Dickensen Academy

by Christine Grabowski

  Soon we were all seated around his desk. Everyone’s gaze darted around the circle while I avoided my friends’ questioning glances. Clearly, Mr. Robbins was springing this on them now. Perhaps a good strategy to ensure cooperation.

  “I have a surprise in store for the four of you. Starting next week, I’d like you to participate in a little experiment. You’re going to switch dream partners.”

  His words hung in the air. Hannah had her mouth pressed shut, but her eyes showed delight. Aditi’s and Caitlyn’s faces were unreadable.

  “As you probably know, Autumn is having difficulty conveying. Switching partners will be a fresh start for her. But there will be benefits for you as well.”

  “Will it help my grade?” Caitlyn asked.

  Mr. Robbins nodded. “I plan to give the three of you extra credit. But more importantly, a new partner will improve your conveyance skills.”

  “How so?” Aditi asked, her lilting voice both sweet and curious.

  “Every recipient is unique, and the dream-maker can feel the difference during the conveyance, requiring subtle changes. As your skills increase, the modifications become second-nature, but for you as new dream-makers, even a slight change may be a challenge.” He smiled. “And of course, you’ll be exposed to broader styles of dreams. Always helpful for generating ideas.”

  Our teacher leaned toward us. “Beginning next week, Autumn and Caitlyn will switch rooms right before bed, four nights a week. Then in the morning, you’ll switch back.”

  Caitlyn’s face puckered as if she’d bitten into a sour candy. “Me?”

  He clamped his mouth shut for a moment before answering. “Well, I thought that would be simplest. Since this experiment is primarily for Autumn’s benefit, I thought she should be one of the students to move. And for various reasons, I believe Hannah would be an ideal partner for her.”

  “Uh-huh.” Caitlyn coughed. “Um…well. I’m not so sure I’ll be able to fall asleep in another student’s bed—”

  “I’ll do it,” Aditi jumped in. “That’d work too, right? I mean if Hannah is also willing to move.”

  Hannah nodded enthusiastically.

  “Would that work for you, Caitlyn?” Mr. Robbins asked. “To convey to Aditi in your own room instead.”

  Caitlyn gave her angelic, only-for-teachers smile. “Yes, Mr. Robbins. Of course.”

  “Great. Then it’s settled.” He sighed. “I know there won’t be any problems, but as per school policy, I need to remind Hannah and Aditi not to touch any belongings while sleeping in the other’s room.”

  “How long will we continue?” I asked.

  “It depends. I’ll keep close tabs on the status of all your dreams and will call off the experiment if it causes any undue hardship. I anticipate you’ll continue for two, possibly three weeks. That’ll give each of you at least four opportunities to convey with a new partner.

  “Now, I’d like you to come to a consensus on the timing of each switch. I don’t know your nightly routines, so you four can come up with the best solution. But I recommend consistency. I’ll leave you to it.” Then he pushed his chair away from his desk and left to monitor the rest of the class.

  As the four of us worked out the logistics, I began to freak out. I hadn’t even told Hannah or Aditi about the note. If they didn’t know, they’d act innocently if Caitlyn ever confronted them. The butterflies in my stomach morphed into vampire bats biting my insides. At one point, I almost had to race to the bathroom when bile crept its way into my throat. But I managed to swallow it back down.

  After class, I tapped Caitlyn on her back as she closed her locker. “Caitlyn, hey, can I talk to you a sec?”

  She looked surprised. “Sure, what’s up?” Her pleasant tone caught me off guard. No wonder the teachers loved her; she could turn her moods on and off like a light switch.

  “Well…I wanted to say thanks for helping me out.”

  “Oh, that.” She bent down and heaved her backpack onto her shoulder. “Well, it’s not like I had a choice.” Then she strolled away.

  Did I have the nerve? My thoughts went to Aditi, always the cheerful roommate. I didn’t wish to be the one to spoil that. I took a deep breath then chased Caitlyn down the hall.

  When I caught up, I said, “One more thing.”

  She turned around. “What?”

