Brain normally had no trouble paying attention to Mr. Ratburn's science
lectures, especially when the topic was something as exciting as dewdrops.
Today, however, his mind kept drifting away from the lesson, and back to his
bizarre, memorable dream...
"That was so strange," he thought. "Not only was I in Muffy's body, but I managed to convince myself that I really was Muffy, and a mental illness was causing me to think I was Alan. Yes, it was a perfectly logical conclusion, but still, it's so funny and weird..."
"Now," said Mr. Ratburn, turning to the class, "who can tell me what condensation is?"
Muffy raised her hand.
"Yes, Muffy?"
"Condensation is the process by which evaporated water in the air attaches itself to a cool surface and forms water droplets."
The other kids stared at Muffy in wonder. Brain cast her a brief, curious glance.
"Very good, Muffy," said Mr. Ratburn as he turned back to the board, chalk in hand.
"Uh...I've been studying with Brain," Muffy explained.
As Mr. Ratburn resumed his lecture, Brain mused on what he had just heard.
"That's exactly what she...I mean, what I said in my dream. But it can't be. Otherwise I'm predicting the future in my dreams, and that's a scientific impossibility. It's just like this morning, when she called me and asked the same math question that I did in my dream. It's deja vu. A simply explained phenomenon in which your mind tricks you into thinking that you've experienced the exact same thing twice."
A little while later, Brain stood in front of a canvas in art class, painting a crude image of a dinosaur. Arthur and Buster stood on each side of him, also painting.
Arthur glanced over at Brain and smiled. "Hey, Brain, why aren't you at the mall?"
Buster looked at Arthur and laughed so hard that he started to cough. When he recovered, he said to Brain, "Yeah, your clothes are sooo last year."
Brain stared blankly at the two boys.
"Sorry, Brain," said Arthur. "Muffy came up to us a while ago and..."
"...and told you she was really me," said Brain.
Arthur and Buster suddenly became serious. "Uh...right," said Arthur.
"Must be some kind of joke involving Sue Ellen's cursed statue," Brain muttered as he continued to paint.
Buster lowered his brush and looked at Brain grimly. "Uh...you really are Brain, right?"
Brain glowered at him. "How rude!" he squeaked facetiously.
----
As the school day lumbered to a close, Brain continued to marvel at how much the events he witnessed resembled his dream. Still, he told himself again and again, there could be no actual connection.
The final bell had sounded, and Mr. Ratburn's third-graders were on their way out of the school building. As Brain descended the stone steps, he saw Muffy at the curb, opening the door to her limousine.
She turned, saw Brain, and waved. "Uh, I'll see you, Brain," she said flatly.
This time, the similarity between Muffy's farewell and what Brain had said in his dream was so striking that Brain stopped dead in his tracks.
Then, without warning, somebody struck him in the back, sending him sprawling on the concrete...
He looked at the books and papers that had fallen out of his bag and scattered along the sidewalk, saw Muffy's limo pulling away, and then heard an apologetic voice...
"Oh, no! Brain, I'm so sorry!"
With a bit of effort Brain rolled over on his back, and saw a worried-looking Fern standing over him.
"Are you all right?" she said contritely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"I'm fine," said Brain as he sat up and started to collect his papers. "I shouldn't have stopped like that."
Wordlessly and hesitantly, Fern stuck out a hand.
"Hmm," Brain pondered silently, "I wonder..."
He reached out, put both hands around Fern's extended hand, and started to pull himself up...
...when Fern suddenly pulled back her hand and placed it over her mouth nervously. Brain lurched backwards and landed squarely on his posterior.
"Oof!" he grunted.
Fern started to apologize even more frantically. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I don't know why I did that..."
"Forget it," said Brain as he struggled to his feet. As soon as he reached a standing position, he bent over to retrieve his scattered books and papers.
But Fern bent over with the same intentions, and at the exact same time...
After an abrupt collision, both Brain and Fern were sprawled on the sidewalk, looking dazed.
Brain shook his head. "I think she's doing this on purpose," he said to himself. "It's like some sort of ritual mating dance. Or an extremely uninspired romantic comedy."
Brain and Fern slowly dragged themselves to their feet and faced each other.
