In no time at all Aiva stood in her mother’s room, somewhere she had never been while awake. Somehow she knew that this was real and not something her imagination had fabricated. Susan was sitting before a massive vanity, putting on her face in the most simplistic of literal terms; multitudes of makeup laid out.

              The Smile was already in place.

              Hatred erupted within Aiva like she had never felt before. Aiva detested that Smile and she wished that she could get rid of it for good. To never again have to look at her mother’s too straight teeth!

              The room began to fade but her mother didn’t seem to notice how her surroundings waned. She kept on smiling, holding up different pieces of jewelry for inspection.

              But then Susan’s expression did begin to change. As Aiva wished the Smile to Nothing her mother’s mouth began to dissolve.

              She had a look of panic in her eyes as they landed on her daughter’s reflection. She spun and her gaze bore into Aiva as her mouth completely vanished.

              Aiva woke with a small yelp. Darkness lay over her room in the quiet manner of early mornings. Thankfully the bed was securely beneath her. She looked around to find that nothing was out of place. Leaning bac into her pillows she sighed, heart still racing. She felt unsure if she was happy about having dreams.

              In her search for something to occupy her mind other than the disturbing nightmare her frayed thoughts only landed on the next day; leaving home and going to school. She couldn’t even pretend that she’d be able to focus on reading. Journaling out this dream felt like the next best option, but the intensity of it daunted her. She wasn’t sure where to even begin with writing this one out and it had hit strangely close to home. Intensely personal in a way the others hadn’t been.

              With the lack of a focal anchor scenarios circled in her head of every way that her first day of school could go wrong. Aiva tried to reassure herself; family would be there to help smooth the transition. But the vision of her sitting in her wheelchair next to the tall gorgeous divas did nothing to help her find solace.

              If Mabry were still there, she would be able to calm Aiva’s nerves. Her friend would have known what to say. Aiva tossed and turned, wondering. Where did they live now? What was Miss Juliet doing for work? What was Mabry up too? What did these dreams mean? What was school going to be like? Would she make any friends? What would the classes be like? Was Mabry mad at her? Did Mabry hate her? There was no order as the questions fell through her mind. She couldn’t get them to slow down.

              The room brightened, little by little. Aiva did not hear her mother as the woman approached the door but watched as Susan crossed the room in the half light the morning offered. She opened the curtains with a flourish, letting in some more of the sun’s rays, illuminating the room.

              Aiva tried not to think of the dream.

              “We have a lot to get done this morning Aiva darling.” Susan turned. 

              For a moment Aiva simply stared, before lunging for her glasses. She threw them on with such haste they settled lopsided across her nose.

              Susan’s usually carefully curled hair was pulled back with a pink headband and appeared unwashed. Her feet were slippered and a wrinkled silken robe hung from her shoulders.

              She’d never before seen her mother in such a state.

              But it was her face that Aiva fixated on; soft, with a few wrinkles creased around her features. Her eyes were wide and had dark circles under them. Without make up on, Aiva realized that her mother had just as many freckles as she. There was no Smile. Susan looked more pleasant without it’s splitting presence.

              “Hurry darling.” She sounded the same as before, and did not notice her daughter’s gaze as she snapped her fingers.

              A Richard entered and positioned Aiva’s wheelchair.

              The girl dutifully swung her legs over the side of the new bed. She could not pry her eyes away from her mother as she positioned herself.

              “Bring in the suitcases. In the large one I want you to put her extra blankets as well as her winter coats. When you’re done with that, empty out her wardrobe into the second largest. Make certain not to wrinkle anything. The small one is for her bathroom utensils, and place her toys and books into that duffel.”

              Aiva was snapped from her shock by the crisp, and very normal way Susan spoke. “Mother, I don’t think we need to pack my entire room—"

              “Nonsense darling.”

              “—and isn’t there a uniform I’m supposed to wear?”

              Susan didn’t respond, too busy overseeing the preparations for her daughter’s departure. For the duration, Aiva never once saw the Smile return. Nor did her mother fix her hair or put on makeup.

              She allowed Aiva to pick out a book for her drive through the city. The girl thought to read one given to her by Miss Juliet. About Mayan mythology next, but she was unable to find it. She wheeled herself to the bedroom door as a Richard stepped up from the last of the stairs to grab more bags.

              “Little miss?” He inquired.

              “Are you sure my books were placed in the duffel?”

              “Yes miss, all there.”

              “And every one of them was packed, you didn’t leave any behind? Haven’t forgotten even one?”

              “No miss, your mother’s orders were very clear. Everything of yours was to go with you.”

              The Richard moved past her into the now barren room.

              “If you’ll wait a minute miss, I’ll be right back to help you down to the car.”

              “Yes.” Was her off handed reply as she contemplated her missing book, as well as the many other missing items, including the vanishing bed.

              She thought of them as her mother said goodbye in a distracted sort of way and all the way down to the car. Her musings were interrupted as the iron gates opened. Someone on the sidewalk caught her attention as they eased into the street—a woman walking by with dark curly hair.

              “Miss Juliet?” Aiva exclaimed and shifted herself closer to the window. She was about to tap on the glass partition and tell—no order—the Richard to pull over, when the woman stopped and turned. It wasn’t Miss Juliet Fox after all, but a lady with similar hair who was talking on her cell.

              Aiva leaned back in her seat, disheartened and wishing she had her book.