letters to dan // dan smith

Chapter 22

Next time Beth meets Elsa, by chance, they're both in the supermarket. Beth sees Elsa and waves, walking over to her friend with her left hand resting on her stomach protectively, a habit she'd picked up over the last couple weeks. She's almost two and a half months pregnant now, and the baby bump is beginning to show. Elsa is on the phone, and Beth catches some of the conversation.

"Yes, calm down. I'll make sure she's there- that's not a problem... Uh huh, I'll bring my camera... Yes, she's coming too, Jesus Dan- Wait, shit. What;'s she doing here. She's coming over, I'll call you back later." Elsa snaps her phone shut (she refuses to get a new one, claiming that flip phones were a great way to end dramatic phone calls) and smiles at Beth, who looks at her scrutinisingly.

"What?" Asks Elsa, batting her eye lashes innocently.

"Why were you talking to Dan?" She asks.

"I uh... I wasn't. What do you need the..." Elsa glances at the stuff in Beth's trolley. "What do you need cereal for? You hate cereal." Elsa hopes to divert Beth's attention away from the phone call, praying the her gold-fish attention span would help out.

"Oh it's for Dan! I said I'd bring by some food so he had something to eat when he comes back, so he can relax after a long flight... you know?" She answers brightly, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of Dan's return.

"Aww," Elsa coos, pinching Beth's red cheek.

Beth swats her hand away. "Shut up."

***

Elsa comes to Dan's with Beth to keep her company while she unpacks food. Except her company isn't worth much, as her eyes are glued to her phone. Beth glances over at Elsa, hoping to see her put the phone away, but she keeps typing. Beth sighs and keeps unpacking.

"Do you want to go to the movies?" Beth asks, hoping to get Elsa's attention.

Elsa shifts in her chair, but otherwise doesn't answer.

"Elsa!"

"Huh! What?"

Beth rolls her eyes. "Let's go to the movies. Check what's on."

Elsa nods and goes into Dan's bedroom. Beth hears his desktop whir, and a three note melody play, indicating that it's switched on.

"What the password Beth?" Elsa calls.

"It's uhh... One sec!" Beth appears in the room and types the password in, her hair strategically covering the keyboard.

"What's the password?" Elsa asks.

"Not telling," Beth blushes a deep crimson.

"Aw, come on," Elsa teases.

Beth shakes her head and retreats back to the kitchen.

She keeps unpacking the food, and is untangling a carton of eggs from a plastic bag when Elsa walks into the kitchen, her eyes fixated on her phone. She bumps her shoulder on the door frame, and curses, but doesn't look up.

"Is there anything on?" Beth asks, rolling her eyes at Elsa, who doesn't reply.

"Elsa..." She snaps her fingers under her friends nose, coveringthe screen of her phone.

"Huh? Oh... No not really. I thought we could just go back to your place and watch some movies," she suggests.

"Sure, sounds good." Beth sticks the eggs in the fridgde, then walks into Dan's bedroom and grabs a few DVD's off the shelf at random.

The girls leave the apartment together, and while Beth locks the door behind her, Elsa starts to pull her phone out of her pocket.

"No. Give it here Elsa," says Beth sternly, holding out her hand for the phone. Elsa sighs and hands it over.