Dream Wanderers: A New Set of Rules

Two rotations after the Partnering, Gren still refused to speak to Lawson. At first she had noticed others whispering behind her back, but the fallout was starting to die down. It didn't matter if others didn't care anymore. She cared, she was angry-and she wanted to make sure Lawson realized it.

Most of all, Gren was dreading their next class with Hutch. She wasn't sure whose dream would be wandered; she hoped it wouldn't be hers. She waited until the last possible micro before trying to slip in the back door.

"I knew I'd find you here!" Lawson said with a little bit of satisfaction as he jumped out in front of her.
"Big surprise-we have a class," Gren replied, trying to move around him. He stood solidly in her way.

"I'm not moving until you talk to me," Lawson said.
"I'm not going to talk to you, so we'll miss class and both get thrown out of the program," Gren shot back. "Just what your parents would have wanted." She immediately regretted the remark. "Lawson, I'm sorry, that was totally uncalled for."

Lawson looked sad. "No, you're right. I would have been a disappointment to my parents."
Gren was exasperated. "I didn't say that. And don't turn this around and make it about my hurting you. You embarrassed me in public. You"

Lawson moved as close as he could to Gren without touching her. "This has nothing to do with my embarrassing you. I made you feel like our partnering didn't matter. I'm sorry. Being your partner and your friend is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Gren looked Lawson in the eyes. "Why couldn't you have said that on the stage?"
"Because...well...they are going to need luck. Especially if they stay together as long as we have and start to realize-"

"We're going to be late for class," Gren interrupted. "Upsetting Hutch right now is probably not a good idea."

The two partners silently entered the classroom and took their seats. Hutch looked up from the papers in front of him but didn't say a word. The silence soon grew to an uncomfortable level. "So, who gets their dream wandered today?" Lawson asked at last.

"It's your turn," Gren spit out. She was still upset with Lawson, just not as much as before.
"Neither of you, at least not yet," Hutch answered. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Lawson asked innocently.

"Don't play stupid with me," Hutch instructed. "Let me ask you both flat out: Can you still handle it?"
"Handle what?" Gren asked, although she knew.
"It's not too late to change," Hutch told them. "There's no shame in changing partners. A lot of Blues do in their last orbit. I know that a big deal has been made about your being the first male/female partnering to make it this far; but that just goes to show how difficult it is."

"I don't think it's any more difficult with Lawson than it would be to start over," Gren replied truthfully. "He knows me better than anyone. Calli and Tayo share my room, and I watch them struggle to get to form a partnership that's not even close to what I have with Lawson."

"Good answer, Gren," Hutch told her. "You're excused. I'll see you in two rotations. Lawson, you and I need to talk-man to man."

Gren glanced back at Lawson as she left the room. Suddenly, all of her anger was replaced with fear. They were going to be split up. She knew it.

"Do you know why we have the rules that we have?" Hutch asked Lawson. "No, sir," he replied quietly.
"Neither do I," Hutch said lightly, "but they're Ladinda's rules, and so we have to follow them. I'm sure she has good reasons." He unlocked the cabinet and took out a bottle of tonic. "Let's try an experiment. This isn't the same sleep tonic we usually use. This one won't induce nightmares. In fact, this is the tonic that licensed Dream Wanderers use about half of the time. You'll learn all about it when you're an apprentice. Hop on the table. I'm going to wander your dream."

Lawson nervously approached the dream table. He didn't like what was happening at all. "Do I have to?"
"I won't hurt you, I promise. And yes, you have to. Unless you'd rather be have Ladinda wander." Lawson sat on the table and drank the contents of the bottle.

Hutch sat down next to the table. "Not bad, huh? It's a lot better than the swill you usually have to drink. Okay, Lawson, you know what to do. Close your eyes and relax."
Lawson lay down and closed his eyes. He felt different than normal. He didn't realize he was dreaming, even when he heard Hutch's voice.

"Walk forward," Hutch ordered. His voice was calm yet filled with authority. "Keep going. You're almost at the lake. You know how much you like the lake. It's the most beautiful spot on campus."

