" I crossed the narrow metal gangway onto a railed platform with an open hatchway. Carefully I climbed down the ladder into the dimly lit belly of the...sub. As I had said, this was my first submarine, but it was obvious that this was not a standard craft. I was expecting lots of metal and pipes. Instead the chamber was clad in teak with soft lighting, large round windows lining both sides, and comfortable wide leather recliners in two rows. Along side each chair was a small table. Everything was. Even at ten thirty, they were pretty crowded with folks looking for an ice cream snack in the middle of winter. My daughter sat across from me in the booth. Bree decided to sit next to me instead of next to my daughter."I'll have a quarter pound burger, fries and a free sundae for my birthday."When Bree showed an ID, the waitress balked. "Your birthday isn't until tomorrow." She chomped gum like a cow chewing grass.I intervened. "We'd be happy to sit here for another hour and fifteen. It was almost like a dream.She slipped away."Andrea!"I woke up in bed.Funny.It was just a dream.My heart was beating like crazy.I sat up and tried to remember her face. I swear I've never seen her before in my life.I grabbed my phone from the table to see the time.11:02 Friday17 missed calls"Crap...I'm late again."We were having exams and today was the last one. Mathematics. My friends called me but I slept through.Passing in Math was one of the few things in the world I could accomplish. Betty Reilly was a friend of my Mom's. They used to work at the same hospital together."You feeling okay, Jake?" The stress of the Program kind of caught up with me and I got sick in the bathroom. I'm okay now." Why don't you relax here for the rest of the period then and I will send a note on to your teacher. Who do you have?" Ms. Lopez." I will write that note now," she said.I spent the rest of the period obsessing how I was going to handle Zoe. She probably thought I got sick because of the.