  “I sent the note.”

  “You?” Her face contorted as the news sank in.

  “Yeah, it was stupid and mean. I’m so sorry. You see, I was—”

  “I didn’t think you had it in you.” She strode right up to me so we were face to face. “I figured your roommate did it. She seems a lot stronger than you. Hmph, got to give you credit for doing a little research and sticking up for your friend. But you’re wrong. I haven’t done a thing to Hannah. It’s all in her head. Just because we aren’t besties doesn’t mean I’d try to screw her up.”

  I didn’t know what to say. It was so much easier to be brave on paper than in person.

  “Well, you’re not as smart as you think.” Caitlyn’s tone sharpened. “It was really stupid of you to get on my bad side. And I wouldn’t go around blabbing about my family. Mind your own business.” Then she strode away again but turned around one last time. “Best of luck next week, Autumn.”

  Then she was gone.

  ****

  As Aditi and I lay in bed, we chatted about the upcoming week. I was relieved I’d talked to Caitlyn, especially since she’d suspected Aditi had sent the note. It’d taken me a while to calm down, but I’d rather have her do something rotten to me than to Aditi. Plus, what could she do? I didn’t have to convey with her.

  “So are you nervous to work with Caitlyn?” I asked.

  “A little. But it could be interesting.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I gushed. “I know I’m the problem. I’m sure Mr. Robbins is only saying how beneficial it’ll be so I don’t feel so guilty.”

  “Don’t worry. You’d do the same for me. I just hope it works. You’re stressing me out with your constant worry. Switching partners seems like a great idea. You know, change it up.” How lucky was I to have such a supportive friend? “Besides, it’ll be a nice break for Hannah. I’m sure the stress of rooming with Caitlyn is causing all her Dream Management problems. This’ll be like a vacation.”

  “Maybe. But it might make it worse later.”

  “At least it’ll be that much closer to June. I heard as a sophomore, you create a list of people you’d like to room with. So next year, she’ll get a roommate she likes. We all will.”

  I prayed I’d return next year. I could easily envision Hannah and Aditi becoming roommates if I remained in Seattle. “While you’re with Caitlyn, see if you can find those creepy images Hannah used to talk about.”

  “I hope not. I’m not a fan of nightmares.”

  “Me neither.”

  “But I’ll tell you one thing,” she said seriously. Her silhouette turned toward me in the dark. “If I receive anything suspicious from her, I’m not about to let her walk all over me.”

  Chapter: 30

  The tension hanging over me had dissolved. Finals were over, and I had a new strategy in place for Dream Management. Except for the weekly foreign language dreams, the academic ones had halted after January’s onslaught. Although they were interesting and provided us with ample sleep, they were taxing because they crammed our brains with so much data. Wednesdays and Sundays were now either dreamless or filled with light-hearted experiences.

  Coach Kat sent me one in which I ran along the beach with Zoey and Wilson, who occasionally veered into the breaking surf to play. Clearly she was spurring me to run again once the snow melted. Then the boys’ PE teacher sent his class a skydiving dream. It was all the guys could talk about the following day. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it so much—more of a nightmare in my opinion.

  Saturday, I went up to Stevens Pass again. After weeks of begging, Hannah had convinced me to sign up for the trip. She’d
skied most weekends, regardless of schoolwork, and was anxious to show me her progress. We’d tried to convince Aditi to join us, but she refused, saying, “Skiing isn’t fun for me.” I could relate—it’s no fun to do something when everyone else can do it better.

  After a quick run with Hannah, Ben and I took off on our own. During a chairlift up, I said, “I’ve been thinking of this idea for a dream.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I was wondering if a ski dream might somehow help Aditi learn to ski.”

  He lifted his goggles to look at me.

  “Maybe a dream with lots of nice, easy turns might help her overcome her fear. If she could feel herself skiing down the slope, perhaps it could become part of her muscle memory.”

  Ben’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea. Seriously, if she could go down the hill without falling twenty times, she’d love it.”

