My boyfriend Jeremy and I and someone else, perhaps Jeremy's brother Jeff, were led by women in fancy dresses (the one leading me was dressed in red) to a strip joint.  (gap.  Small room, white topless statues..left and came back, my best friend Emma).  We went into a gym and in the corner nearest the hallway, there was a table.  My high school English teacher Ms. Kraft was there, along with my brother Stuart and a few other people.  It was a mini celebration and were all getting some sort of gifts from Ms. Kraft.  Stuart opened his- it was a huge cardboard box.  A person was inside and kind of pushed it apart.  Inside was lots of money, and foam 'puzzle' animals.  They were really cute.  I got a bunch of colorful plastic sticks, like our cat Nina's fishing pole toy.  I went out the nearest door with some of Stuart's foam animals.  People were cleaning up the table when I went back in.  I held my colored sticks and I politely thanked Ms. Kraft for them even though they were pointless.  She retorted, "I said thank you!"  Back in the hallway I talked to an old man, perhaps the janitor.  I collected the foam animals that had been left behind and forgotten.  I thought maybe I could keep them.  I spent some time in the hall talking to the man.  I preferred it there.  He was nice, he understood.  I didn't have to put on a face for him.  Hesitantly I went back in.  People were gone and they were setting up for a badminton match.  I wanted to play.  I started warming up, limbo-ing under the nets.  The coach came in- it was not Durham, as I'd expected, but someone new.  I asked if he was the new coach and said hi, shook his hand.  I told him I was on the team about 3 years ago, but I'd really like to play.  He said he'd be sure to get me some court time.  I was surprised and pleased with that.  I didn't have my racquet and my shoes were the black, slippery ones- horrible for playing in, but I didn't care.  I started to stretch and did the splits.  The coach seemed to know my high school Japanese teacher somehow.