A Dream Come True

In bed Jody lay on her right side, her eyes closed, with a TY puppy tucked comfortably under her left arm, and tried to fall asleep. Instead, her head filled with thoughts, fun little scenarios of could-have-beens and other day-to-day nonsense that crowds our heads just as we try to relax and forget. This wouldn't have been so bad, of course, if only they weren't preventing her from falling asleep, as was her original intent. In the beginning, she thought about Steve, her very first serious boyfriend, who had given her the stuffed toy that she now snuggled with under the covers.

Steve was the high school sweetheart. He was the first and only love, but as it usually happens with those "they were too young" relationships, it didn't work out. To be perfectly honest, Jody never knew why. If it had been up to her, she would have stayed with him despite the problems and probably, one day, married him. No relationship is perfect, after all. And theirs had been close. In her eyes at least. Perhaps not in his. After two years of going out, just as the two of them got accepted into Berkeley together, Steve had made the decision that they should start dating other people to see if they would meet anyone better. And they did start dating other people, only they didn't meet anyone better, and were still very much in love with one another. To compensate, they stayed best friends.

At least this is what Jody told people, when asked about their relationship. She had a flare for melodrama, and so now, too, she lay in bed imagining… He would come over for tea and they would be so happy spending time together, as usual, as before. He would play the guitar for her and together they would sing to it. Then she would tell him stories about her classes, her work, her summer job search and many other things, and he would laugh in response and tease her about taking life too seriously. She would laugh, too, because he always had a way of making her forget her problems, offering a new and refreshing perspective. Then they would realize that they were always meant to be together and fall into each other's embrace, resolved to spend the rest of eternity together in the blissful paradise that was their love.

Having played the scenario out in her head several times, Jody was ready to move to another. Unfortunate though it was, her much desired meeting with Steve simply couldn't happen, not in any foreseeable future, in any case. For the past year Steve had been in South East Asia working out his passion for eastern religions, and he was loving every minute of it. He even graduated a year early, just so he could leave the States sooner. He kept asking for Jody to join him, but that was unlikely. Jody just wasn't the kind of person who would leave everything behind to look for happiness in a foreign land, where she didn't speak the language and for which she truly saw no appeal other than Steve's company.

Jody rolled over and lovingly wrapped the puppy in her arms again. He was the softest, sweetest thing in the world. She really wasn't ready to fall asleep at 11, no matter how early she knew she needed to wake up next morning. So she mused about her midterm instead. She would wear sweats and sneakers because she liked to dress down for tests. She could never understand those girls who waltzed into an exam room made-up as though they were going to a party and dressed in nice freshly ironed clothes, who would then complain to one another in loud voices how much they studied and how little sleep they got. Jody always got annoyed at them, so she got into the habit of bringing a Walkman to exams with her. Speaking of which, did she have fresh batteries for tomorrow? She fluffed up her pillow and rolled over again, concerned.

But the batteries soon slipped her mind, giving room to another topic. Her period was due to start any day. She just knew it would start smack in the middle of her exam. How typical. Things like that always had the worst possible timing. She should take some tampons with her just in case. Tampons… and she should also not forget to leave a little early, so she could buy some coffee on the way… and blue books. Why was she so unorganized? She did everything last minute. The only reason she wasn't up studying for her midterm right now was because it was a lower division European History course whose equivalent she had taken in high school. She even got a 5 on the AP test, for whatever that was worth, but the university still refused to count it towards her degree, so here she was taking it again, hating every minute of it. She certainly wasn't going to pull an all-nighter for such an unworthy cause. As she rolled over again, she groaned. Why couldn't she finally fall asleep?

Then she remembered that her birthday was only several weeks away and that she should have a party. The thought excited her, and she started thinking about who she would invite. Definitely Becca and Sarah, then Kevin - he is just adorable, Mark, Sandra and Ron. The list was growing. She heard the Campanile bells and looked at the clock. Midnight.

