Rebecca woke up from the dream. Lying in the faint gardenia scent, she couldn’t recall that scene from high school.
“Why did Vance fight Darren? And why did Darren warn him like that?”
She didn’t know whether she had simply forgotten or whether it had never happened. But if it had never happened, why did it appear so vividly in her dreams?
She was supposed to go to school that day. She thought it was still early until she checked the time. It was already three in the afternoon.
Startled, she hurried downstairs and found Josette was already planning dinner.
“Grandma, how did I sleep so long?” she said, knowing she had to miss school that day.
“Yes, you did.” Josette turned around. “Kaitlyn said you’ve been exhausted lately and told us not to wake you.”
She wasn’t tired, just dreaming too much.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Are you feeling unwell?” Josette asked with concern.
Rebecca shook her head. “No. I was supposed to go to school. Guess I’ll go tomorrow.”
That night, she set multiple alarms every five minutes. The next morning, she finally got up on time, but she had dreamed all night again.
Being back at school put her closer to Vance’s house. She tried visiting again, but the same neighbor gave the same answer.
She went to his cookie shop. It was locked, with a thick layer of dust on the door and windowsill. She remembered he had promised to come to the clinic for therapy once he was discharged.
Even though she suspected he might break his word again, she still went to the clinic on the slim chance he might show up.
Vance, who was the group leader and the monitor, came to collect the drawings. He looked at her drawing and sneered, ” Childish.”
She felt upset and lowered her eyes. It stung when the boy she liked dismissed something she cherished. But that afternoon, a piece of chocolate appeared on her desk.
She took it and quietly asked Vance, “Did you give this to me?”
He glanced over. “Would I do something that childish?”
She felt disappointed, but the chocolate was sweet.
Inside the dream, a voice inside her shouted, “Cookie house! Cookie house!”

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