The Palmer Pool

4 | What Goes Around

I kept my heavy eyelids closed when I drifted back into consciousness, rolled onto my back and recalled the dream that was still fresh in my mind. That guy was hot. I smiled and stretched my arms. The scent of chlorine still lingered on my hair. Then my bed was jerking up and down and the springs squeaked and groaned. I opened my eyes right as a small foot landed on my shin.

"Ow!" I roared.

The little girl kept bouncing and I scrambled out of the bed. I didn't recognize her or the bedroom. I looked down and realized I had slept in my bathing suit. I desperately tried to remember the last thing that happened before I fell asleep.

"June! Get out of there!" A male voice came from the hall, and then I saw his face through the partly opened door. It was the same face I pictured as I woke up, so maybe I was still dreaming. The girl hopped off the bed and ran past him.

"It's my room," she griped.

He lightly tapped on the door with one knuckle and said, "Good morning."

My arms flew up and crossed over my chest. I had backed myself into the corner of the room. I was absolutely mortified. Did something happen with this guy? If it did, why was I in a kid's room with a pink bedspread and a doll in a toy buggy in the corner? I didn't remember anything and I felt like I might puke.

He quickly turned his eyes to the floor. "Sorry, I-"

"Oh, nothing you haven't seen before, right?!"

"Well, no," he admitted as his face reddened.

"Where are my clothes?"

I searched the room from where I was standing. No clothes lying on the floor. No clothes on top of the wood dresser, only a single daisy standing in a white vase. In the corner of the room was a rocking chair, with a pale yellow dress draped over it. It was sleeveless with a rounded collar, pearly buttons running up the front, and a full skirt. It was definitely not mine.

"What you've got on is about all you have with you, but my mom left something for you to wear on the chair," he said. Then he pulled the door shut.

Two bright white items sat on top of the skirt. Underwear. Luckily they looked new, with tags on and attached to hangers. This guy's mom bought me underwear. I was going to have to consult some kind of dream decoder when I woke up. If I was actually dreaming. I wasn't really sure anymore. I reached for the bra, which looked overly ambitious, with its unnecessarily thick straps and pointy, formed cups. My chest definitely didn't require that much support. My heart sank as I tried and failed to pick it up. I tried for the dress and grabbed only air.

Since I couldn't get dressed, I briefly considered crawling back into bed and closing my eyes again, but I knew that wouldn't solve any problems.

I called, "Hello?" at the bedroom door and he immediately cracked it open slightly, as if he had been standing there waiting. "I need help," I declared.

He stepped through the doorway with his eyes politely focused somewhere about two feet over my head.

"Either I'm wearing this out of here, or I'm going to need help putting that on," I said, pointing at the dress.

"Well," he began, scratching his head thoughtfully, "you might be more comfortable in the dress." His eyes sparkled with laughter as he tried to keep a straight face, "I can help you put on those other things too, if you like."

"This is not a joke!" I snapped. "I physically cannot do anything. I can't get myself dressed or open a door. Oh, and my house is gone, and I'm not even sure how I got here! I am seriously freaking out, and you seem to think it's hilarious."