In Her Dreams

Sometimes Summer dreams.

She doesn't dream about sugar and spice; she doesn't dream about perfection – because nobody's life is perfect. At least not in Newport Beach.

Summer dreams crazy, muddled-up dreams.

Her dreams go by in flashes. They're not continuous; each scene last mere seconds. They're recurring dreams, however, and if Summer were to ever remember them, she'd probably go into one of her so-called rage blackouts. Not that she really has rage blackouts. She just uses that as an excuse when she's being… temperamental.

They always start out the same way. There's a quick flicker of her family, before the divorce of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, actually looking happy, and a five-year-old Summer grinning insanely.

Flash

An array of animals then flash by, one by one. A puppy, a horse, a shark, a squirrel, a sea gull.

Flash

Then it's Summer's childhood. Visions of blue teddy bears and tan plastic horses flash by. Norfin Trolls and Barbie Dolls, a ballerina Norfin and Mermaid Barbie.

Flash

Faces of people in her life. Her father, her mom. Her stepmother. Marissa, Seth, Ryan. Luke and Holly, the rest of her old friends. And Anna, oddly enough.

Flash

Random things. A coffee mug, a polka dotted dress, red dice, white gloves.

Flash

Clips of media. The Golden Girls, something with Russell Crowe, The Sixth Sense, WB shows, and Beverly Hills 90210.

Flash

Herself being rolled into a waiting room, cradling a baby in her arms. People she knows and love are around her. Ryan and Marissa, who both have wedding bands on their fingers. Anna standing next to Luke, her arm linked in his. Seth is standing next to her, a barely visible tear of joy rolling down his cheek.

Flash

Everything always goes black before Summer wakes up. A short dream that she never remembers.

The next day at school would always be like the rest.

"Hi Summer."

"Cohen."

"That's no way to talk to your future husband."

"In your dreams, Cohen."

Except for the fact that it was in her dreams, too.

end