Pavillion of Dreams

It all started with the dreams. They caused it all. The dreams started with fragments of images of my deep imagination. But they became more and more vivid as I became more disconnected from the real world. Perhaps I should start from the beginning. Maybe even before the beginning. My name is Richard Skrat. I was fifteen years old, it was the start of February and Illinois was having one of the strangest winters I had ever experienced. There was never snow, maybe some occasionally but other than that slight wind and autumn-like temperatures. It was 6:30 in the morning on a Thursday and my mother had out waffles for me. I gobbled them down and got in the car for school as usual. The fifteen minute car ride had always been tense. Maybe it was because we were both tired and she was moody in the morning. I found it strange how my mother could drive me to school but could never pick me up. Meaning I was driven to school, but I rode the bus home. Lately I had been letting people walk all over me like a doormat. I was afraid they were turning me into something I wasn’t. I had been lonely beyond belief and more depressed than anything. I felt as if my life was spinning out of control and there was absolutely nothing I could do to pump the brakes. Finally as we pulled into Brahks Junior High School, I felt my heart raise a little. At least I would be able to see my friends in this hell hole they call a school. Now there is something you should know about Brahks. It was an old public school that used to be the High School. But now it was a Junior High for the 8th-9th grades to reduce overpopulation. I thought it was just an excuse to degrade us even more. I walked into the school with my slick, black straight Italian hair brushed to the right. I wore a purple checkered long sleeve. I was greeted at the door by my curly haired buddy Kent Zilt. A freshman like me, I had just met him earlier that year during September at lunch in the cafeteria. I remember it clearly because he always gave out these passes to the library. Kent was the kind of guy who loved to

make everything a joke. He always wore these V-necks that made him look like a badass. Now I

had no problem with this; in fact I even found it quite amusing at times. But he just wasn’t the

kind of guy you wanted to have a serious conversation with. We would always hang out at the

Brahks High School football games with other friends from September until the season ended in

November. Kent and a couple other freshmen I met came from a private school called St. Knox.

“What’s crackin’ Rick??” he said with his bright, cocky smile.

“Not much. What up Kent!!” I said while nodding ecstatically. He was a good guy, funny as hell but a good guy to be around. We started walking talking about Super Mario his favorite game. I secretly hated it but I played along. As we walked past the Cafeteria by the main office my heart skipped a beat. Right around the corner was Julie Zimarmen, another recruit from St. Knox. The girl of my dreams, we had everything in common. “Hey Kent! Hey Rick!!” Julie exclaimed smiling.

“Hey Julie!” Kent and I replied back in unison.

She was wearing a green shirt with black yoga pants. Which was strange, she didn’t strike me as the type to wear those kind of pants. Too nice of a person. Her brown straight hair was brushed past her shoulders. We walked with Julie to her locker talking about Kent’s girlfriend, Marie Souphous. Where she was, how she was doing and most of all how truly amazing she was. When we got bored Kent would always bring up something about his girlfriend and it was an instant conversation starter. I had no problem with this but I hadn’t a problem with anything, at least I didn’t show it. When we got to her locker, memories of past encounters began to spring back into my brain. I remembered back to before Christmas break started I had given Julie

German chocolates and in return she gave me a tight hug. At this memory I rubbed my shoulder

nervously. Before I finished reminiscing, her two best friends also from St. Knox: Hanna Frost

and Emily Crown joined her side. I liked to refer to them as Julie’s posy or clique because they

always seemed like two obstacles that would always be there before me. Whenever I wanted to

talk to her I had to get her alone away from Hanna and Emily. This had irritated me to no end.

Rolling my eyes at their presence I saw Kent laughing along with them so I seized my chance. I

walked by him, avoiding eye contact.

“I got to get to Geometry, I’ll catch ya later dude.” I said this, my head facing the opposite direction.

“Okay, later Rick.” He said nodding. I then walked off turning the corner to my locker across the hall. I put in my comb, opening my locker. It’s funny; I didn’t even need the numbers on the locker anymore. I had done the comb so many times throughout the year, I could do it blindfolded. I grabbed my Geometry textbook, calculator and binder and slammed the locker shut. Unfortunately I always had to do the comb twice to close the locker completely. One before I opened it and one after. The little details like that could annoy me sometimes. As I walked down the hall to Mr. Krawl’s class, the weekend haze began to wear down like wax after a blown out candle. After the bell rang, the teacher went on one of his lectures about Geometrical shapes and my mind went blank, signaling the dream to begin...

