Sharing one bathroom with all those people was insane. Someone was always yelling or pounding on the door. I could hear the clatter of dishes and their mother's voice telling them to hurry up, shut up, and come eat breakfast.

In this household, people typically took showers or baths in the evenings or weekends. In other words, daily showering wasn't a thing. Hot water never lasted more than two showers in a row.

"If you don't hurry up, I'm gonna pee in the bushes!" Teddy shouted, standing outside the bathroom door in his pajamas. Our eyes briefly met before I rushed up to the attic, the wooden stairs creaking beneath my feet.

"Oh no, you better not do that again!" I heard Mrs. McDonough's voice from the kitchen.

"I'm just sayin' I gotta pee, and I'm tired of being the last one to use the bathroom," Teddy said.

"Then get up earlier," Jimmy said. "And you're not the last one. Eric is. Hey, Eric! You up?" Jimmy obviously hadn't realized I'd been trying to get to the bathroom for the past half an hour.

"Waiting for the bathroom," I replied from the attic.

Since I was running late, I decided not to shave. I hated shaving, anyway, and didn't look forward to using a 1935 razor, afraid I'd end up with little nicks all over my face. I contemplated growing a beard while I was there. It wouldn't be the first time I attempted to grow one. Usually I shaved it all off before it amounted to anything.

So far, I'd managed to stay calm because I convinced myself this was a dream... a very, very long dream, and when I eventually woke up, I'd be well-rested. At least that was my hope.

Oatmeal was a popular breakfast item in the McDonough house, something I could tolerate. The coffee was brewed on the stove, with a rich, bitter aroma that filled the room. I couldn't wait to taste it. Mr. McDonough had already left for the day. Dorothy, too, had left, hoping the mill would have work for her today. Millie, Teddy, and Billy sat at the table eating their oatmeal. Teddy balanced a spoon on his nose, making Millie giggle. He was so silly, he made me laugh, too.

"Where's Jimmy?" I asked, sitting across from Teddy. Mrs. McDonough placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. I thanked her, which she didn't acknowledge.

"Who knows?" Teddy said with the spoon still stuck to his nose. "He always leaves at the butt crack of dawn."

"Watch your mouth, Theodore," Mrs. McDonough said. "Hurry up, kids, or you'll be late for school."

"Jimmy's makin' me walk you to school today, Mr. Gagnon," Teddy said. I doubt anyone could make Teddy do anything. And why did he call me Mr. Gagnon? No one could predict what Teddy would do or say.

"I think I can make it on my own... and call me Eric."

"Okay, Eric. I have clear instructions to walk you to the high school to make sure you get there," Teddy said as the spoon toppled from his nose and into his oatmeal, splattering it on his shirt. "Oh, crap. It's my fault."

"Yes, it's your fault for acting like a monkey," Mrs. McDonough said. "Get a rag and clean yourself up."

"I'm going," Teddy said, pushing himself away from the table. "Don't go anywhere, Eric."

Why would I go anywhere? There was nowhere for me to go.

By the time Teddy cleaned himself up, Millie and Billy had left. If we didn't hurry up, I'd miss my first class.

Why did I even give a shit? I kept asking myself these things, expecting answers.

I didn't have a bag or briefcase to store my notes and lesson plans, so I carried my books and papers in my arms. I'd forgotten my gloves at the house, so my hands shook from the cold.

"You need a briefcase," Teddy said as I struggled to keep my papers from blowing away. "I thought all teachers had one."

I do... at home.

"I lost it," I lied.

"You could get one at Bon Marché. They have everything there."

"Yeah, when I get paid."

Teddy wore a black double breasted hooded overcoat and matching wool herringbone cabbie hat with earflaps. His brown hair curled around the back. I was jealous of his warm hat since I was stuck with a fedora, looking like Eliot Ness from the Untouchables. Side by side, we walked together on our way to the school. He didn't say much, humming an unrecognizable song.

"What are you doing today?" I asked, interrupting his humming.

