In Your Dreams

Chapter 12: Orientation

I wake up at noon on Saturday and the entire day's events wash over me like a shower that's both hot and cold. What I can't remember is what I dreamt of. Did I see Chris last night?

I sit up in bed and immediately notice that Casey's side of the room is even cleaner than usual. Her throw pillows are on display, her books are neatly piled on her night table and her shoes form a civilized line-up by the door. A day in the life of a morning person.

I just finish getting dressed when Casey returns.

"You're up! I need you to clean your side of the room." She attempts to scale a large pile of textbooks but it catches on her heel and spills towards the desk chair.

I grimace. "Sorry about that." I kick my clothes aside and shove the textbooks under my bed, leaving a narrow path to the closet. "Voila!"

Casey laughs. "Yeah, my parents are really going to love that!"

I stare at her. "Your parents?"

"My parents are coming today." Her grin falters. "I thought I told you?"

"You're kidding!" I groan. Great. Now I really do have to clean.

Casey sounds sympathetic. "Sorry I didn't mention it earlier. It's just, your side of the room looks like...like..."

"Like someone opened their mouth and vomited clothes," I supply.

Casey snaps her fingers. "That reminds me, someone threw up in the girls' washroom."

Brian peeks his head into our room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Ew, that's gross."

Casey rolls her eyes. "Tell me about it. Whose turn is it to clean this week?"

"Not that," Brian interjects, "Jessie's side of the room."

I know he's kidding by the sly grin on his face. "Thaaanks, Brian." I hastily shove my laundry into my hamper, pulling out a sweater to cover my underwear.

"I'm so glad I have a single dorm." He drops onto our desk chair, straddling it. "I can't imagine living in this mess."

"That's what Casey thought, and now look," I joke, dropping onto my knees by the side of my bed. "But seriously, everyone has an outlet. This happens to be mine."

Casey fixes him with a mock glare. "If I recall, your trunk isn't exactly the neatest place..."

Brian runs his hand through his hair and chuckles. "Touche." Glimpses of beige carpet begin to peek out from between the piles of hair products I'm now shoving into a basket. "So how long do you think this will last?"

"For as long as my parents are visiting," Casey jokes.

"Your parents are coming too? Phew, I'm not the only one." Brian leans his elbows on the chair. "I begged them not to, but I'm the oldest so they're worried that I'm either not enjoying myself, or enjoying myself too much."

"Ha." I look up from my now overflowing laundry hamper. "And which is it?"

Brian's cheekbones flush a light red. He sneaks a glimpse at Casey. "Probably too much."

"Does that mean they'll switch into helicopter parent mode?" Casey asks. "You know, hovering around you all the time?"

I burst out laughing. "I haven't heard that term in years."

Brian swivels to face me. "Really? I'm guessing your parents give you space?"

I drop my biology textbook and Casey hisses through her teeth. My breath gets stuck.