"Let me help..." Fern began.
"You just stand there," Brain ordered. "I'll get my things."
As Brain bent over to retrieve his scattered items, Fern apologized profusely. "I'm really sorry. I'm just so awkward and clumsy..."
"This is nothing," said Brain as he picked up his science book and brushed off the dust. "Just wait until you hit puberty."
Finally Brain tucked his books and papers into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"I'm really sorry for bumping into you, Brain," said Fern contritely.
"I'll walk you home," Brain offered.
Fern gaped and started to stammer. "I...well...uh...I don't know..."
"You...do know how to get there, right?" Brain quipped.
Fern nodded weakly, turned, and headed down the sidewalk. Brain walked alongside her.
"It's really nice of you," Fern said. "I'm sorry for acting so weird, but when you offered to walk me home, I...I just..."
"...turned into a poodle of nerves?"
"That's right." Fern smiled. "But you meant to say puddle, didn't you?"
Brain and Fern talked back and forth for several blocks, and then arrived in front of Fern's house.
"Thanks a lot, Brain," said Fern as she walked toward the front door.
"You can call me Alan," said Brain.
Fern suddenly stopped and turned. "Okay...Alan," she said sweetly.
As Fern entered her house, Brain strolled down the sidewalk, smiling. "All in all," he told himself, "this has been a very good day."
----
After a hearty dinner and a game of basketball with Arthur, Buster, Binky, and George (during which Binky successfully blocked all of George's shots), Brain's very good day turned into a very good evening.
Dressed in his usual blue pajamas, Brain climbed into his bed, and his mother pulled the covers over him.
"Good night, Alan," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Pleasant dreams," she said knowingly.
"If they're anything like last night's," said Brain.
Mrs. Powers switched off the lights as she left the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Brain put his hands behind his head and smiled. "I wonder what I'll dream about this time. Maybe I'll dream that I'm Fern. That wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't have to do anything with my hair. I hope I don't dream that I'm Sue Ellen. I would look really stupid with hair puffs. And Jenna...oh, please, not her..."
Brain closed his eyes...
...and was awakened a split-second later by the sound of a cell phone ringing.
He didn't need to open his eyes to tell what had just happened to him. From his experience the previous night, the bodily sensations had become familiar.
"Oh my gosh," he mumbled. "Not again." As he feared and expected, the voice he heard was Muffy's.
Muffy/Brain jumped from the water bed, switched on the lights, and stepped in front of the full-length mirror. She looked just like she had at the end of the last dream, except that her hair was somewhat tangled.
She sighed. "Is this going to happen every night?"
The cell phone continued to ring. She rushed over to the end table, picked it up, and pushed the receive button. "Hello?"
The voice she heard was The Brain's. "Hi, Muffy. Or should I say Alan?"
Muffy/Brain became exasperated. "Would you mind telling me what's going on? I assume that's why you're calling in the first place. So is this another dream, or what?"
"Stay calm," said Brain's voice. "If it's a dream, it's a very long one. But it may be something else. I'm still trying to figure things out."
"What day is this?" asked Muffy/Brain as she brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"May 13th," said Brain's voice.
"At least it's not May 12th again," said Muffy. "I'd hate to have to go through that day a third time."
Then a thought struck Muffy...
"Wait a minute," she continued. "I went through May 12th twice. The first time I was Muffy, and the second time I was myself. Does that mean I have to go through May 13th twice?"
"Apparently," Brain's voice answered.
"But that means...that means I'm about to go through May 13th the first time, and you're about to go through it the second time."
"You got it," said Brain's voice. "You know, for two people who have as much in common as you and I do, words shouldn't even be necessary."
Muffy/Brain's astonishment grew. "Alan, don't you know what that means? That's time travel! You're in my future!"
"That's right. Everything that will happen to you today has already happened to me."
"Don't tell me anything," said Muffy soberly. "Don't interfere with the timeline."
"I wasn't going to," said Brain's voice. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise..."
Muffy/Brain heard snickering on the other end of the line, and became annoyed. Then another thought struck her.
"Alan," she said quietly, "something just occurred to me."
"I know," said the voice on the cell phone.
"If you're Alan, and I'm Alan..."
"Yeah?"