I was in a black chair, hands cuffed behind my back. The first blow came as a shock but it wasn’t painful. I licked my lips enjoying the hit as if it were a prize. The second came as even more of a pleasure. That all you got? I thought, this guy hits like a girl. I looked around to discover my surroundings. I was under a wooden pavilion in a park. Wait a minute, I thought. I know this place. I had known the place. For I had been there not even a year before. Hamston Park in that very Pavilion was where my friends and I had celebrated the last day of school. Something must have happened that was significant, otherwise why would I have remembered it? I looked back at the dark figure, I just couldn’t make out his face. I squinted and suddenly he bellowed startling me. Two times it shouted. “RICK!”-

My lips came off the palm of my hand sticking. The whole Geometry class was staring at me strangely. Rick!” Mr. Krawl announced for the third time.

“Yes?” I replied calmly. “Are we interrupting?” The middle aged teacher shot back sarcastically. “No sir.” I replied with a grin. “In that case, which letters represent the vertex showed on the board?” My smile faded away and my face became hot. After a few more agonizing seconds of me trying to decipher the figure on the board, I gave up.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know the answer.” I said finally. “Pity…Lily would you be so kind to assist Mr. Skrat with the problem?” Of course he asked Lily Pepin, the most annoying know-it-all in the school. She smiled at this.

“Of course Mr. Krawl,” She started, while I rolled my eyes, “The answer is A & G.” Could you kiss his ass any more? I thought to myself, I mean just bring him an apple to his desk while you’re at it.

“That is correct!” Said Mr. Krawl excited. “Now onto the topic of angle measures…” His voice trailed off. I hated Geometry it was just a bunch of terms that would mean nothing in a few years. But I had to take it because somehow it mattered in the long run, I may have not seen it then but I would in the future. That’s what people had told me anyway. Finally I eventually got to third period which was Human Biology. Mrs. Winkone was more laid back in third quarter, I liked that. I could’ve sworn she was looking right at me while I was texting in class a few times and took no notice; awesome. At 10:17 she would let us out for lunch, but she would always let us out a couple minutes earlier at 10:15 just to cut us some slack. 1st lunch was before third period, 2nd lunch was halfway through third period and 3rd lunch was right after third period. I had 3rd lunch that year every quarter. I was almost 75% through the year already, it felt great. I went straight to the school library when I got out for lunch. There in the back behind the book cases, sat Kent and Julie. I sat between them on the couch, exhausted. We hung out for the duration of the lunch period just laughing telling funny jokes. We picked up Teen Model magazines and flipped through them laughing hysterically. Julie found this immature but somewhat amusing. We did this often, it was a kind of thing we would do every day since the beginning of the year. After the bell rang signaling the end of third hour, we walked together out of the library. In the hallway I walked with Kent and Julie to her locker. We talked about pointless things like Super Mario, Kent’s favorite video game or the obsessive amount of guys that liked Julie. These details mattered to me, not what they were but what they stood for. We often had so much to talk about that things never became awkward or silent. I loved that about us

and I wanted it to stay that way forever. At her locker, Julie grabbed her books for 4th period then

Kent rushed off to see his girlfriend. I looked at Julie and smiled, she looked up and smiled back

causing my heart to raise a little. Then I walked off to my locker happy as I had been in quite

awhile. Finally when the last bell rang after 6th period at 3:45, we all rushed out of the guy’s

locker room. I turned the corner and saw Kent rapidly putting his comb into his locker. His

purple V-neck and red checkered long sleeve with bushy curly jew-fro brushing past his forehead

made him stand out against all the kids in the hall. I loved how his locker was right by my last

period. I would always stop by and chill before we would head in separate directions. Kent to his

girlfriend’s locker at the other side of the school and me to catch my bus outside the front doors

of the school. He opened his locker and his quotes stood out at the side of his locker. One read:

‘I’m not a racist, I hate all people.’ I loved that one and so did our former marine black super

attendant. The other one read a combination of f-bombs but made sense.

“What up bro.” I said leaning my shoulder down the corner right next to his locker. He turned his neck at response seeing it was me he looked away.

“Oh hey Rick.” replied Kent. He reached down into his locker grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulders.

“Going to see Marie?” I asked.

