The Dream.

Lydia grabbed a strand of hair, absently stuck it in her mouth, and began to suck on it. It was a nervous habit that she'd been trying to break for years. Nothing worked. It didn't help that this was her first day at Lawndale High, a brand-new school whose construction had only been finished the past summer. Lydia's previous high school had been over populated, so they built LH to send half the students to. Lydia was one of those students chosen. More than half her friends were not.

She walked through the halls by herself, searching for her locker. She couldn't remember if it was just to the left of that door, or the right... She paced back and forth in front of the two sets of lockers, trying desperately to remember. That was another fault of hers; she was forgetful.

Totally absorbed in her pacing and sucking, she didn't notice anyone coming down the hall.

English: "Midsummer Nights Dream Act IV Scene I--A...

James Campbell Percy and friends

James Marsden in "Enchanted"

She smacked right into someone. "Hey," a kind voice said. "Watch it."

Lydia looked up. And up. The strand of hair fell from her now open mouth to smack her cheek. Standing before her was nothing less than a Dream. "Hello," she whispered.

"Hi," laughed the Dream. It stuck out a hand. "I'm James. I'm new here."

She reached out to rest her hand in Its. She was touching It; she was touching the Dream! "Lydia," she heard herself say.

The Dream gave her hand a firm shake. "Looking for something Lydia?" It asked.

"Um, yeah, my locker."

"You new here too?"

"Everyone's new here, idiot," said another voice. There was someone with the Dream that Lydia hadn't noticed before. Upon further examination, she realized that she knew him. It was her second cousin Michael.

A sigh escaped her as she closed her...