* * *

She was awakened by a phone call. 1:32am. It was a good thing, too. She had been having just a horrible dream about climbing some infinitely tall mountain with Kevin, an old friend of hers. She had had this dream before and it was insufferable.

"What?" Jody picked up the phone. She wasn't going to be terribly courteous this late at night, nightmare or no. This had better be good, she thought, rubbing her eyes.

"Jody? Can you hear me?" Becca was screaming into the phone.

"Yeah, I can hear you just fine. What's going on?" If it had been anyone else, Jody would have given him a long lecture about calling at this hour, but she could forgive Becca nearly anything. They had known each other since elementary school and had been friends since. That was certainly worth something. Becca wouldn't have called if she didn't have a good reason.

"You've got to come over here! It's an emergency!"

"What's wrong? Oh my God! Are you okay? Becca?"

"Yeah, but please, don't ask any questions. Just get over here as fast as you can!"

"I'll be right over," Jody hung up and frantically started looking for something to put on.

Somehow she was having a hard time finding anything. First, she turned her entire lingerie drawer upside down looking for a bra. When she couldn't find one, she decided on a T-shirt with no bra. If this was truly an emergency, she couldn't imagine Becca would care. Then, she spent what seemed like forever locating matching socks until she gave up and put Birkenstocks on her bare feet. It took another eternity for her to gather her purse, keys, and wallet and then she was out the door.

Jody drove as if in a daze. Trees and houses were moving towards her with incredible speed and she was steering wildly, as in a computer game, in an attempt to avoid hitting anything. It was certainly a good thing she was alone on the road. She felt like she had no control of the car. Becca lived across campus, only about a 10-minute drive. Jody was there in 1. It felt like she was there in 1. As she got out of the car, she realized she was still wearing her pajama pants. That's just great, she thought.

She ran up the stairs and knocked loudly on Becca's door. No one answered, but the door slowly opened on its own. It was dark inside.

Jody felt intense fear, the kind of fear that grips your intestines and makes you weak in the knees. What was she so afraid of?

Stepping softly she entered the apartment.

It was completely dark and though she had been there hundreds of times, for some reason she was having a hard time finding the light switch. When she finally did find it and flipped it on nothing happened.

She felt cold sweat form on the tips of her fingers.

"Anyone here?" She called out and thought her voice sounded terribly hoarse in the quiet darkness of the room.

She made a couple more steps forward until her foot caught on something and she nearly tripped.

Suddenly the lights and loud dance music came on and all around her she saw people, at least thirty of them, with party hats on, screaming "Surprise!!! Happy Birthday!!!"

"Are you people crazy?" she tried to be heard over the music. "My birthday isn't for another two weeks! AND I have a midterm tomorrow! Becca!!"

But Becca wasn't listening. Grabbing hold of Jody's hands she started spinning her in the throes of some wild barbaric dance. Jody gave up and allowed herself be led. The lights had been turned down again and she was beginning to feel dizzy in the whirlwind of faces, furniture, legs, walls, and party hats. She was certainly glad Becca was holding her.

To her satisfaction no one seemed to notice her pajama pants.

She didn't know how, but she ended up with a paper cup in her hand. She downed the vodka to a toast someone made. Then she had another. She was starting to feel very happy and carefree. She thought she would go look for Becca to thank her for throwing the party, but a hairy guy with dreadlocks stood in her path and looked intently at her.

"Who are you? I don't know you. This is my party." Jody thought what she said was really funny. Boy, just two shots and she was feeling tipsy already. Then she remembered she had had nothing to eat since her early dinner at 5pm. The clock on the wall was already showing 3am. She thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea to make her way to the food table in the corner. There she could ask if anyone had seen Becca.

"Do you live in your dreams?" Jody decided he was probably seriously drunk. Bob, as she immediately labeled the stranger, continued to look at her without once blinking. His expression was of extreme gravity. There was also something odd about his face, but for the moment Jody couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Of course, I do," she played along. "Who is to say this is not a dream right now?"

"Who is to say, indeed?!" Bob said, still dead serious. He was starting to scare her.