"I gotta go check in with the paper, see if they need me for anything. Hey, have you been following the news?"

"Which news? You need to be more specific. Pick a topic."

"Germany. Can you believe that fucking lunatic is chancellor... oh, I mean Führer und Reichskanzler? The world's in trouble, Eric. I see a scary future, but everyone is too consumed with themselves to worry about a crazy fuck in Germany."

Teddy was the first person I'd met here who dropped the f-bomb. He seemed more real than anyone else.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said.

"I wish I was an international journalist. I could write an exposé on what's really going on. I thought about teaching, too, but I think I'd rather be a professor... a history or English professor."

"You like history, huh?"

"Yep."

"What's your favorite time period to study?"

"French Revolution. You?"

"1920s Paris."

"You're so funny. To you, history is only a few years ago... like calling Mrs. Dallaway a classic."

"Anything that happens yesterday is history."

"Good point. What fascinates you about 1920s Paris?"

"People could express themselves freely over there. You had Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald... Gertrude Stein. Imagine hanging around in her salon. There was no prohibition. That was the stupidest law ever enacted. Paris was a happening place. This country is just so... so.... parochial and provincial."

"I kinda agree with you. You know, Eric, I've never met anyone who talks like you. I've never read F. Scott Fitzgerald. Do you think I'd like him?"

"I think so. Read The Great Gatsby. It's another classic."

"Classic," he chuckled. "Maybe I'll read it... after Orlando."

"Have you ever felt like you were living in a never ending dream?" I asked.

Teddy was unusually quiet, perhaps trying to figure out how to answer the question.

"Did I stump you?" I asked before he had time to answer.

"No. I'm thinking."

"Like, have you ever gone back in time fifty or eighty years?"

"No, I've never gone back in time," he said. "But I've had some weird dreams. I dreamt that I was traveling through time across different universes. I was in a bright new world, and there were strange mechanical gadgets that turned things on and off. There were mini movie screens in people's bedrooms and parlors, but they weren't like movie screens we see in theaters. They were thin and black, and people could turn the screens off whenever they felt like it."

My walking slowed as I listened to Teddy describe modern television sets. Even when televisions came on the market in 1947, they were big square boxes. This conversation took a very strange turn and my discomfort was noticeable. Could Teddy see the future?

"It sounds crazy, doesn't it?" he said. "I saw other things, too, but I don't want to be locked up in an asylum."

"Dreams are crazy. Tell me more. I promise I won't have you locked up."

Teddy hesitated, but resumed after thirty seconds. "People walked around with small handheld devices and they talked into them. They typed things, sending messages to other people."

Now he was talking about cell phones.

"I'm considering writing a science fiction novel," he said.

"I'm having a recurring dream where I've gone back in time and I can't wake up."

As we approached the high school, dozens of students pushed past us, eager to get to class or risk getting a tardy slip. I was interested in continuing this conversation. I wanted to hear about other things Teddy saw in his dreams.

"Well, it's time to get to work," I said. "Who's gonna pick me up?"

"Who would you prefer... me or Jimmy?"

"You're more interesting to talk to, so I hope to see you later."

Teddy stopped walking as I kept going. When I realized I was walking alone, I glanced over my shoulder to find Teddy gone as if he'd disappeared into thin air.

Students greeted me as I headed to the classroom, acting as though I'd been their teacher all year. As the only male teacher in the school, I was a novelty.

Thanks to Teddy's notes, I semi-faked my way through Jude, the Obscure. These teenagers were far more polite than what I was used to. They raised their hands without blurting answers or interrupting others. A handful of students even brought me an apple, which I gladly accepted.

Today's lunch was some kind of vegetable soup and a cheese sandwich, not to be confused with a grilled cheese sandwich. This sandwich was a slice of American cheese between two slices of white bread. Milk was also served again. I ate everything and drank the milk. When the lunch lady delivered my lunch, she also informed me that payday was Friday.

