California Kisses

Chapter Three

See end notes!

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It happened on a Saturday. A Saturday which started out as rather normal. In fact, it could even be said that this Saturday was relaxed and easy going. My mother was out with the family. I was invited to go, of course, but I knew I needed some down time before I went back to school on Monday. The week prior had been incredibly busy and the homework I'd been assigned in several class kicked my butt into the next century. So as much as I loved my cousins, going out wasn't exactly an option for me.

Instead, I found myself with glasses perched on the end of my nose, textbooks open and notebooks scribbled in. I didn't mind; spending a bit of time by myself never became an issue.

A low buzz drew me away from my studies, my line of vision and concentration turning instead to the phone sitting on my desk. The screen lit up with a notification, an email address I'd never seen flashing across the glass.

With a frown, I picked it up and eyeballed the address. Ignoring the notification, not even bothering to read the email body, I instead shut down the screen and returned to my previous project.

Only a few minutes later, however, my phone buzzed again, making my eye twitch in irritation. Looking from the corner of my eye, I could see the same email flashing across the screen again.

Seriously?

With a groan, I pushed my glasses back up the bridge of my nose and picked the phone up, this time punching in the pass code and unlocking it. Scanning the contents of the email, my heart dropped and annoyance flashed through my veins; this stupid kid.

This stupid kid being the moron forced into my life by my mother; this kid being Bennett, the one and only constant thorn in my side.

It was a little strange how the guy just sort of latched onto me. After receiving his initial letter nearly two months ago, (which why would he have even replied to that letter in the first place?! 'Do not engage' was written all over that piece of paper), I begrudgingly wrote back under the constant pressure from my mother and from there on out, the trading of letters became commonplace. Apparently my crass, blunt and rude way of addressing things came across as super endearing. Which is just my luck, really.

Ever since then, he just sort of wrote to me and I sort of replied. Never anything big and never anything personal; most days, I wouldn't even say the letters were worth the postage. But it became a habit. And habits were something I found myself very fond of.

But this particular interaction did lead to a lot of questions on my end. Starting with how in the world he even got my email address. I certainly never gave it to him. But after thinking on it, it would make sense that he got it from my mom. After all, our parents were friends, hence the reason he found his way into my life in the first place.

Groaning at the turn of events, I hit the reply button and typed out a quick response, eager to return to my studies. Maybe it wasn't the most glamorous of Friday events, but it worked for me.

To: alaskanbullworm02@.com
From: artsy-dork29@yazoo.com

Don't you have anything better to do with your life? Like, go chase a moose or something and leave me alone. Also, this email is private, you stalker.

Short, sweet, tot he point. Maybe this would get him off my case for the time being. Obviously, he would still annoy me just because he could. But maybe, just maybe . . . doubtful, though, considering the clever artistry I'd given him the first time he responded to my letter.