"You're weird. How do you get your kicks?" Jody changed the subject.

"I am a prophet in my spare time."

"Wow, who don't you meet at Berkeley," Jody laughed. "My first month here I saw Pink Man on his unicycle out on Shattuck, then there is Rick Starr, the infamous singer in Sproul Plaza. Then Eddie the Preacher and his nemesis, Joe or Joseph, whatever his name. But I've gotta tell ya, I haven't met a prophet yet. So, are you a true prophet or one of those phony guys who gives answers that could mean just about anything?"

Only now did she realize what was wrong. Bob's left eye glowed a luminous lime green in the dim blue of the room. She had never even seen anyone have an eye that color. His other eye was a dull brown.

"I'm for real. I can tell you your dreams."

"I can tell me my dreams, too, but that doesn't make me a prophet." Jody was trying to bring the seriousness of the conversation down a notch, but Bob persisted.

As they were talking, they had moved out onto the balcony so the music wouldn't disrupt their conversation.

"You dream of rock-climbing with a friend, a gay friend. You try to grab on to the cracks in the stone, to pull yourself up with your fingers, to find a foothold. But the higher up you go the steeper the incline gets, until it's completely vertical. And you are still climbing, but you don't know why, and it doesn't seem like there is any end to the mountain, any satisfaction to look forward to. Only you keep climbing." He didn't ask for confirmation. Jody knew he knew he was right and she became afraid, really afraid. Still, she tried to pretend it was just a joke, just some small talk at a party.

"And suppose this were so? What's that say about me, Mr. Prophet?"

"The mountain you are climbing represents a penis. You are climbing with Kevin because you want to conquer his sexuality. Subconsciously you'd like to fuck him, and you are frustrated because your efforts are all in vain. So you keep climbing and climbing. But you get nowhere."

"Kevin is GAY!!"

"Yes, I said that already. That doesn't prevent you from having sexual fantasies about him."

"Who the hell made you a prophet?" Jody was angry. "Freud? I can interpret dreams. Anyone can interpret dreams any damn way they want. Honestly, you've made no revelations so far."

Bob shrugged.

"I can predict the future through your dreams, too. You and Kevin are gonna fuck like minks and for him it will only reassert his orientation. And for you, it's going to be downright disappointing, because you only really want him for as long as you can't have him. You can't deal with his homosexuality."

Jody was about to go off on this self-professed seer, when two hands closed in around her eyes from behind. She immediately forgot about Bob and his stupid contrived predictions. Jody smiled happily, as she inhaled the familiar warmth.

She turned around to allow Steve to cradle her in his arms. Steve was about a half a foot taller and twice as wide in the shoulders as Jody. When they hugged, she lost herself in his embrace.

"Happy birthday, beautiful," he whispered, as he kissed the lobe of her ear.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Burma or Taiwan or something…"

He pinched her cheek playfully. "You silly. I missed you, so I came back."

Hadn't those been the exact words she had longed to hear her entire life, or at least for the past year, ever since he left?

They retreated into one of the bedrooms. The balcony was cold and the main room too loud. In Becca's room they could have a comfortable intimate conversation, the kind appropriate to people in their position. They sat down on the bed, facing each other.

"Those are some great pants," Steve said, reaching his hands out to stroke her inner thighs.

"You like?" She laughed. She could never feel as at ease with anyone else.

"Oh believe me, I definitely like."

He took her hands in his and started kissing her flattened knuckles, slipping his tongue between her fingers. When he got to the pinkie on the right hand he slowly drew it into his mouth, carefully bending it at the two joints with his lips and then, once already in his mouth, unrolling it again with his tongue. He sucked on her finger, still holding both of her hands in his and looking intently into her face. The slightest twitch of the lips, the tiniest movement of a brow, would tell him exactly how she felt, what she wanted.

