Happy - a dream

The shroud lifted, and somewhere in dreaming Becca's mind she knew she had been "dropped in" again:

She found herself sitting on a front porch surrounded by young people.  She could tell by the looks on their faces they were uncomfortable, though they tried hard not to show it much.  She felt shell shocked.  She knew it showed on her face.

"You look beautiful," she said, probably again for the hundredth time, to a stunning girl with smooth dark skin and short afro.  The girl sat opposite her, near the edge of the blue porch, in an almost too big for her wedding gown.  There were diamond gems blinking down her bodice.  She seemed ethereal.

The dress crinkled under a blue denim coat.  It, along with skinny brown arms belonging to a young man barely twenty, wrapped protectively around the girl.  The girl smiled grimly at her surprise guest but said nothing.  Her groom leaned in slightly and responded "thank you."

Becca gave it one last shot:  "Will you dance?"  The girl answered quickly before thinking, "after you leave"  Blood drained from her face but she did not bite back her words.  The smaller kids sitting around her briefly stopped their fidgeting, but they chose not to respond to the command.  Becca nodded sadly, understanding.  The girl could see.  Everyone could see.

Becca rose clumsily to her feet.  "I'll go.  This was... lovely." How did she know?

She was halfway across the yard, not sure where she was going.  There was a road so some primitive thought said follow.  She wore slim pants and a thin coat, and felt a purse over her shoulder.  Perhaps there was money for a cab.  Perhaps there were keys.  Having just "arrived" in this body, as often happened in her dreams, she'd figure it out later when she was away from prying eyes.

Laughing, an older girl and her mother rounded the corner of the house.  They had been singing and dancing.  Noticing Becca's departure, the girl reached and grabbed Becca's arm. "Where are you going??"  She spun Becca and regarded the porch occupants, her gaze softening.  "It's a wedding.  won't you stay and dance?"

"Oh, no, I..." Becca faltered.  "I don't want to intrude.  They seem so happy, and I..."

"You what?  You don't want happy?  You don't want them to be happy??"  the older girl's grip tightened on Becca's jacket.  Becca sensed the connection just as the girl's voice sharpened.  "You don't want my sister to be happy?"

"No, of course I do!  She has her whole life, and I..." Paranoia gripped Becca as she groped for the right words.  She just wanted to get away, find her bearings.  Who was she?  "She is so young but she has made her choice to be happy.  I want the chance to do the same."