Lost in the High School Lobby of Tiny Coffee Shops

Lost in the High School Lobby of Tiny Coffee Shops

I woke up feeling like I’d just missed a train, and then I remembered the dream. I was standing in the lobby of my old high school, but the lockers were all replaced by tiny coffee shops. I was late for a meeting with Maya – the girl I used to date in sophomore year, who I hadn’t seen in years. I was wearing a suit that was way too big, and my shoes squeaked with every step. When I finally found her, she was sitting at a table that looked like the cafeteria but had a modern espresso machine humming. She smiled, but I could barely hear her over the noise of a distant hallway that seemed to stretch forever. I tried to hand her a paper I’d been holding, but it turned into a crumpled receipt for a movie we never watched. She laughed, and I felt a wave of relief mixed with embarrassment. Then the bell rang, and I realized I’d left my phone in the restroom, which was now a hallway that kept looping back to the same stall. I woke up just as I was about to turn the corner.