Lucid

I feel my body warm against my bed. I check the time on the alarm clock on my night stand. 1:11 of course! I check again 10:22. There it is! My dream sign. Suddenly I feel myself float upward, in the next instant I feel my toes sink into white sand. If I can be anywhere I choose to be in paradise. I venture further and further into the water. I feel it rise from my ankles to my waist. The cool, sleek sensation excites me. I smile. I completely submerge myself in the ocean. I begin to swim down toward the ocean floor. I see arrays of fish and sea creatures all sorts of colors and hues. I’m fascinated by what my mind is able to produce spontaneously. It occurs to me suddenly that I am infinitely boundless. I tell myself BREATHE, and inhale sharply and by some magic I feel my lungs expand and I am still here, still marveling.

“ Holy shit” I say out loud surprised to find that my voice isn’t muffled by the water at all. It’s perfectly clear and pristine.

In the distance there’s a voice. It’s calling for me.

“ Maya….Amaya!”

Louder, and louder. I feel hands against my face, but they are not my own. Mine are still suspended in the water. It starts to feel like I’m being pulled. I am. I’m being pulled back upward toward the surface.

“ Wait!!!!” I yell, but it’s futile.

My eyes thrust open and I’m back in my bed.

“ girl ...I've never met a soul on the earth who sleeps as hard as you ...if you don’t get dressed soon you’re going to be late.

I watch my mom lift herself from my bed. I realize the hands I felt belong to her.

“ I must’ve forgotten to set my alarm”

She shakes her head.

“ this is the second time this week, are you really forgetting or are you trying to get out of getting up for school?”

“Honest mistake ! ...I promise.”

She smirks at me.

“ Mhm, hurry up! I’ll drop you off”

—-

When the final bell rings I practically run to my locker. This place sucks the life from my body. Teachers are a pain. Students are assholes. I’ll admit there are exceptions in both groups, and my favorite exception posts up right next to me.

“Can I help you sir?”

I say turning to stare up at Malachi, towering me by nearly a whole foot.

“...damn I was trying to sneak a peak before you turned this way”

...he says sticking his neck out toward my backside

I punch him in the chest.

“You’re such a creep!”

He laughs.

“ I’m kidding...I’m not...but I am like no offense at all you do look good though..really good”

He bites his lip just a little causing a small flutter in my stomach.

“ Thank you.” I say closing my locker and trying to keep my blush at bay.

“ Can I treat you to pizza this afternoon? I got practice later...but I was hoping maybe we could get some one on one time in”

I feel someone’s eyes on me from across the hall. I trace the sensation to a group of girls. Two of which I didn’t know, but the most important being Melanie, our high school’s top cheerleader and Malachi’s biggest fan. She was slicing through me with her gaze. Daring me to cross boundaries into her territory. I crossed my eyes at her. She could really get the hell on with these intimidation tactics.

“ so is that a yes?”

I snap back into his presence.

“ uhh...why me? I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other girls dying to accompany you anywhere on the planet...some may even be closer than you think”

“If I wanted to go with anyone else I wouldn’t ask you, look Maya if you’re trying to curve me it’s cool...I know how to take an L”

I can feel in his words that he’s really sincere and truthfully speaking I’m really melting at the thought of spending time with him. I’ve had a crush on him for like two years. He’s beautiful. He’s got skin reminiscent of a Hershey’s bar. His teeth are perfectly straight adding a beautiful contrast to his complexion. He’s Like 6’3 and built like a God. His long torso and broad shoulders makes anything he wears appear perfectly tailored. Not to mention he’s like a genius. He took advanced calculus as a sophomore, and word on the street is MIT is already open to admitting him next Fall. I could be completely enthralled by him it’s just that his popularity and my socially awkwardness is a strange pairing. In the past I’ve gone to lengths to avoid showing any sign of emotion toward him, besides how’d I look being just another girl drooling over him.

I have way too much pride and self-respect, but I’m willing to entertain his advances for one afternoon.

“I’m not curving you, I was merely suggesting that you have options”

“I’m sure you do too, but I’m not afraid of that. You should consider that maybe I'm not interested in exploring any other option.”

I feel my hands clam. Shit. Did someone turn on the heat? I’m trying to stay composed, but he’s good. He’s weakening all of my defenses and inspiring a swarm of butterflies within me.

“Mmm..okay I’d lo….,”

Before I can finish my sentence I get interrupted by someone’s chirpy voice

“ Hey Malachi...do you think you could take me home ? My car’s in the shop and my parents can’t make it”

I look over his shoulder to see Melanie fluttering her falsies at him.

Wow...what a bold move. Slick ass. I roll my eyes.

“ I made other plans Mel...is there anyone else that can take you ?”

“ I wouldn’t ask if I had any other options… sorry if I’m ruining your plans “

I can clearly see a smirk forming on her face. She thinks she’s so clever.

Malachi looks at me with apologetic eyes. Clearly he feels obligated to give in and give this girl exactly what she wants.

“ Maya…”

I cut him off.

“ it’s cool ...some other time, catch you later “

I walk away quickly feeling the full rush of my frustration and disappointment. See, this is exactly why I keep my distance.

———

“I’m happy to see you did decide to show up,” I say smiling.

Malachi smiles back at me.

“ I couldn’t let some slight inconvenience keep me away,” he replies holding my gaze.

He’s so intense. His smile and his stare send what feel like electric pulses down my spine. I try to distract myself by taking a bite of my pepperoni pizza. It tastes especially good right now.

“ oh my god this is amazing!” I exclaim way more excited than I intended.

He looks at me and chuckles.

“ you’re acting like you’ve never tasted pizza before .”

I don’t know whether to laugh or be embarrassed. I decide to compromise, so I smile and flip the bird at him.

I check the time on my phone. It’s 11:45. That’s odd. We had school today. The sun is gleaming still. I try to remember how I even ended up at Dave’s pizza parlor. I check again. It’s 1:11. There it is! I start to laugh. Malachi looks at me amused. I’m happy to discover that this moment is whatever I make it, and this version of him is no more than a figment of my imagination.

“ I have something to tell you.”

Even in my dreams I still feel nervous.

I look up at him to discover his face has softened. He looks at me with both curiosity and sensitivity. Sheeeesh. Dream Malachi is a gem. I decide to continue . This may be the only time I’ll ever feel confident enough to say this.

“ I like you, a lot! and when you asked me to come here with you in the hall today I was beyond happy. I just couldn’t say that.”

He grabs my hand, looks me dead in my eyes...

Beep! Beep!

I wake up in a sweat. My head is pounding. I feel like I’m barely in my body.

I turn off my alarm on my phone.

Shit! Right when things were getting good. I rise to get started on my homework and return to my bleak life. Just like that I’m back to regular programming.

I let out a sigh and hope that one day I can just stay in my dream world indefinitely.