For being a weekday during the summer, our manager sure had a lot of employees working the day shift. There had to be at least six of us [normally there would be three], and even an ex-employee was there. This morning there was total choas. All of the candy in our candy case was completely disorganized and miscounted [the managers are a stickler for inventory, everything must be counted and logged into the computers], there was no popcorn, and for nothing being ready, there were a lot patrons throughout the lobby apparently going to see movies that wouldn't start for another hour. I remember running around the concession stand like a mad woman, trying to help everyone with their individual tasks before settling on one of my own, putting the soda tower together and organizing the candy.
As I was trying to decifer why on earth there would be 20 bags of each kind of candy messily thrown into the display case, a sports cap, khaki and black and color, was thrown onto the glass. Tearing my eyes away from all the Peanut M&M wrappers, I look up and see one of my co-workers [and good friend,] Derek standing next to me.
"What's this," I asked, puzzled, picking up the indicated accessory and inspecting it.
"Something for you," he replied.
I turn the hat over and written inside is a note for me:
Liz,
I hope you enjoy the hat. Everything is cool now between us. I miss you.
Michael
I tried not to fall over in shock.
"Where on earth did you get this?" I ask him, trying my best to hide the surprise in my voice.
Derek smiled and turned around, pointing to the back of the lobby.
"He told me to give it to you."
Leaning against the north satallite [a mini-concession stand in the back of our lobby] with a huge, dopey grin on his face, was Michael. He raised his hand and gave me a small wave. I distinctly remember seeing him wearing headphones, and they were red in color. I slowly walk out of the stand and begin running toward him. He laughed and mockingly began to step backwards, but I was gaining speed and soon I flung my arms around him, resulting in a half pounce, half hug.
"Oh my God! I can't believe you're here! This is so weird! What on earth! How the hell did you get here?"
"I scuba-dived my way to Michigan."
[Now I'm really trying not to collapse to the ground in a heap of shock.]
"Scuba-dived...? Uh--"
"All my friends said I couldn't do it. But I thought it would be fun. I learned when I was younger and I decide I would personally deliver your gift," he interrupted with another huge, dopey grin.
"Oh my."
I leaned into him and slipped my arms around his waste.
"It's good to see you again," I murmered softly.
He sighed in content.
"Well, it's lovely that showed up, but unfortunately, I have to get back to work. There is choas in the concession stand and I have to finish helping customers and organazing the candy. How long will you be staying?"
"That's fine. I'll just go over to your place and see Jenny. I'll stay overnight and bunk on the couch or something."
I was only a little annoyed that he "invited" himself to stay at my place considering our circumstances.
"Uhm, I'm not exactly sure that will be a good idea. I don't think Jenny will be thrilled to see you."
"Don't worry about it, I'm closer to Jenny than I am to you, she won't mind my showing up."
I wrinkled my nose at that, and I must admit, I was a bit taken aback. [I suppose my expression showed that, but he payed no mind.]
"Well, alright, I guess I'll see you later," I told him and began to walk back toward the stand. Once inside, I see none other than Jenny walking through the doors. I rush out to meet her.
"You will not believe this. Michael is here. He came to visit us and is on his way over to the apartment to see you! He has it in his mind that he's going to spend the night on our couch."
Jenny's face registered shock at this as well, but she is able to hide her emotions a lot better than I can.
"Wow," was her reply.
The next thing I know I'm back inside the stand talking to Derek, telling him it's stupid of our managers to have so many people working the day shift when we clearly have no business. I suggested one of us should just go home.
"Why don't you go? There's really no need for you here. You can leave, it'll be fine."
"Are you sure, Derek?"
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
Usually, one is supposed to report the managers if they are leaving. Or, a manager will tell one of us someone could be sent home. We decide who that person is going to be, and then they OK it. I decided to take it upon myself to OK it and walked out the door. Totally unlike me.
The next thing I remember is driving home in my car, except the city I'm driving in is very suburbanish, not unlike Lansing, our state's capitol. I see three ex-friends of mine who I went to high school with, and I stop to talk with them. I felt very uncomfortable, because we parted on bad terms before I moved to Michigan. But, they pressure me to have dinner with them. We were sitting in a parking lot, and now it's night. Strange men kept walking by my car, sitting in the passenger side offering me strange things, to which I denied. At one point I step out of my car and I suppose I forgot to put it in "park," and it starts wheeling over to another parked car and takes off a part of it's bumper, yet the cars didn't really crash. I was mortified, but one of these strange men told me it wasn't that big of a dent, and to just drive away. So I did.
I finally make it home to find Michael sleeping on my couch, yet the only thing I remember after that is being in a department store trying on satin pajamas. This may have been another dream entirely, but my dreams do tend to jump in different directions for no apparent reason. Nothing ever came of Michael and I.