Muffy/Brain's voice started to quiver. "Then what happened to Muffy?"
(To Be Continued...)
"That was so strange," he thought. "Not only was I in Muffy's body, but I managed to convince myself that I really was Muffy, and a mental illness was causing me to think I was Alan. Yes, it was a perfectly logical conclusion, but still, it's so funny and weird..."
"Now," said Mr. Ratburn, turning to the class, "who can tell me what condensation is?"
Muffy raised her hand.
"Yes, Muffy?"
"Condensation is the process by which evaporated water in the air attaches itself to a cool surface and forms water droplets."
The other kids stared at Muffy in wonder. Brain cast her a brief, curious glance.
"Very good, Muffy," said Mr. Ratburn as he turned back to the board, chalk in hand.
"Uh...I've been studying with Brain," Muffy explained.
As Mr. Ratburn resumed his lecture, Brain mused on what he had just heard.
"That's exactly what she...I mean, what I said in my dream. But it can't be. Otherwise I'm predicting the future in my dreams, and that's a scientific impossibility. It's just like this morning, when she called me and asked the same math question that I did in my dream. It's deja vu. A simply explained phenomenon in which your mind tricks you into thinking that you've experienced the exact same thing twice."
A little while later, Brain stood in front of a canvas in art class, painting a crude image of a dinosaur. Arthur and Buster stood on each side of him, also painting.
Arthur glanced over at Brain and smiled. "Hey, Brain, why aren't you at the mall?"
Buster looked at Arthur and laughed so hard that he started to cough. When he recovered, he said to Brain, "Yeah, your clothes are sooo last year."
Brain stared blankly at the two boys.
"Sorry, Brain," said Arthur. "Muffy came up to us a while ago and..."
"...and told you she was really me," said Brain.
Arthur and Buster suddenly became serious. "Uh...right," said Arthur.
"Must be some kind of joke involving Sue Ellen's cursed statue," Brain muttered as he continued to paint.
Buster lowered his brush and looked at Brain grimly. "Uh...you really are Brain, right?"
Brain glowered at him. "How rude!" he squeaked facetiously.
----
As the school day lumbered to a close, Brain continued to marvel at how much the events he witnessed resembled his dream. Still, he told himself again and again, there could be no actual connection.
The final bell had sounded, and Mr. Ratburn's third-graders were on their way out of the school building. As Brain descended the stone steps, he saw Muffy at the curb, opening the door to her limousine.
She turned, saw Brain, and waved. "Uh, I'll see you, Brain," she said flatly.
This time, the similarity between Muffy's farewell and what Brain had said in his dream was so striking that Brain stopped dead in his tracks.
Then, without warning, somebody struck him in the back, sending him sprawling on the concrete...
He looked at the books and papers that had fallen out of his bag and scattered along the sidewalk, saw Muffy's limo pulling away, and then heard an apologetic voice...
"Oh, no! Brain, I'm so sorry!"
With a bit of effort Brain rolled over on his back, and saw a worried-looking Fern standing over him.
"Are you all right?" she said contritely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"I'm fine," said Brain as he sat up and started to collect his papers. "I shouldn't have stopped like that."
Wordlessly and hesitantly, Fern stuck out a hand.
"Hmm," Brain pondered silently, "I wonder..."
He reached out, put both hands around Fern's extended hand, and started to pull himself up...
...when Fern suddenly pulled back her hand and placed it over her mouth nervously. Brain lurched backwards and landed squarely on his posterior.
"Oof!" he grunted.
Fern started to apologize even more frantically. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I don't know why I did that..."
"Forget it," said Brain as he struggled to his feet. As soon as he reached a standing position, he bent over to retrieve his scattered books and papers.
But Fern bent over with the same intentions, and at the exact same time...
After an abrupt collision, both Brain and Fern were sprawled on the sidewalk, looking dazed.
Brain shook his head. "I think she's doing this on purpose," he said to himself. "It's like some sort of ritual mating dance. Or an extremely uninspired romantic comedy."
Brain and Fern slowly dragged themselves to their feet and faced each other.
"Let me help..." Fern began.
"You just stand there," Brain ordered. "I'll get my things."