She climbed onto his lap, and wrapped her legs around his waist. This was their favorite position, just to sit. They held each other with the warmth of separated lovers, and it was difficult for Jody to remember that they broke up almost four years ago and that when he left a year ago they weren't together, weren't even casually sleeping together. They were just friends, close friends. The rest? The rest was her wishful thinking, as far as anyone could tell.

But what could explain the situation now? What now?

"What now?" she murmured and kissed his neck.

"Anything you want, J.! Anything you want!"

* * *

Jody woke up in her own bed and looked at the clock in horror. 10:30am.

She had just slept through her midterm. How could she have slept through her midterm? She had had nightmares about this before, but she had never actually done it! Next to her she heard even breathing.

What happened that night? Did she come home with Steve after the party?

She rolled over to look at the man in bed with her.

As she pulled the covers away from his face she shrieked.

Kevin jumped up from surprise and looked at her, concerned.

"Are you alright?" He was naked.

"You are naked, Kevin… What are you doing here… naked?"

"You really don't remember?" He didn't seem in the least surprised. "Steve left because he had to get his mom's car back so she'd be able to go to work in the morning, and you got upset and had too much to drink, I think. So I brought you home and was about to leave, but you said you didn't want to be alone, so I stayed, and then…" he looked at his own nude body, then at hers, "as they say, one thing led to another, I guess."

"So we actually… you know, did it?" She looked at him in horror.

"I think so. I was sort of drunk myself, so I can't be sure… But we can fix that." He gave her a mischievous smile. She thought she knew what he meant.

With a precise move, he shifted his body, putting one of his legs between Jody's and leaning over to kiss her mouth. I thought he was gay! She didn't want to resist him. He was the archetypal hot gay guy. Cleanly shaven, with short hair and large black eyes he was the boy you'd love to bring home to show mom, if he weren't gay, that is. His body was well toned. He worked out four days a week… with his boyfriend.

"What about your Johnny?"

"Johnny doesn't consider sleeping with a woman cheating."

He kissed her again, to prevent further questions. What a great kisser! Jody swooned under his touch. Kevin pinched her nipple, playing with it skillfully. She moaned, feeling herself turn moist. Kevin moved down her body to take her nipple into his mouth and run his fingers against her clit. Her nails dug into his back, not too hard, but just enough to feel his member start pushing against her leg. She pulled Kevin up and licked his mouth fervently, sucking on his lips, his tongue, his lips again. She could feel him start rubbing himself against the opening, teasing, inserting just a little and immediately pulling out, only to press hard against the clit. She could no longer stand it and with a quick jerk she shoved him inside her.

His hard thrusts sent waves of pleasure through her body. One, two, three, four. She was moaning loudly now, biting his wrists in ecstasy.

And then it was over.

Did it take a whole two minutes? Jody was disappointed, dismally so.

Plus, she hated the actual sight and smell of cum and since he wasn't wearing a condom, Kevin pulled out and came all over her stomach. The white goo almost made her nauseous.

"I think your period has started, Jo.," Kevin said, looking in disgust at his blood-covered dick.

"It must've," Jody muttered on her way the bathroom to clean herself. "The Kleenex is on the drawer if you need it."

When she came back, Kevin was dressing to leave. "I have to go. I am sorry. I know this looks really bad, but it's not like that Jo. Common, we've known each other forever. It's not like that. It's just that I have a class at 11 and it's already fifteen till. Honestly, I'll call you. Tonight. I promise." He stumbled out the door.

She didn't want him to call. Not tonight. Not for a while. She needed time to figure this out. She pictured herself tumbling down the mountain, the one she had been climbing for many nights now, into the abyss of her bed. Maybe if she slept it off, she'd find out it was all a dream.

She couldn't believe she had slept through her midterm, but now that she had, she had nowhere to rush. She could just sleep it off. Or could she?

* * *

Jody awoke to loud shouts from a crowd. There was a heaviness in her head, as though she hadn't slept for an eternity. Why were all these people screaming?