  I laughed. “That’s what I was thinking. I hated leaving her in the dorm this morning…like I was leaving her out. And at the rate Hannah is improving, she’ll be skiing all day with us soon.” I sighed. “Do you think it would work?”

  “Well, you’re not really using your muscles in your dreams,” Ben pointed out.

  “No, but maybe if you believe you are, you could rewire your brain somehow.”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  I frowned. “Only problem, I can’t even convey a stupid dream about leaves. I’ll never be able to send something so complicated.”

  Ben smiled. “I have a good feeling about your dream partner switch. You just need to focus those green eyes of yours, like you do when you’re writing, and it’ll happen.”

  Despite the freezing temperature, my body core warmed. He had faith in me. If only it was that easy, but my mind always strayed and filled with self-doubt.

  I stared down at my skis and tapped them together, unleashing a flurry of snow. “Would you create it for her?”

  Ben shook his head. “I don’t want to take your idea, Autumn.”

  “Hey, I have dozens of ideas I can’t do a thing about. You’d be doing me a favor if you could get Aditi back on the slopes. I just want to ski with my friend.”

  He blew out slowly, the vapors visible in the frigid air. “Well, I was looking for an idea for Dream Five. I have no doubt I could send something like that to Ryan. But your room is on the floor below. Sending it through walls is a sophomore skill.”

  This was my time to be encouraging, so I smiled. “If anyone can do it, it’s you. Besides, you could always send it to her next year if it doesn’t work out.”

  “Or maybe you could?”

  I chuckled. I had about a hundred other conveyance skills to learn first.

  Ben pointed to a skier flying off a huge ski ramp. “What do you think if I added in some jumps and rails?”

  I laughed. “Ryan would love it, but you might freak out Aditi. I want her to learn to like skiing, not be more terrified.”

  “I’d only put those elements in the advanced version. I’d keep the basic dream simple.”

  I had definitely asked the right person. Ben was already tying dream skill progression with ski skill progression. “Maybe while you’re at it you could create an intermediate run for Hannah. Something to help with her form. You know, keep her skis more parallel and her pole planting in sync.”

  He grinned. “You got it. Any other advice?”

  I batted him with my mitten. “You don’t need my help. Sounds like you’ve already designed half the dream.”

  ****

  Monday night, Hannah knocked on our door at ten p.m. as planned. She came with a small bag of clothes so she could go straight to breakfast before returning to her own room. That would provide a large window of time to ensure Aditi and Caitlyn finished the Initial Dream Review if Caitlyn was successful.

  Aditi ran her hands through her thick, black hair a few times before she grabbed her own overnight bag. “Well. I guess I should get going.”

  “Good luck,” Hannah said.

  I bit my lip. “Thanks so much.”

  Aditi straightened to her whole five feet then turned to leave.

  Three hours later I woke to my vibrating alarm and climbed out of bed. As I sat in the shadows with only a soft, blue glow from our digital clock, I prepared to convey. I was calm. The dark cloud had lifted and confidence had taken its place.

  I’m going to do it this time.

  No sooner had I thought those reaffirming words than negative ones began to compete for my attention. I pushed them aside and refocused. The pressure mounted and my heart quickened, pulling me from my relaxed state. I could no longer keep the nagging thoughts at bay. This time it wasn’t Dad speaking inside my brain. Instead it was Mr. Robbins explaining how I needed to convey soon or I’d never earn an A. I refocused. I had to do it this time. Then worse, I heard Mr. Robbins say I might fall into the three percent that would never convey successfully and be subject to the disciplinary committee.

  The next morning, Hannah gave me a weak sympathetic smile before I even opened my mouth.

  I turned away.

  At breakfast, I scanned the dining hall for Aditi and Caitlyn. My legs jiggled nervously until Aditi arrived at our table. I looked up from my cereal to see her beaming. Caitlyn’s dream had obviously come through, and there’d been nothing to fear. Part of her smile had to be relief, knowing her dream reception skills were intact. I was the problem, not her. But Aditi, of course, was too polite to mention that revelation.

