Pretend you’re her boyfriend.

With the way this dream feels right now, any move you make could push it towards a nightmare. You obviously don’t want that, but you also know that not committing to a course of action and being hesitant is certain failure.

You decide to be bold, hard as that may be.

Vivian said she didn’t have a boyfriend, and considering last night’s dream, you go with the boldest move you can think of.

Pretend to be her boyfriend.

Mr. Ortiz said that, as long as you believe it, others will, too.

You psyche yourself up, getting into the role.

You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend. You’re her boyfriend.

…

…

How the fuck does a boyfriend act!?

You’ve never had a girlfriend, you don’t know! You search your mind for all the different media you’ve consumed over the years, thinking of examples of relationships and there are very few that seem reliable.

That’s when it strikes you.

If Vivian’s never had a boyfriend, then she doesn’t know how this works, either!

Stupid as it may seem, that gives you a huge confidence boost.

You think of a couple of TV series you like, remember how relationships were portrayed there, tone it down a bit, and walk towards Vivian with all the confidence you can muster, hoping it’s enough.

Okay, the first step is always the hardest one, so if you can do this without fucking up, you’re golden. Remembering to be casual about it, you make your move.

“Vivi, there you are! I’ve been looking for you!” You say, jogging towards her. You call her by shortening her name, trying to stablish familiarity, hoping it doesn’t have the opposite effect. Vivian lifts her head and looks at you with a surprised expression. When you’re right next to her, you lean down…

…and kiss her.

It’s a casual, quick, two second peck on the lips. You did much more with her in the previous dream, so you’re confident about this, at least.

Vivian stares at you for a moment, completely shocked at what just happened. Then, as her face turns the color of her hair, the atmosphere around completely changes.

Everything feels light and joyful. The chatter of people becomes more cheerful and everything becomes just a little bit brighter.

Success!

“Sorry, am I late?” You ask. Your heart is pounding like crazy, like it never has before. It’s an amazing mix of nervousness and happiness, and the atmosphere of the dream tells you Vivian is feeling the same.

“It’s fine!” She giggles as she fidgets. “Don’t keep me waiting next time, though.”

She’s smiling! Holy shit she’s smiling! It’s the first time you’ve seen this girl so happy! The mood just keeps getting brighter and brighter to the point of elation.

It hits you like a truck, but the sight makes you realize shs not only has a sexy body, she’s super cute! Her reddened cheeks, her radiant smile and cute fidgeting are incredibly adorable.

Maybe the mood of the dream is getting to you, but right now, you feel happier than you’ve ever been. You can feel it in your face. You’re smiling from ear to ear like a fool.

“I won’t, I promise! So, do you have any place in mind you want to go?” You ask, instinctively reaching your hand out to her. She stares and hesitates for a moment, but then holds it tightly and stands up.

“Not really,” She admits. “Let’s just… walk around for a bit, okay?” She suggests, shyly looking at her feet but squeezing your hand.

“Sure.” You say, squeezing back.

You walk around the mall with Vivian, hand in hand. You’re both incredibly nervous and barely speak to each other, but it doesn’t go into awkward territory, fortunately. You can tell by the way she steals glances at you every so often that she’s having a good time, and honestly, so are you. This could easily pass as one of your own dreams.

You walk into a few shops, looking around without the intent of buying anything. At one point, however, Vivian stops to look at a white sundress with a red flower pattern. She stares at it intently and with a complex expression but doesn’t say anything.

After a few moments of watching her, you speak. “Do you want to try it on?”

Vivian is startled by your voice, as if she hadn’t realized she was staring so intently.

“N-No, it’s fine!” She says. “It’s ok. It wouldn’t look good on me, anyway.” She says with a sad smile.

Wow. So people can say stupid things even in their dreams.

“Are you crazy? It would look amazing on you!” You assure her.

“You’re just saying that to be nice,” She giggles, but you can tell there’s a lack of confidence in herself.

God dammit. This really is like looking at yourself back in high school, except that this is a beautiful girl instead of a nerd loser. It’s frustrating.

“Come on, try it on. I promise you, it’ll be so great YOU’LL make the dress look beautiful.” You tell her. This all feels so corny, but the hopeful look on Vivian’s face makes it worth it.

“I’ll make it beautiful?” She laughs. “What does that mean?”

“You’ll see what I mean when you do. Try it on!” You encourage.

Vivian bites her lip in contemplation, but eventually gives in. “Okay, I’ll do it.” She nods.

“I’ll be waiting for you here.” You say.

Vivian takes the dress and runs off to try it on. When she returns, you’re stunned, but… confused.

You look at her, and in your mind, you KNOW she looks absolutely amazing. The dress hugs her curves nicely and reveals just a bit of cleavage that rides the fine line between sexy and tasteful. It’s great and you know it…!

…but it seems that Vivian herself doesn’t believe it. There’s… something like a gloomy aura around her that makes you feel like, no, she doesn’t look good in it. It’s like her own feelings are projecting themselves outwards and affecting how you see her in this dream.

“H-How… d-does it l-look…?” She asks nervously, fidgeting in place.

God dammit! How can a girl this beautiful have such low self-esteem? Is this because of those cheerleaders?

You walk up to Vivian and hug her tightly. She flinches and seems confused, but doesn’t push you away. You pull away slightly a kiss her lips. Her body tenses for a moment before she relaxes and begins to return the kiss.

“See? That dress is even more beautiful now than it was before.” You tell her. “You look amazing.”

Vivian’s face turns a deep red, and the gloomy aura around her disappears. Now, you can clearly see just how stunning she really looks.

“You really think so?” She asks shyly.

You nod. “I don’t think anyone could pull that dress as well as you do.”

You lean in to kiss her again. “It makes me want you right here, right now.” You say with a teasing grin you just stole from Shelly.

“R-Right h-here…!?” She asks, surprised and timid.

“You don’t want to?” You ask, running your hands through her curves.

“I… I do.” She admits bashfully.

You kiss her again, sliding your tongue into her mouth and finding no resistance. You take your hands to her chest and cup her breast. Vivian wraps her arms around you in response…

…And then you’re suddenly and without warning kicked out of the dream and find yourself in the hallway, alone.