We continued talking and laughing for a while but eventually the conversation hit on a subject that forced me back to the reality of the moment.
“We got out of school yesterday for the summer.” Joey announced.
“Really? We’ve been out since last Friday.” Jacquelyn said and then she asked me, “Are you out of school yet?” and almost in the same breath she asked, “Did you pass?”
I had been shoveling a spoon full of ice-cream into my mouth as she asked and in that instant my mind flashed back to that dreadful morning, the same morning I had been dreaming about every night since it happened. Suddenly I was back in my English class and hearing the Shore alarm blaring off in the distance.
“Alvin?” Jacquelyn called my name when she saw that I had spaced out for a moment.
“Huh? Oh sorry. What did you say?” I asked apologetically.