It’s dark, and my truck is speeding up and slowing down seemingly of it’s own accord. There’s a voice like that of a radio announcer surrounding me.

"Has your car ever been acting up so you run stop signs? And then you get pulled over despite the fact you’re afraid for your safety?"

I did just that; I ran a stop sign, turning left without stopping. Of course a cop tried to pull me over, but the sides of the road were rocky and eroded from the onslaught of rain.

I drove all the way to Makenna’s (my sister’s friend) house before I found a less rocky area for me to pull over. I was heading there anyway. I was going to her graduation party, which was odd since she was only in eighth grade, but I didn’t really think about it too much.

The cop pulled me over because I ran over a banana. He held the fruit up, which was surprisingly still intact. Apparently it was illegal to run over bananas but perfectly okay to run stop signs.

I felt a buzz in my pocket from my phone. People, my band friends, were making their way to Makenna’s party. That was also weird, since these were my friends and not hers. Her house was under construction, and was lit up from stadium lights overhead.

I looked at my phone. The text said “Nice Alex. Just saw u run ovr a banana. :P” It was from Ethan.

Then Ethan - of all people - came over and hugged me after my traumatic banana experience. And he put his arms around me as if we were still dating and that it was normal and everything. I didn’t question it, of course. In fact, I welcomed it.

"You silly," he said. "Who just runs over fruit without thinking?"

But he was smiling. So I smiled back and said that I do.

Suddenly, we were in Washington, D.C. with the band on a trip to see this fancy garden. We were waking and walking around and around this circular path. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there since I was quitting, so I tried to hide behind Ethan but Drinkwater spotted me anyway.

"Um, Alex, I’m sorry but we cannot be held accountable for the things you do so we need you to…"

I got it. So I left.

"You can keep walking," I told Ethan. "I’ll wait for you."

He nods, suddenly wearing his A&M hat.

I go back to the place where the band is staying. I suppose it’s a hotel, but it looks more like a big manor. There’s a sunroom filled to bursting with wooden folding chairs. I wedge my way through them, moving them out of the way. I just need to get to the grapes on the piano in the corner.

Finally, I reach the purple berries. I grab some and battle my way back through the chairs.

I make my way around several pools, jumping over landscaping and over the water. Finally I come to a circular table next to a small pond. The table is shaded by overhanging leaves, yet the trunk of the tree is nowhere in sight.

I decide to wait for Ethan to come back, so to pass the time, I start eating the grapes. They’re the most delicious grapes I’ve ever had, sweet and bursting with flavor. I begin to sing a little song about them, singing to myself. Some squirrels wander up to my feet, listening to my song. Then I start feeding them the grapes.

It’s been a long time, and I’m wondering when Ethan will come back. I stand on the table and start to call his name, and just as I see his hat start to come up over the hill, I wake up.