Cracking Zeenath

December 11th, 2015: If You Ever Come Back

I sighed, hands on the steering wheel, staring at the red stoplight in front of me. Another hour to go. I just wanted to get home...

My phone beeped and I looked at it, a tiny spark of curiosity and excitement in my chest. Before I'd left this morning, Madison, Damian, and Luke had come over one last time, watching Clara and me pack up. Clara was leaving tonight. I'd been preparing to leave in a few hours. It was Luke who'd come up with the idea. Why wait until we came back a month later to meet up again?

We could do something over winter break, "make memories," as he'd put it.

I left college with hugs, highfives and four new numbers in my phone.

Clara.

Luke.

Madison.

Damian.

They'd been texting in some group chat all afternoon, my phone dinging every five seconds, driving me crazy. Then it had been silent for the past hour or so and I was getting sleepy. I looked at the red light. Still red.

I reached over and pulled my phone out. I'd just check it real quick. Couldn't hurt.

The message came from a new number.

Just trying one last time. Zeenath. If this is your number, please respond.

This song's for you. Give it a listen, if you will.

I stared at it for a second then clicked the link, the car filling with The Script's "If You Ever Come Back."

I smiled. Only one person could've sent this.

The car behind me honked and I jerked my head up, throwing my phone onto the seat beside me. The light was green. Oops.

I kept playing the song over and over on my way back home, getting it stuck in my head. He'd have known this was going to happen. That's why he sent this.

He must be back from college too...

A few days later, I met up with Damian. He'd driven all the way down here and I was surprised when he came alone. I'd expected the whole gang to come with him. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are the others coming later?"

He sat down at one of the tables, under the umbrella's shadow and shrugged. "No."

"Oh." I stood awkwardly for a second before sitting down. Well then.

"I was just getting bored at college."

A young man walked past the table.

My eyes widened. "It's a three hour drive down here."

He shook his head. "Not that big a deal. It's an hour's drive home anyway."

"Have you gone home yet?"

"Not quite. I was getting bored on the drive there, so I stopped by."

He looked around. "It's cute here."

I shook my head. "It ain't cute. This place is SleepyTown." I started to question him but stopped, deciding to let it go. It was an hour's drive home, so he got bored, and decided to take a three hour's drive here? What? How did that make any sense?

Oi. This one.

I saw the man sit with his back towards me, talking to someone. He pulled out his phone and checked it.

I rested my chin in my hand and turned my eyes back to Damian, watching him sip his frappucino from across the table. He was thinking about something, staring at the designs on the tabletop.