuck, in what I fear is mud.
"Stop!" I yell, "You're going to get covered in mud!" Alex is already in, though, and he explains that the bottom is paved, with stairs leading down from the edges.
A campus police officer blows a whistle and walks up to us across the butcher paper surface of the lake, explaining to me as I sit tangled in the soggy paper that Alex is right: red square is actually a paved pool, but it is closed for the winter. We thank her and crawl out of the pool, moving into the lobby of a small art gallery to wring ourselves out.

No more hoops for me

I sit in on a lecture Ms. Kestle gives to the IB English class in Meany Stdio 267 about how difficult writing essays will be in college. She looks to me to affirm her claims but I just say, "Sure... if you want to believe that," because my essays are obviously shit and I do alright. Bored with her class I walk down the hall to talk to my dance teacher, Kory, and another instructor, Jurg. Just then class is dismissed and Mr. Fosberg asks me to guide everyone to the cheap food.

I take a group of some boys and a girl to the Hub, but since we come in through Allen Library we end up in a small three-story house that has been converted entirely into a Christmas display. It is terrifying. There are nutcrackers and elves and fake snow everywhere. We eventually find our way out and into the bathroom. I have to pee, but Mr. Fosberg yells that class is starting.

We all file out through another door, which leads to an outdoor pool. This is supposed to be Kathryn's family reunion, but Mr. Lerwick is ruining it and teaching gym class instead. We all pair up and wade grumpily into the pool. Then Mr. Lerwick gives us a long patronizing talk about how we've all been slacking, as we tread water, steadily becoming exhaused. Finally he gives us instructions for one partner to stand on the edge of the pool with other other in the water. The exercise involves the partner on the side gently tossing a piece of Styrofoam in the shape of a triangular prism (like something i keep having to draw for art) at the partner in the water, who is equipped with a hula hoop and a giant floating Q-tip. There is also a specific procedure for throwing the Styrofoam back to the side that I pretend to understand until Mr. Lerwick turns his back and leaves.

I get out of the pool, exhausted and rebellious, but when Kathryn and I lay down on the nearby lounge chairs, Lerwick returns, asking if we finished all of our repetitions. We give him the, "What do you think?" look and he replies, "Don't try to lie on this one! That's why I had this tree installed next to the pool!" We look at the pool and are astonished to see a huge deciduous tree with partially bare branched overhanging the pool. The rest of its leaves rest, yellow and orange, completely covering the surface of the pool. As we watch more leaves fall a a constant rate, as new ones constantly unfurl and yellow on the tree. Kathryn and I laugh in astonishment as Mr. Lerwick says, "I knew it! All I have to do now is show the undisturbed surface to the Superintendent and you'll finally get punishment!"

As hilariously entertaining as he is, we leave Mr. Lerwick by the pool and walk out to the playing field, where Mr. Sullivan sits in the bleachers. My bike balances, waiting for me, on the pitchers mound. I get on but feel unsure of how to ride it. I seem to be sitting on handlebars. I tell Mr. Sullivan that mom's bike had handlebars that fit my ass better, and create a mirage to show him what I mean. Then I get confused, because that bike wasn't even the right size, and besides, I like my new bike much better, and I tell him so. The mirage vanishes. He nods and encourages me to continue, waiting to evaluate my bike-riding skill. I get on the bike and pedal a few feet, but feel unsteady and decide it's best just to get off. I don't really need to do the evaluation right now, or I don't know why I need to do it in the first place.

Postmodernism Prevails

We are slaves to a strange man, tending his vegetable garden in a place that looks like my old house. A stream runs through the backyard. We move empty, infertile soil around in a pretense of work.

It is night, we have been called inside. I play pool with a very attractive man, he resembles Andrew the Waiter. I am not sure I am playing correctly.

We escape, dashing across the plot of land into the stream. One slave is sucked underground as he runs, but the rest of us make it safely to the water. The sky is red, perhaps signifying sunset.

We find ourselves at a carnival. I locate the French festivities and seat myself across from Spencer. We are handed several different cheeses and some sort of ham. We are told not to eat them right away, but we do. We are hungry. Behind Spencer I can see children cavorting on an inflatable trampoline.

We return to the house where our master lives, hoping to rescue our fellow that was trapped upon trying to leave. We circle the house quietly, but risk discovery as our ex-owner sits in his study, looking out the window. We leave.

As the others walk down the driveway, I change my mind and turn around. The slaver is actually my respected mentor in many things, and I think it is worth it to pay him a visit. I enter the house, make my way to the study and crawl underneath a table in order to better observe his activities. He turns around, and it is the Andrew the Waiter-like man. He espies me crouching underneath the furniture and coaxes me out gently.
He gives me a guitar and makes me sit in his lap and play for him, like a father. I notice he is slightly fatter and slightly less well-groomed. but when I mention this to him, he laughs and says that everyone changes. I feel small but safe and secure, like a child. We sing a song together.