When we were young we were always asked what our dream for the future was. What we wanted to be. My classmates wanted to be an actor, an athlete, a mom, a chef. They wanted to famous and rich, to travel the world, to own a dog. Me? I wanted to be happy.

“To be a great basketball player of course,” Asher said. “I want to play in the big leagues, to have my name chanted by adoring fans. Just imagine, Asher Harving, MVP. Do you want my autograph now Ms. S? I’ll be worth millions when I get scouted.”

“I’ll take one when you get scouted Asher but let’s be serious here. Your grades are at the bare minimum to be considered for a scholarship. It doesn’t matter how great of a player is if you can’t play due to academic probation.”

“Get my grades up, got it. See you next time.”

“We’re not done yet,” she said but Asher had already left her office.

“Walk Asher,” one of the teachers warned and Asher slowed down to a speed walk.

“You’re late,” Karen said, leaning against Asher’s locker.

“I got here as fast as I could,” Asher panted, and check the time, “wait, I’m only thirty seconds late.”

“What’s the point of setting a meeting time if you don’t make it Asher?”

“We didn’t set one, you did and I never get mad when you’re late.”

“Whatever, I can’t deal with this anymore, let’s go to your place now.”

Asher walked down the street with Karen freezing. Karen who was also cold, took Asher’s jacket from him, leaving him with his sweater, hat, and scarf. Then she insisted on him removing his gloves so they could hold hands, which she said would be warmer than pockets or gloves, she was wrong but he had no way of telling her so.

“So what are we going to do when we get to your place?” Karen asked in a suggestive tone.

“Homework,” Asher said, “that’s what you said you wanted to come over for wasn’t it?”

“But after that?”

“I don’t know, it might be late, you should probably head home. Hey, can you walk a bit faster? It’s really cold.” Asher sped up and pulled Karen along with him.

The two made it inside and Asher made Karen side in the living room when he went to change, stressing that she didn’t need to and more importantly shouldn’t follow him into his room.

Asher let out a sigh of relief while he closed his door. He had already begun to take off his sweater when he made eye contact with an unknown girl staring at him awkwardly.

“What?” She said, her shocked face mimicking his.

“Ash?” Karen called out, footsteps making their way to his door. “Is there someone in your room?”

Asher looked at the unknown girl in shock then back at the door. He whispered a quick sorry as he threw her into his closet and slammed the door closed. He then ran to close the bedroom door that Karen was opening.

“It’s fine, a bunch of clothes were falling and it scared me. Now go back and let me change, please.”

“Alright.”

Asher managed to close the door and he made his way to the closet where the girl was hiding.

“Who are you?” She whispered a scream out at him.

“I should be asking you that. Why are you in my house?”

“This isn’t Rei’s place? She said the door was opened to her place and there was only one open door.”

“Oh,” Asher said, his demeanor changed to a happy one, “you’re Rei’s friend? I’m Asher but everyone calls me Ash.”

“Marie.”

“Ash?” Karen called again. “Are you sure you’re alone? I swear it sounds like you’re talking to someone.”

“Sorry,” Asher said as he closed the door on Marie.

“Wait,” she said, throwing him a different shirt to keep up with his act.

“Thanks.” Asher quickly changed into the t-shirt and threw his current sweater deep into his closet and closed the door. “Karen, what did I say about staying in the living room? Just let me change and we can finish the homework okay?”

“But as your girlfriend,” she stressed in case there was someone nearby, “I should know what’s going on in your life right? But you won’t even let me in your room.”

“Karen, we’re a door apart, I just want to change, it’s not that hard, now please,” Asher grunted as he tried to keep the door close.

“Are you sure there’s no one in there?”

“Who would be here? My parents are never home, Diego lost and got roped into helping Delancy shop, Isaac is getting tutored my Rosemond, and Rei is next door with her friend.” Asher tried to ignore the fact that every time he mentioned a female, Karen’s face dropped.

“Two minutes,” she said.

Asher ran back to his closet and covered Marie’s mouth and explained the situation in a very low whisper, “Rei lives next door and if the door’s locked, it means someone is home. You can get around that through the fire escape but that window is outside of my room. I’ll open the window and direct Karen away so you can sneak out. Since someone is home, just head down to the lobby and wait for Rei there.”

Marie nodded and prepared to get out and then she remembered, “My shoes.”

“Damnit, okay, where’s Rei?”

“She went back to the coffee shop, she should be back soon.”

“Okay, new plan, take this and wait on the fire escape. I’ll go meet Rei and tell her the situation.” Asher handed Marie two of his sweaters and headed outside.

“I’m just going to let some fresh air in,” Asher said to Karen.

“So what are we going to do now?” Karen asked.

“I don’t know you want to go for a walk? Let’s go out for a walk baby,” Asher grabbed Karen and the two headed outside.

“I don’t want to go for a walk,” Karen complained as they strolled outside in the cold. “I know of a more fun way to exercise.”

“Hey Rei!” Asher shouted before running over to one of his best friends. “Marie is waiting on the fire escape, she came into the wrong apartment, your place is locked and grab her shoes from my place.”

“Sorry and thanks.”

Karen quickly caught up when she saw Asher talking to Rei and tugged him forward. Asher quickly said goodbye and sped up his pace so that he could warm up. On the couple’s walk around the block, they walked past Diego and Delancy who had returned from their shopping trip.

“Hey Del, what’s with all the food?”

“You’ll see.”

“Asher,” Karen called. “It’s called a walk, not a walk for a few steps and talk, let’s get going shall we.”

“Bye guys.”

When the couple disappeared around the corner, the two friends started to gossip, “She’s something isn’t she?”

“Ash has done worse,” said Diego.

“Has it been three months yet?”

“We’re almost at the two month mark.”

“Did you have your meeting with the guidance counsellor yet?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, what kind of a question is ‘what is your dream?” Diego asked.

“A normal one? I said I wanted to be a fashion designer. You?”

My dream, it’s not possible but I guess that’s why it’s called a dream. My dream is to talk to my brother. It’s weird, I thought I knew him, he seemed so happy. He was telling me about how he got scouted in university and then a week later we got that call. Actually I change my dream, my dream is to go back in time and prevent my brother from taking his own life.