woke. | II

alex

There it was, a question mark inscribed next to my little doodle on a great big tree. But let me start from the top. 

I haven't been this eager to go to bed since the dreams started getting on my nerves. In the beginning, I thought it was pretty cool. But one night I was standing at my sink and staring at my glass with no idea of how I go there. Probably just a coincidence, but it was that very night when I realized I have been hounded by the same old dream over and over again. And it wasn't like I could remember what I saw, it was more like I could remember how I felt. Hady agrees with me on this - when you start being aware, it's of the creepy feeling you can't shake. 

Anyway, I had a quick dinner of some soup, rice and stir-fried veggies with my dad who insists on at least hanging on to our culinary roots and cultural eating habits. This means I cook while he reads the newspaper and we both sit down after I call him to dinner. It probably sounds very oppressive and archaic to my western counterparts, but I can't complain. I actually like how comforting it is to cook for the people you love. Also, my dad's a disaster in the kitchen. If you've tried his deep fried fish, you'd run for the hills. He thinks oil is a condiment and salt should coat food like snow. 

"小Xiao 瑄Xuan, 今jin 天tian 学xue 了le 什shen 么me?" He is also adamant we talk about our day in our native tongue, calls me by my Chinese pet name, and starts by asking what I learnt in school. I had no idea there were so many ways you could phrase a question, but you could trust him to find it. I rushed through it, giving him the bare minimum before excusing myself from the table by saying I've got a lot of school work. In Chinese culture, no parent will ever stand in between you and your homework. He even shooed me off and started clearing the plates earlier than usual. 

I wasn't even guilty I lied. I had a lot of homework, but I'm pretty efficient at it. I finished trig in English, wrote an essay in science and finished a biology paper on the bus. I figured if you get it out of the way early, you don't have to freak out when you forget and give yourself unnecessary pressure. But, I still surfed the net for a little bit before taking a shower so my dad wouldn't get suspicious. After I have done everything I could think of, including a little Chinese practice just to keep the old man happy, I texted Hady. 

houstan rdy 4 takeoff! 

dude, it's 8:30. Her reply came in seconds. I had a funny feeling I knew why. 

stop txting loverboi and ull see him soon I sent. 

lol funny. goodnight. 

I chucked my phone onto my comforter and snuggled into it. Soon enough, I felt myself drawn into a vortex, easily slipping into the land of mist and trees. I started to make my way towards where I always found Hady. It wasn't easy. Have you been in the woods before? It all looks the same. There's no landmark and after a while, everything kinda looks the same. I may have picked my way towards her a few times, but I haven't gotten the route memorized. It's oddly quiet, as dreams often are. There's a crack of a twig sometimes, or the rustle of crunched leaves. Out of my periphery vision, I sometimes see figures but I try not to let it bother me or focus on them, keeping Hady my number one priority. 

Up ahead, I saw a figure clothed in a matching pajamas set and I knew. 

"Hady!" I screamed and she turned towards me. And like always, she had a look of confusion on her face. Why was it so hard for her to just be here? 

"Alex," She breathed, "How do you always know where to find me?" 

"I just follow the yellow brick road." I said, gesturing behind me. 

"The ye- Nevermind. So where do we go now?" 

"To find your baby daddy, I guess." 

She shot me a look of exasperation, but I couldn't help myself. Making jibes and being sarcastic were all I knew. I suppose I could be sensitive and proper, but where's the fun in that?