Vintage Vera

I woke up to the smell and sounds of crackling bacon.I got out of Morgan's bed and walked to the kitchen.

"Good morning, sleepy-head!" Morgan flipped the egg in the pan. The oil sparked out of the pan, landing on Morgan's arms. She didn't wince or even jerk back. Morgan had a great tolerance for pain and heat. It scared me sometimes...

I mumbled my good morning and walked to the table, still half asleep.

"You have some explaining to do, Missy," Morgan placed my breakfast platter in front of me.

Morgan was a marvelous cook! I guess Morgan's Spanish heritage payed off in more ways than one. My plate carried two eggs. The yolks unintentionally, stared at me. A curled bacon strip and a short sausage link. On the side was Morgan's infamous hot salsa. And to scoop it all up, she made homemade flour tortillas. I'm telling you....Morgan is the bomb-diggity!

"About?" I scrambled my eggs whites with the watery yellow yolks.

"Your nightmares, Vera. They're starting to worry me." She placed her plate on the wood table and sat down. Her white hair was pulled in a little Pebble's bun. It bobbed back and forth on her head.

"They aren't nightmares. Why do you say that?" I tore a piece of my tortilla and shoved eggs into my mouth.

She stared at my sloppy eating. "They sound like nightmares to me. You screaming and grunting a-and saying God-knows-what!"

I choked on my egg as she said that last part... Did I say anything too explicit? I shoved my ignorant thoughts into the box in my head and asked, "What do I say?"

"Honestly... I have no fucking clue-whatsoever." She jumbled up her eggs and salsa together. Morgan also had to have something spicy to eat. She wouldn't eat anything if it didn't heat up her mouth enough. I mean, to the point where she carries a bottle of cayenne pepper in her purse.

I sighed in relief. Okay... She didn't hear anything weird.

Morgan continued, "But... If I didn't know better," she placed a fork-full of eggs into her mouth. "It sounded like you were either being raped by a cannibalistic pedophile or having one hell of a sex dream!"

I couldn't help but laugh at Morgan's first illustration. "Cannibalistic...? Pedophile."

"That's what it sounded like! Just saying, man." She stared at me for a long while, trying to find an answer on my face.

She became restless and a said, "So?! What are you dreaming about?"

I dipped a piece of bacon in the salsa and saturated it. I deliberately stalled answering her. What do I tell her, you know? Will she get mad? Will she hate me? What am I thinking?! It's Morgan! Of all people, she'll understand. Right?

"Michael. The dreams are-" I exhaled, pausing. "They're about Michael." I trailed off and shoved the rest of the bacon in my mouth. With some eggs....

Morgan smiled so wide, her cheeks pushed some of the food through her teeth. And I was the sloppy one?

"What?" I said with my mouth full.

She swallowed what she held and giggled.

"What?!" I kicked her knee from under the table, now increasingly agitated.

"That's so cute! My mija growing up and fantasizing about a man she met a week ago!" She squealed uncontrollably and jumped up and down in her chair. She looked like a little girl getting what she so desperately wanted for Christmas. "Wait?! So you've been dreaming about Michael eating you for the past week?" She tried to be amusing by obviously ignoring the other possibility.

I sat there, mid-chew, frozen.

She grabbed for my hand, squeezed. She squealed, "Story time! Andale, Vera! Dime? Tell me about your dreams." She mixed in some Spanish in there. I've grown accustomed to her Spanish. I'm learning a bit myself...

I laughed. "No! Not in detail... I'll summarize it?"

She sat back in her seat pouting, a little disappointed. But, none the less, she agreed.

"We do things I didn't know could be done. He's probed every hole I've got. Not in a bad way, of course... But in every dream I have of him, I always shoot out of my bed when I'm about to enjoy the full glory of my orgasms." I said... Maybe a little to seriously. I had that problem. I was so used to reading anatomy books that when I spoke, I spoke technically. Like if it came straight out from a book. I don't think before I speak... so whenever it comes out... It sounds weird.

At first, Morgan sat, wide-eyed. Gradually registering the words I used. Then, she reacted. She laughed pounding her white-knuckled fist on the table. She swayed left to right, turning a violet purple.

"What! Why are you laughing?" I sat there about to let my tears run through.

She slowly caught her breath. "You're horny, honey!"

I blushed. Is that really why? Am I....horny?

"Don't say it like that, Morgan! I already feel as bad as it is. I can't even text the guy without getting so nervous!" I pushed my plate away, losing my appetite. That's saying a lot, when you're pushing Morgan's food away.

"Vera..." She sighed reaching for my hand. I jumped out of my chair before she could reach it. I grabbed my plate and dumped it into the sink. The clank of the dish ware echoed throughout the house. I stayed by the sink.

"You're growing up, Vera. It's normal." She giggled a bit but got serious. "Honestly... I think he could be good for you."

I shot Morgan a look. She slowly walked towards me. She was in a green tank-top, lacy black boy shorts, and a flimsy gray kimono.

"I mean... You can't stay little forever. You can't hide in your head all the time! God! You turned 25 when you were only 14! You're in college at 17! You're different. Metaphorically, you're an adult. You're more of an adult than I am." She paused taking in a deep breath, in front of me, and continued.

"Your mind suffers from your body's conflicting emotions. Let your emotions flow through you and do something about it."

I looked at her. I was speechless. She's right though. My maturity does make me suffer. It tells me to wink at a man for once, but I'm scared. I don't want people to think of me differently. Everyone praises my innocence and they joke about how oblivious I can be. I'm perturbed. I don't know what to think or say to the worried woman before me.

"I'm scared. Morgan. I'm really scared you'd think of me different."

She pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. Morgan was really tall. I was about 5'9' and she has to be about 6''. Yeah...we're tall... "I won't, baby. No one will. It's okay."

I nodded. She let go and cheered up, "Go on! Text the man! Live out of your head." She slapped my ass and jogged back to her plate. "Ask him out?" She ate the rest of her plate.

I should call him. Right?

Before I made it completely to my room, I heard my phone ringing.