Lawson did as he was told. Soon the lake was in view.
"Look, up ahead. It's Gren! You really need to talk to her, tell her you're sorry for embarrassing her."

"I don't see her," Lawson said.
"She's over there, behind that tree," Hutch continued. "The one Titus is standing in front of. Calli and Tayo are there, too. I wonder why they're standing in a line like that. It's almost like they're guarding something."
Lawson's friends stood in front of him, blocking the tree. "Let me by," he said. "I need to talk to Gren."
"Sorry, can't do that," Titus replied in a voice that sounded a lot like Hutch. "Sham asked me to keep everyone away."

"Sham? What does Sham have to do with anything? He's not even here. And where's Gren? I really need to apologize to her."
"Go away," Titus/Hutch said loudly.
"No!"

"Go around to the other side," Hutch, back in wandering mode, recommended. "Fake them out. Then you'll be able to see Gren."

Lawson pretended he was going to leave, but ran around Calli and made it behind the tree. There he saw Gren. He stopped and stared for a few micros. Gren was with Sham. They were kissing. "No!" Lawson screamed.
Sham let go of Gren. "Why not?" he asked, his voice sounding a lot like Hutch.

"It's against the rules," Lawson reminded him, not sure what else to say. Sham/Hutch laughed. "Haven't you heard? Ladinda changed the rules. That ‘no physical contact with students of the opposite gender' rule? It's gone! So Gren and I are planning on doing a lot of touching-"
"You can't," Lawson said. "Not with Gren."

"Why not with Gren? She's pretty, funny, smart, and a lot of fun to be with. I'm surprised you didn't think of it yourself." Sham turned back toward Gren. "Now where were we?"

"No!" Lawson screamed again.
"Why not?" Sham/Hutch asked for a third time. "You still haven't given me a good enough reason."
"Because I'm in love with her!" Lawson yelled at the top of his lungs. "Okay? I'm in love with Gren!"

Hutch sighed as he gently shook Lawson. "Sit up slowly, son. This tonic takes a little bit longer to wear off."
Lawson looked at Hutch. "That was cruel."
"That," Hutch said, "is the power of a licensed Dream Wanderer. I needed information and I manipulated your dream until I found it. I'm sorry I had to do that to you. And I'm sorry for my recommendation."

A unit later, Gren and Lawson sat in Ladinda's office. Hutch stood behind them. Ladinda sat at her desk. Gren tried not to cry; she knew it would only hurt her case. Lawson stared at his feet.

"I think," Ladinda said cheerfully, "it's partly my fault. I was so happy we had a boy/girl partnering make it all the way to Blue that I didn't pay attention to the dynamics of your relationship. I truly regret that. I believed it was working."

"It is working," Gren said boldly. She knew better than to question Ladinda's wisdom, but she couldn't believe that Lawson might no longer be her partner.
Ladinda smiled. "You're proving my point, my dear. The problem is that there are no open Blue partners right now. You both show so much potential; I want you to continue practicing. So this is what we're going to do. You can remain partners, for now, until something else opens up. But there will be a special set of rules for you both to follow. You can walk to and from classes together as long as someone else is present. You can sit at the same table at mealtime but not next to each other. And you can be together for any event that requires you to be with your partner. But that's it. I don't want you to be alone with each other-ever. No more walks, no more sitting under the trees, no more time at the lake if the other one is there, even with a group. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison.
"Lawson," Ladinda continued, "you'll need to find another place to spend breaks for the rest of this orbit."
Lawson opened his mouth to protest. "But-"

"It's better than being thrown out of the program." Ladinda leaned forward. "We'll be keeping an eye on both of you. If I see any violations of the rules, you'll both be expelled. That includes almost touching and pretending it's an accident, as I've noticed you have a tendency to do. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they replied again.
Ladinda stood up. "Good. Lawson, you may escort Gren back to the female dormitory, so the two of you will have one last time to discuss how unfair my rules are. You're both dismissed."

The End.

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