Cursed Pool

Chapter 5. The Past I Hated

As much as I disliked the cot, my dream kept me occupied over the slumber.

I dreamt that I was a teenager again. It was a long time ago, but this was way before I lived in California and way before I met Richard, I lived in Illinois where there is a perfect amount of snow in the winter. In the dream, I was in Mrs Huang's detention class in the dark basement of the school I was in. It was apparently the night of one of the school dances, but I couldn't go because I had detention. I wrote with a broken pencil on a paper one hundred times "I will never find love"
It was a stupid dream because Mrs Huang who I despised horribly was drinking creamed coffee. (Or at least I think) She had thick black hair that was straight and curled up by her knee area. She also had a curved nose and almond shaped dark eyes that were far away from eachother on her face. She kicked off her red high heals revealing her bare feet. "Hurry up Child! It's almost midnight and your gonna miss the school dance!" Rasped Mrs Huang in her raspy annoying teacher voice. She could at least try to make her voice sound nicer. "Oh, but Mrs Huang, I can't write that fast!" I say with a shiver. "You spoke! Now you have to write a hundred more sentences!" Demanded Mrs Huang.
"What?? But Mrs-" I tried to complain. "Make it fast child, cause I have a hot date later. I can't be late for that." Sighed Mrs Huang. "You are disgusting! Going on hot dates when your a middle aged teacher!" I shiver.
"Oh your just jealous because you can't any love out of this school." Glowered my threatening teacher.
I may have been short, but I made a run for it with my little formal shoes and my yellow flower dress.
I made it to the outside of the school where I got away from Mrs Huang. Despite my frizzy hair, I must've looked gorgeous in the dress.
The problem is that there was only one particular guy in my grade that I was interested in. I saw him dancing in the bright moonlight with a random girl I didn't know. I just passed by and I heard her voice say "Don't even think about stealing my date partner."
Just like that, there was a huge wind storm that lifted my off my feet. I blow over the school uncontrollably. "Ahhh! Why is the wind carrying me away?" I cried with great fear. "Easy. Your short." Said the guy I loved.

"Good morning Evangeline. Breakfast is amazing." Came Phoenix's snowy voice. I awoke in a sweat. "Phoenix I need you right now! I just had a dream!" I panted.
Phoenix's blue eyes grew cautiously. "Is it the one with the water and the ghost?" He questioned. "Thankfully no. It um... was actually.... I dreamt I was a teenager again." I sighed. Phoenix then relaxed his eyes. "Yeah. I dream about being a teenager too. I guess it's a thing that happens-"
"Oh, but Phoenix, this was a high school detention dream. I fell in love with a guy in my grade and in the dream he was rude like always." I told him and I walked with Phoenix to his kitchen. "Is this not usual?" Questioned Phoenix. "Oh goodness no. Actually I haven't dreamt about my past in a long time." I say to him.

Breakfast felt great. Unlike Benjamin Sausage, Phoenix can cook amazingly. On his black kitchen table he cooked some of the freshest smelling waffles and coffee. "Did you hear about Evangeline's dream?" Asked Phoenix swiftly to Benjamin Sausage. "My dream was stupid. Like why? Why did I dream about my high school days? There was this guy I used to know, I had a toxic crush on him back in my day. Yeah he turned out to be a rude person." I say truthfully. "So, he was rude in the dream or in real life too?" Asked Phoenix. "Well he was smart and wise and everything when I met him, he was single which was good for me. However.... in High School, I was in a really bad situation. I called him a bad word because he became really feisty and yelled... a lot and.... he was crazy about gold things."
"Gold things?"
"Yeah, gold things."
"Hmmm."
"Just like my teachers, everyone had a need for gold, so I had these gold erasers and my teacher stole them... for no reason too! Then, the guy I liked was getting feisty and he stole the erasers from the teacher!" I Yammered.
Benjamin Sausage was quiet like a mouse, he was probably in love with his breakfast, but Phoenix was interested.
"So, what bad word did you call him?" Demanded Phoenix quietly.
I gulped. I regretted this since my sixteen year old self became a brutally honest frizzy haired reading student. I lost my control that day. "Well, he called me a dwarf, so I called him a dirty gold demon." "That sounds like a detention statement." Phoenix said casually. "It wasn't. Only about four other random kids heard me say it. I was in the cafeteria." I added.
"High School sounded like fun." Phoenix hesitated. "No. It was just a big sad year and nothing good happened." I confirmed with a nod.

I appreciate how Phoenix cooked us breakfast. It was better than I expected from a ghost person. I lost many belongings because of the house in Oakland that collapsed, but at least I had my quilting suplies and a box of pin cushions. Then of course I had my beloved washing machine and my whole bedroom.

I am not a LA person.

Phoenix was rich enough to buy me a long brown house in the city area that had three floors. Much bigger than my one story home in Oakland. I had a bunch of wildlife growing wildly around me and the June sky was so blue.
I actually forced Benjamin Sausage to join me to help unpack my things. He wasn't up for it. He was trying to learn about the guy I used to know in High School, but there wasn't much that I knew. He introduced himself to me many years back, but I never actually knew his name. I doubt I would ever see him again. He's probably in Illinois with the perfect amount of snow in the winter, probably only wears gold things and probably married at this point. I can imagine him with random pets as well. His hair was golder than the sun, his eyes were greener than a tree top, he always had really rosy cheeks.

It is now June 7th 1987, I was still trying to unpack my old belongings.
I was down in the basement. I had a whole box of old photos of myself, and Richard, and Perri. Perri was lucky to be the only child, unlike me who had to live up to expectations.
Then I realized something.... today would've been Perri's thirty second birthday. My heavens I feel really old now. I may be five hours away from Richard, but I know he remembers it.

So the nice thing about LA is that there are so many shopping malls! I've never been much of a mall girl, but as a fashion designer/critic I can really make good money with my clothes, and quilts and curtains that I've made. (The malls that I used to sell things at were not that great)

Mulberry & Paggles. It was really a short drive. As a short person, I generally hate driving, so I sit on three fluffy pillows to elevate myself. I want to be able to see while I drive, most importantly I want people to see me. Mulberry and Paggles. I wonder where the name came from.