As Brain bent over to retrieve his scattered items, Fern apologized profusely. "I'm really sorry. I'm just so awkward and clumsy..."
"This is nothing," said Brain as he picked up his science book and brushed off the dust. "Just wait until you hit puberty."
Finally Brain tucked his books and papers into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"I'm really sorry for bumping into you, Brain," said Fern contritely.
"I'll walk you home," Brain offered.
Fern gaped and started to stammer. "I...well...uh...I don't know..."
"You...do know how to get there, right?" Brain quipped.
Fern nodded weakly, turned, and headed down the sidewalk. Brain walked alongside her.
"It's really nice of you," Fern said. "I'm sorry for acting so weird, but when you offered to walk me home, I...I just..."
"...turned into a poodle of nerves?"
"That's right." Fern smiled. "But you meant to say puddle, didn't you?"
Brain and Fern talked back and forth for several blocks, and then arrived in front of Fern's house.
"Thanks a lot, Brain," said Fern as she walked toward the front door.
"You can call me Alan," said Brain.
Fern suddenly stopped and turned. "Okay...Alan," she said sweetly.
As Fern entered her house, Brain strolled down the sidewalk, smiling. "All in all," he told himself, "this has been a very good day."
----
After a hearty dinner and a game of basketball with Arthur, Buster, Binky, and George (during which Binky successfully blocked all of George's shots), Brain's very good day turned into a very good evening.
Dressed in his usual blue pajamas, Brain climbed into his bed, and his mother pulled the covers over him.
"Good night, Alan," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Pleasant dreams," she said knowingly.
"If they're anything like last night's," said Brain.
Mrs. Powers switched off the lights as she left the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Brain put his hands behind his head and smiled. "I wonder what I'll dream about this time. Maybe I'll dream that I'm Fern. That wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't have to do anything with my hair. I hope I don't dream that I'm Sue Ellen. I would look really stupid with hair puffs. And Jenna...oh, please, not her..."
Brain closed his eyes...
...and was awakened a split-second later by the sound of a cell phone ringing.
He didn't need to open his eyes to tell what had just happened to him. From his experience the previous night, the bodily sensations had become familiar.
"Oh my gosh," he mumbled. "Not again." As he feared and expected, the voice he heard was Muffy's.
Muffy/Brain jumped from the water bed, switched on the lights, and stepped in front of the full-length mirror. She looked just like she had at the end of the last dream, except that her hair was somewhat tangled.
She sighed. "Is this going to happen every night?"
The cell phone continued to ring. She rushed over to the end table, picked it up, and pushed the receive button. "Hello?"
The voice she heard was The Brain's. "Hi, Muffy. Or should I say Alan?"
Muffy/Brain became exasperated. "Would you mind telling me what's going on? I assume that's why you're calling in the first place. So is this another dream, or what?"
"Stay calm," said Brain's voice. "If it's a dream, it's a very long one. But it may be something else. I'm still trying to figure things out."
"What day is this?" asked Muffy/Brain as she brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"May 13th," said Brain's voice.
"At least it's not May 12th again," said Muffy. "I'd hate to have to go through that day a third time."
Then a thought struck Muffy...
"Wait a minute," she continued. "I went through May 12th twice. The first time I was Muffy, and the second time I was myself. Does that mean I have to go through May 13th twice?"
"Apparently," Brain's voice answered.
"But that means...that means I'm about to go through May 13th the first time, and you're about to go through it the second time."
"You got it," said Brain's voice. "You know, for two people who have as much in common as you and I do, words shouldn't even be necessary."
Muffy/Brain's astonishment grew. "Alan, don't you know what that means? That's time travel! You're in my future!"
"That's right. Everything that will happen to you today has already happened to me."
"Don't tell me anything," said Muffy soberly. "Don't interfere with the timeline."
"I wasn't going to," said Brain's voice. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise..."
Muffy/Brain heard snickering on the other end of the line, and became annoyed. Then another thought struck her.
"Alan," she said quietly, "something just occurred to me."
"I know," said the voice on the cell phone.
"If you're Alan, and I'm Alan..."
"Yeah?"
Muffy/Brain's voice started to quiver. "Then what happened to Muffy?"
(To Be Continued...)