She opened her eyes and saw herself seated in the first row of some assembly. Or was it an assembly? It was something weird. And people were dressed weird too, as if on the way back from a Renaissance Fair they had gotten beat up and smeared in mud. They were in some sort of a public plaza and in front of her there was what looked like a round stage with rather odd-looking props on it. All around women in drab garments were knitting with enviable concentration. The nail polish on the woman next to her caught her eye. It was very familiar.

"Hey Sarah, why the hell are you knitting?"

The woman's expression was that of displeasure.

"Qu'est-ce que tu as dit?"

Since when did Sarah speak French?

"Would you cut it out! And where are we anyway?"

"Nous sommes à Paris."

It struck Jody as odd that Sarah would speak in such grammatically correct French, besides the fact that Sarah would speak French at all, that is.

"Right. Good. So we are in Paris. Why?!"

"Le Roi va être guillotiné."

Guillotined?! So that's what the contraption on the stage was.

Jody was curious. She had never been at a public execution before. For a second she thought it was funny that she ended up in the late 18th century, but perhaps this was part of some study session for the midterm. After all, Sarah, who was in her class, was here, too, and in the crowd she could make out several other familiar faces.

A short chubby man in a beautiful carmine mantle ascended the scaffold. His face was that of a ruddy peasant and mismatched his royal attire just awfully. He would have been an almost comical sight, if it wasn't for the circumstances.

That must be Louis XVI, Jody thought, her eyes sparkling. What a great opportunity to experience the events that shaped European history for centuries thereafter! Wouldn't Steve be so jealous?

"Après moi, le déluge," said the man with a marked staginess.

After me, the flood. How poetic, Jody thought. What a great line to die to.

A hand rose in the second row.

"Oui?" The king looked puzzled.

Jody turned to look. It was one of those obnoxious girls who was always dressed up. Even now, at an execution, her hair was perfectly styled and her peasant garb well ironed.

"You didn't say that! That was Louis XIV!"

"Mais, non…" The king looked pitiful. Jody started to feel sorry for this round little monarch about to be executed. Won't he even be allowed to make a beautiful touching speech before his death? To be perfectly honest, Jody herself didn't remember whose words those were. The last time she read for European History was in 10th grade. Still, it sounded like a great thing to say.

Meanwhile, the events on stage progressed rapidly. Reluctantly, and with a sort of noble melancholy, Louis placed his head on the tray and closed his eyes.

The blade fell with a quiet swish, and the severed head rolled off the stage onto the ground. When it stopped it was right near Jody's feet. The body gushed little marble balls instead of blood. Jody lifted the head up by the hair. It wasn't really that gross. Where was all the blood anyway? And why marbles?

The eyes on the head opened, startling Jody to attention.

"It's 7am and we are starting another guaranteed 30 minute music sweep on KOIT, K-O-I-T, 96.5FM."

What an odd thing for a severed head to say.

Jody woke up.

* * *

What a strange, strange dream, she thought, as she was getting herself ready for class. For a minute she wished she could really have witnessed the execution of a French monarch. That would certainly make lower division history classes more fun. Then she remembered about Kevin and Steve. Those two were just dreams as well, were they not? As was her habit, Jody checked her e-mail before leaving for school.

"You have 1 new message(s)," read the Eudora window.

Jody was excited. She loved getting mail.

Her first impulse was to look at the sender. Was it from Steve? She frequently got electronic correspondence from him, even though he was abroad. The Sender line said "Your Friend ".

Prank mail? She double-clicked on the title: "What Dreams May Come"

What a strange message. Jody saved it in her "Random" folder. She'll come back to it eventually, if she has the chance. Now really wasn't the time for such foolishness. She had a midterm this morning.

Before leaving she went to the bathroom. Wouldn't want to have to do that during the test. She saw that a bloody Maxi Pad lined the bottom of her underwear. When did that get there? I think your period has started, Jo.

But she didn't have time to think about this because just at that moment the door bell sounded and she ran out to get it, quickly pulling her pants back on as she did.

"Hey there, beautiful," Steve stood at the doorstep with a wide smile on his face, holding a large bouquet of red roses in his outstretched hand. "For you!"