I am back in high school, vol. 4

I am late for school. My would-be lover has promised to drive me to school. We are walking around a YMCA, because I need to find a clean pair of socks. I think I left them in one of the men's locker rooms. When I go into the men's locker room, there are several naked men standing around, and a pile of socks on the floor. They are all wet. As I start to sort through them, one of the naked men comes over and says that none of those socks belong to me. All the socks are rolled up, inside-out, so I spend a great deal of effort getting them spread out on the floor. After I spread several pairs out in front of me, I realize that none of these socks are mine. I think for a moment about stealing one of the pairs, but looking at how soggy and dirty they are, decide against that. I will go to school without socks.

Leaving the men's locker room, I see my would-be lover is staring through a glass window into a swimming pool. I walk over to her and touch her on the shoulder. When she turns around I see that she has been crying. I ask her what is wrong. She says that she has just learned that one of her best friends has died of bone cancer. I tell her how sorry I am, and start mouthing a series of platitudes that sound really stupid as soon as they come out of my mouth. I worry that I have offended her, but as we are heading out of the YMCA and into the parking lot, she grabs ahold of my hand.

We get into my would-be lover's car and drive to my high school. She parks the car and promises to come inside with me. Before she can get out of the car, I lean over, put my hands on both her cheeks, and kiss her on the lips. The kiss is awkward, yet somewhat comfortable, too. She doesn't let go of me, and I feel good.

We walk into the high school. Once inside I realize that my daughter is going to be staying at the high school's daycare center. In order to get into the high school, I have to pass through a metal detector and show the security people there a bag of fresh diapers and the receipt showing that I have paid for my child's daycare. I pass through the metal detector and the buzzer goes off. I empty my pockets and try again. Again the buzzer goes off. This happens over and over again. The last time I try to go through the buzzer goes off yet again, and I trip trying to turn around and come back. Lying on the floor, I look up and see my would-be lover smiling and laughing at me. She seems happy again.