  Later in Creative Core, Aditi successfully completed Caitlyn’s Dream Review Checklist. The benefits of this experiment for my friends were now apparent, which made me feel even more incompetent.

  ****

  The following night, our roles reversed. It was Hannah’s turn.

  My alarm clock rang in the morning. I slapped it off with one hand, still half asleep.

  My heart continued to pulse rapidly, as though Ben were near. I closed my eyes to savor the sensation before fully waking to reality. I could still see him on the back of my eyelids. But it wasn’t Ben. Based on his Texas accent and the blond hair sticking out from under his cowboy hat, it had to be Hannah’s older brother.

  As I blinked myself awake, guilt crept in for being attracted to another person. Crazy. It wasn’t like Ben was an official boyfriend. And it was only a stupid dream. It’s not like I would ever even meet the guy. But it was much more complicated and emotional than the dreams I’d been getting from Aditi. Must’ve been because Hannah was a full dream ahead of her.

  I sat up and shook my head while the dream moved from my present state of mind to my recent memory. Hannah lay across from me in Aditi’s bed, still sound asleep. Her dream had come through in high definition. She would be so relieved.

  I shook her gently. “Hannah, time to get up.”

  She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Well?”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. All my friends soaring ahead in Creative Core was tough enough. Being so intimately involved in their successes was even tougher.

  Her eyes lit up. She reached for her notes and put on her glasses—she wore contacts during the day.

  “Question number one,” she began. “Where did the dream take place?”

  “A huge, flat ranch. Was that your home?”

  “Yep.”

  “Cool.” Now that I’d experienced it rather than simply viewed the painting, I wanted to know more. But my questions would have to wait.

  “Were there any animals in the dream? If so, what kind?”

  “There were a couple of dogs—border collies, I think. And lots of cows or maybe they were bulls.”

  “Anything else?”

  I chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Horses.”

  “How big was the herd of cattle?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe fifty or so. I didn’t count.”

  My answer must’ve been close enough because she smiled and continued down the sheet. “What were you doing?”

  “I guess I was rounding up the cattle. But honest
ly, the dogs and the guy were doing most of the work.”

  She put away her paper.

  “That’s it? What about the guy? Was he your broth—?”

  “Shh! That’s for later.” Her eyes narrowed and she scanned my face. “No way! Ew. Not my brother.”

  My face warmed. It wasn’t my fault he was so darn cute.

  Later during class, I finished answering all her questions.

  “I can’t believe it,” Hannah said. “You got them all right.”

  I made a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding face. “Uh, yeah. They were easy.”

  “Hmph, it hasn’t been like that with Caitlyn. She usually does fine with the morning questions, but by the afternoon, she always misses a few.”

  “Did you do anything different with me?”

  Hannah tapped her fingertips to her lips for a second while she considered my question. “Nope. I’m positive I did it the same way. It even felt the same when you latched on.”

  “Maybe Caitlyn is just stressing you out, making the dreams less sticky?”

  “I used to think that. But now I’m thinking she was lying.”

  I raised one eyebrow at her. I’d suggested that before, but Hannah had never wanted to hear it. She’d survived the horrors of middle school through homeschooling so didn’t quite get some girls could just be plain mean.

  Hannah put her head in her hands for a moment. When she looked up, she blew out a long breath. “My reception problems started after I accused her of sending the dog nightmare. She was so mad about that, and I bet she was suspicious I snitched on her. I’m going to pay closer attention next time I convey to her. If I can prove she’s lying, I’ll tell Mr. Robbins.”

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t mention today’s success to Caitlyn. Better chance to catch her in the act later.”

  Her eyes widened. “Good idea.”

  ****

  My horse moved quickly from side to side beneath me. Steadying myself, I touched the smooth, chestnut hair on his neck, hot with the sun. I was more involved in the cattle herding this time. Although I’d never done anything more than a trail ride in real life, my body somehow stayed mounted. After a few minutes of riding, my confidence grew, and I sat higher in the saddle and held on with just the insides of my legs.