Students weren't used to an open discussion. Their teachers were more interested in memorizing dates and vocabulary words. Students expected homework assignments, summarizing chapters or answering questions from a textbook. I wasn't one to assign homework unless there was a test coming up. For Ms. Tremblay's English class, I assigned a chapter a night, but never asked them to summarize it. Rather, I held a chapter discussion in class. For the freshmen, we acted out Romeo and Juliet in class. After school, I rearranged the classroom, turning the rows of desks into a circle, which would make class discussions easier.

I was startled by the sudden sound of someone clearing his throat. It was Teddy. I was glad to see him. Jimmy was too bubbly and energetic for my liking. Teddy was more real, even if he acted like a monkey at times. Maybe I had a thing for monkeys.

"Can I help you?" he asked as I moved the last two chairs.

"No, thanks... almost done."

With Teddy, I explored downtown, comparing the buildings of 1935 with those of 2023. Most of my favorite restaurants didn't exist yet, but there were some I did recognize, like the Worthen House, the oldest tavern in Lowell, built in 1834. It looked just as I remembered it.

"Wanna get a beer?" Teddy asked.

A beer sounded like a great idea.

In a booth with our pints of beer, Teddy and I sat across from each other. Teddy removed his hat and combed his fingers through his thick brown curls. His hair was far messier and longer than either of his brother's. I wondered what George looked like.

"So, Eric, you got a girl back home?"

My cheeks burned. I was suddenly back in the closet. "No. You?"

"No," he said, holding his pint as his eyes wandered around the tavern. He gave off vibes that only another gay man would sense. I wanted to reach across the table, hold his hand, and tell him it's okay, but that type of open displays of affection could get us both thrown in jail.

"Don't be ashamed for not having a girlfriend," I said. "I'm not. I like my freedom."

He avoided my eyes, taking a sip of his beer.

"How was your day?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Good. Dick Stevens has the flu, so he's out. I'll be taking over for him."

"Is there a flu epidemic going around?"

"It's that time of year," Teddy said with a shrug. "There's a mayoral election this year. I got some dirt on one of the candidates. Can't wait to write about it."

"I wouldn't mind proofreading it."

"Nah, I got an editor for that," he said, bringing his pint to his lips.

I'd hoped to learn more about the dreams he mentioned earlier, but he said we had no 'time for that.' With all those kids, Mrs. McDonough was strict and regimented.

We didn't get back to the McDonough house until dark. Tonight was meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Jimmy greeted us in the kitchen while Mrs. McDonough stood at the stove. "Where ya been?" he asked us. "I thought Teddy kidnapped you."

"Where else am I gonna go?" I replied. "I'm stuck here."

"You don't have to stay here," Mrs. McDonough said. "There's the door."

Ever since I stepped into the house, Mrs. McDonough treated me like an unwanted guest while Mr. McDonough was indifferent. I expected Mrs. McDonough to feel differently about me once I paid her room and board.

"He wants to stay," Jimmy said.

"Boys, go wash up for dinner," Mrs. McDonough said. "Dinner'll be ready in five minutes."

Teddy got the bathroom first. With the door open, he washed his hands, humming the same song from this morning. I stood in the doorway, arms crossed, tapping my foot impatiently. If he'd just stopped talking for a second, we'd be eating right now. Catching me by surprise, Teddy flung water at me.

"Stop staring at me," he said.

"Stop it. I'm not staring... just hungry."

As Teddy continued flinging water at me, I charged him, knocking him out of the way. I cupped my hands under the running water, ready to retaliate. When Teddy returned to the sink, I poured the water over his head. Like little kids, we laughed, splashing each other.

"Boys, stop acting like monkeys and come down for dinner!" Mrs. McDonough called to us. I immediately stopped laughing.

Teddy dropped a towel over my head as I turned off the faucets. Our eyes remained fixed as we dried our hair. He was cute, someone I'd want to date back home. I realized he was my type: intellectual, cute, and extraordinarily silly and opinionated. "I'm glad you're in my dream," I said.

Words: 2373
Total words: 10358