pseudo

IV

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"Hello?"

There it is again. The kind, polite tone from when he cut in front of me today.

"Hi, Andy. It's me, Emery. From the movies today?" I reply.

"Oh yeah! Hey! What's up? You change your mind?" he asks.

Lying on my bed, I remember his other suggestion.

"No. I don't think I will. I just . . ." I trail off.

I shift to look at my dresser that is topped with pictures of my past. As my eyes land on a faced down frame, a heavy sigh escapes my lips. Telling him the whole reason why I called him would be too much for the both of us.

"Another thing you don't wanna get into?" Andy asks.

The softness in his question causes a tiny smile to spread onto my face. From the movie theater to now, he still carries this unexplainable kindness.

"How'd you guess?" I ask back.

"Your really long pause was a great indicator," he replies.

"Well," I say. But pause to decide the right words for the situation.

"I just called to get away for a few minutes; to clear my mind a little. I remember that you had said I could call if I needed someone. And, well, you're the only one I wanted to talk to."

"Wow. I feel really honored." It's silent for a minute.

Finally, he says, "So, let me ask you something. You know, to get your mind off of whatever it is. When's your birthday?"

Taken aback by this random question, I don't respond with a date. Instead, I ask, "What?"

He lets out a small, velvet chuckle.

"Sorry. But at the movies, I remember you screaming at the lady that you'd be seventeen soon."

It clicks. At the theater, I remember telling the lady to give me a ticket because I would be seventeen soon. However, I was not yelling.

"Oooohhhh," I say. "Yeah. First of all, I was not yelling. And secondly, it's like a week and a half from now on the thirtieth."

"You act a lot older than sixteen. What grade are you in?"

"I get the confusion. I know my birthday is kinda of early in September, but I'm a senior," I reply.

"Oh hey. Same! Expect that I'm actually eighteen going into the twelfth grade," he explains sheepishly.

This peaks my interest.

"Wait," I say as I sit up in my light blue room.

"You're eighteen already? I just assumed you were seventeen since you were able to get my ticket at the movies."

He chuckles. "Never assume. It's make an ass out you and me."

"But what happened?" I ask; ignoring whatever he said.

There's a pause; his pause this time.

"You know how you don't wanna talk about Jake and all that?" he finally says in a quiet voice.

I nod. But then I realize that I'm still talking to Andy over the phone, so I say, "Yes."

"It's kind of something I don't like bringing up myself. I'm not too proud of what I did, but if I had to go back, I'd do it again."

I take a minute to think about what he says.

My problems involve other people's choices that somehow come back to me. Andy's problem is it's his choice that comes back to haunt himself.

And suddenly, there's a another pause. But it's our pause. Him waiting on me, and me waiting to soak in everything.

"Hey," I say to break the tension. "So question for you this time. What are you doing tomorrow?" I ask.

"A little forward there for someone who doesn't even want to be my fake girlfriend, isn't it?" he jokes.

"You're very funny, Andy," I sarcastically say. "But seriously."

"I might be in Ferris tomorrow. On Sundays, I usually go visit my uncle. But, right now, I don't have a clue," he replies.

"Come to the park with me." It rushes out of my mouth before I realize it. And when I do realize it, my hand flies to my mouth.

But Andy doesn't miss a beat.

"Yeah. Sure. But text me the details. I promised to help my mom and it's getting late," he says.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow," I say as I hang up; barely hearing his bye as I do.

What did I just do? Is the first thought that runs through my mind.

I didn't mean to invite him to the park with Libby and Carson. There isn't a good explanation I can give to them about Andy.

Suddenly, the fear of Andy meeting my friends hits me. They're going to interrogate him like no other. Lily isn't going to mind him. But Libby and Carson do not like me meeting new people.

I let out a heavy sigh.

The day is going to come. I don't know what I'm going to tell them.

The good thing is that I have a full night to come up with a lie.

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