“Yeah dude.” He replied. “Catch ya later.” He ran off before I got to say bye. It was a shorter conversation than usual but I took no notice. I walked to the entrance doors and pushed them open inhaling the outside air. The 40 degree temperatures were beautiful. The sun was out but covered by clouds. I got onto my bus, #23 and picked a seat. I was one of the first ones on, but it

was about to get a whole lot more packed. The first stop was at the high school, to let a small

number off and for some to fill the void; a small number of sophomores, juniors and seniors. My

heart jumped when I saw my pale, saltine cracker of a best friend Jack Rant hop on to the bus.

He was looking dope as always with his glassing drooping half past his nose bridge and his

freckles almost popping off his skin. I hadn’t talked to the kid in months, I guess we just grew

apart. As always, I took no notice as he walked by. But when my sophomore buddy Jason Neale

got on the real fun began. On the ride home, we cracked jokes all the way. About halfway

through the ride, I overheard Jack imitating one of our jokes. It hurt but I ignored the remark and

kept going. When the bus started getting close to my stop, we calmed down. Jack got off at the

stop before mine, those days it seemed like he was deliberately avoiding me. We were next door

neighbors for goodness sake. Finally, when I got home I slipped off my hoodie and collapsed on

the couch. I was laying face-first on my couch strangely comfortable, the dream started up

again.

I was back in the pavilion in Hamston Park. The shadowy figure struck again this time more fiercely. A drop of blood drooled off my chin but I turned my head back retaining eye contact getting off on the pain. I couldn’t recall why I was being punished but I sure was enjoying it. After a few more punches the figure got tired. He swayed a bit then reached down and pulled a

.45 from under his pant leg. He cocked the gun pointing it right at my face. Then, it spoke shaking me while he did it. My chains I was binded in shook in the wake. The silver tip of the hand gun was glowing in the moonlight. “Rick.” it said shaking me. “Rick!” This time knocking

the chair over…

“What?” I screamed back springing up off my couch, startled by the sudden awakening. Then I saw the face of my innocent ten year old brother, Greg peering down at me. Olive skinned just like me and dark black Sicilian hair slicked to the right.

“Finally you’re up! Can you make me some pizza rolls?” he asked quite impatiently.

“Sure, little man.” I replied drowsily.

After I cooked them up he couldn’t stop staring at me for some reason, as if I were some kind of ancient artifact. Everyone had been looking at me the exact same way lately. But I took no notice of it. My mother would be home 5:30ish, it was 4 now. I left Greg in the kitchen and went to relax in my room. My father wouldn’t be home. He left us when I was only seven years old. Apparently he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. His name was Steven that’s all I know. Strangely I had no interest in learning more about my father, never wanted to know who he was what he did or why he left. I figured since he abandoned me, the feeling was mutual. In other words, he was dead to me. On the other hand my mother had been a bit too much ever since my dad left, always in my business never giving me space or room to breathe. I guess it was good that she cared though, if she hadn’t I would turn into some of the whack jobs that went to my school. That’s what she said anyways. Before she came home I went on NineKist, an addicting social networking site that I couldn’t seem to stay away from. It was how I stayed connected to my friends when I wasn’t with them. When my mother, Rita finally got home at six, she called me down for dinner. We were eating steak that night and talked about our days like normal. She

went first talking about her day as a neurosurgeon. That was exciting. Then Greg talked about his

day at Brahks elementary. He was a fourth grader so what could you expect.

“What about you Rick?” mom finally asked. I paused for a moment bouncing the answer around in my mouth.

“It was alright, thanks for asking.” I replied smiling.

“Always the man with the details aren’t you?” She said sarcastically. “Yes…” My voice trailed off.

“Oh by the way Rick, you and I are going to Napalm beach in California while Greg stays with grandma. We’re leaving the 20th of this month so get homework from your teachers.” I hated when mom did those ‘oh by the way’ things, a little too spontaneous.

“Mom it’s the 2nd, I doubt they have anything for me now.” I replied while sticking a piece of juicy meat in my mouth.

“I didn’t mean this second smartass, just when the time comes remember, you’ll only be missing two days anyway.” I smiled as she said this, quite proud of myself. The rest of dinner was a haze. I was deep in thought about the trip. Maybe it was a good thing to take a little time off, I thought, I was wrong. At 9:30, I was exhausted from the day and laying down in my bed. I closed my eyes, allowing the beauty of the dream to consume me.