Patience

The Call

"Hey, Mrs. Hart, it's Brandi."

"Oh, hey, Brandi, sweetie. How are things in California?"

"Oh, you know. Hot. Is Maggie there?"

"Oh, honey, she's not. She didn't come home from school. I'm guessing she's over at Tara's."

"Ok. I'll call her cell then. Thanks, Mrs. Hart."

"No problem. Bye."

She called Maggie's phone but it was off. Brandi pressed the off button of the cordless phone and took a deep breath. It was Tuesday. She looked at the clock that was still in New York time. 9:30 p.m. Maggie would be with Tara cruising town, probably in Brooklyn eating something. So she dialed someone else's number.

"Hello?" a male voice came from the other end.

"Hi." Brandi faked a different voice so it wouldn't sound like hers "May I please talk to Mr. Colin Geller?"

"This is he."

"Mr. Colin Geller, my name is Angela and a friend of yours gave me your number informing me you would be interested in buying a penis enlar-." Brandi burst out laughing; she couldn't finish the whole sentence. She'd always messed around with Colin on the phone.

"I knew it was you all along."

"You did not!"

"Did too! How stupid do you think I am?"

"Very stupid!" Brandi was still laughing and Colin was clearly trying very hard not to.

"You are, Spring, not me." Brandi stopped laughing and smiled fondly after hearing him call her Spring.

"So, how are you?" she lay down on her bed.

"I'm ok. But you're the one who has to tell me the news."

"What news? I told you before leaving that I would hate this place, so you know that already. That's old news. Nothing really new going on."

"Really? Is it that bad?"

"Remember how we agreed it would be hell?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it is. Hell on Earth. All the plastics at school just make me sick! They all look the same, all Teen People models."

"Urgh... I hate those."

"I hate them more, believe me, especially because I have to live among them."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Spring."

"That's fine. Now I'm talking to you and everything's fine again."

"Good! Oh, close your eyes and pretend you're in your room in New York!"

"I'll do that." Brandi closed her eyes and she could actually feel like she was in her New York bedroom "I'm there." she smiled.

"Good. Then wait for me and I'll be downstairs in a second." Colin lived at the same apartment building as Brandi used to.

"Great. Come running." she smiled and opened her eyes, getting real again "Wouldn't it be nice if I was still there and that could actually happen?"

"Yeah... just like old times. You calling me pretending to be some telemarketing person and asking me to come down."

"Will you ever come visit me here in Hellifornia?"

"Now we're calling it Hellifornia, huh?"

"Yep. Just made that up. And it stays with us."

"Ok. And yes, I will visit you in Hellifornia. But it will have to be during the holidays or something, because I'm loaded with stuff to do."