“Hey, girl,” I say when I answer it, seeing that it’s my friend Janelle from class.
“Thank God,” the curvy brunette sighs with relief. “Did you do the homework? Because I’m stuck on number five. What did you get?”
I laugh and head for my kitchen table, still dressed in nothing but a robe, and pull the homework assignment from my backpack.
“Oh yeah, I had a hard time with this one, too. I think the answer is D. It seems to fit the scenario the best.”
“That’s what I was leaning towards, but I kept second-guessing myself. Thank you! You’re always a life saver, Olls.”
“No worries, Janelle. You’ve helped me a million times, too.”
Janelle and I bonded on our first day of our Intro to Psych class a few years ago, and we’ve been buddies ever since. She’s loud and sassy and incredibly smart, and I appreciate that about her because I wouldn’t have passed half of my exams without her guidance. Sure, she gets distracted sometimes, which is why she’s calling me this morning, but it’s fine. Overall, we both know that Janelle’s the stronger student.
“You’re the best, Olls,” she burbles. “You’re coming to class today, right? I can’t sit through Dr. Snelgrove’s monotone lecture on my own because I need you to poke me when I start dozing off.”
I giggle.
“He’s awful. Yeah, I’ll be there. You know that I’m always in class.”
“Perfect,” she smiles sunnily. “Do you want to meet for coffee before? I’m heading to campus in a few minutes and my coffee maker is broken so I have to buy my shot of caffeine today. You know, my daily injection and all that.”
I laugh again.
“Oh my God, how do you survive?”
Janelle laughs. “It has been a painful few days, I admit. I mean, my addiction is so crazy that I’ve already decided I’m going to buy a new coffee maker this afternoon. They’re having a sale on those basic Nespresso machines at Target, and I can’t afford to keep buying my joe every day. This stuff is unbelievably expensive! I mean, seven dollars for a brew from Ethiopia? Hell no.”
I nod.
“It does add up, especially if you get things like Frappucinos and specialty drinks. But you know what? We deserve a treat once in a while, so yes, I think I can swing some coffee with you this morning. I just have to get ready because as you can tell, I only just woke up.”
Janelle squeals.
“Then get on it! What’s taking you so long?”
I bite my lip. “Do you really want to know?”
She shoots me a look through the screen.
“OMG, are you sick, Olls? Don’t come to class if you are because I can’t afford so much as a cold.”
“No, no, I’m not sick. Actually, kind of the opposite.”
That has her curious.
“What do you mean?”
I hesitate for a moment before looking straight into Janelle’s eyes.
“Do you think it’s possible to have really vivid dreams? Like, so vivid that your body feels like it actually happens?”
Janelle chuckles. “Girl, of course it’s possible. It happens to me all the time! Like flying through the air right? And then when you wake up, you’re disoriented and dizzy?”
I squint.
“No, that doesn’t happen to me actually. I don’t dream that particular dream.”
She nods knowingly.
“Then the one where you’re walking down the school hallway naked, and people are pointing and laughing, right? Most people are embarrassed, but Olls, I love that dream. It turns me on to be naked in front of people.”
I start laughing uncontrollably.
“OMG, you’re so crazy Janelle, but yeah, something sort of like that.”
She cocks her head to one side.
“Really? What is it?”
I take a deep breath.
“Basically, I had a sex dream last night, and it was incredible, Janelle. It featured this guy I met the other day, a mechanic, and he showed up in my room and started having sex with me. I swear, the dream felt more real than anything I’ve ever experienced and I definitely came hard in my sleep. Not only that, I woke up, and my body feels all sore.”
Janelle doesn’t even blink.
“And your pussy feels like you were thoroughly fucked?”
“How’d you know?” I gasp.
“Because I’ve been there! I’m telling you, I have those dreams too, except that it’s Vin Diesel in bed with me. Vin Diesel may be kind of short but trust me, he’s not small in the sack. At least, not in my dreams. He satisfies me really good most nights, and I’m walking wobbly the next day.”
I nod.
“So you don’t think I’m crazy?”
Janelle shakes her head.
“Not at all, Olls. If anything, I’m happy for you because those are good dreams. I mean, we all deserve to have some fun in life, and why not while we’re sleeping too?”
I nod.
“It was just so realistic, that’s all,” I say in a slow tone. “It was incredibly vivid. Like, my bed felt like it was moving and everything, and I feel like I could even hear the mattress squeaking. Plus, I’m so, so sore today.”