Tami's already in the office when I get there. As I walk in, the office aid motions for me to sit in a chair as far as Tami as the small office allows.
I comply, but as soon as I sit Tami walks over and sits next to me. Her head finds it's way onto my shoulder.
"How's it going?"
Good.
"What are you here for then?"
Sleeping.
Tami laughs.
When I ask the same question as the later to Tami she sighs and tells me, "Because that damned bell keeps ringing before I get to class. Apparently the teacher lady doesn't like it."
For the first time today, I laugh.
The laughter is cut short by the office aid yelling at Tami to go back to her 'origonal seat'.
Leave it to an 80 yr old woman to get Tami to follow someone else command.

Minutes pass, then half an hour. Finally Tami is called in the Vice Principal's office.
Ten minutes later she comes out and throws a piece of paper into the trash.
"Saturday school." Tami; always one for explanations.
She asks if we'll meet after school, but I have no idea.
I tell her that too.
Tami shrugs and tells me to find her if we should, then she pushes open the office door and heads off.
Funny, for the first time today I realize it's back to summer's weather.

"I understand this is a hard time for you."
The Vice Principal is sitting behind an ornately decorated desk, letting his weight settle in a red tinted leather chair.
You have no idea you condescending liar.
Of course that's my private thought, which somehow becomes mutated into "yea..."
"The staff at this school..."
It's right around here that I find the man's voice no longer matches his lips. The word's sound as forgein as Greek, as any other langauge.
I don't say anything. Slowly, through the years, I've learned these people have speeches memorized. They pull the appropiate speech out of their memory banks when they are in need and disperse it to unsuspecting minds.
Take mine for example.
Before I realize it the detached words put me in a trance and I'm recalling memories of a childhood I hope is mine.
Fiction and reality are one in the mind's eye.
Suddenly the hypnotist is gone. My chair; replaced by a rusty death-trap-to-a-toddler swing. The potted plant that used to be on my left starts talking and slowly takes a shape.
"Seattle isn't that far."
I find myself shaking my head at Tami who's dangling her feet and spinning in her swing.
It takes awhile, but the location becomes familar. The swings belong to what used to be a church. Now both are discared husks of faith and affection.
Though, not neccasarily in that order.
Either way, it suits Tami and myself just fine.
"It can't be more then 700 miles."
I have no idea so I remain silent.
Does your voice matter in a flashback?
"It can't be that hard to get to."
"Your right," this coming from behind me and sounding vaguely familar.
I turn around and see myself walking from out behind a tree; I must have had the compulsion to use a bathroom that fails to exist in this rundown park. I walk up to me and tell myself, "Get out of my chair." I comply by standing up, then watch myself sit down next to Tami.
There's some subtle differences between myself and, well, I guess myself. The one of me sittong the rust crusted swing set has bags under his eyes. These look even darker on top of the pale skin I have. This in turn makes the chemical induced acne look all that much more sickly.
This is definately a memory from my days of using, if infact it's real.
"Don't be a dick to yourself": Tami.
"It's not my fault I don't have a spine and can't stand up for myself." This coming from the seated me who, after saying this, glares at me with disgust.
I can't stand myself sometimes.
"Well, it doesn't matter what you think of yourself, we know the truth." Sings in Tami, who giggles afterwards.
The seated version of myself grins knowingly.
I must have paled at this statement because Tami asks me "Are you alright?"
My answer is silence; all I can do after insulting myself in a flashback.
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, sorry Mr. Principal-person, I lost my concentration."
"Are you high?"
You should hear my laughter.

As the door shuts behind me the office aide turns and glares at me. At first I think that they may have heard my laughter. Then I see Tami.
She has her face pressed against the massive window, breathing heavily.
The aide informs me that she's been there since I went into the office. Laughter once again permeates from my body.
Outside the office, Tami tells me that I need to wait for her after school, then skips off towards her class. Halfway there she stops, turns around and skips back.
"Are you alright?"