Candy Gram ✓

chapter four

I completely forget that I even have Josiah's phone until I get home and it vibrates in my pocket. Thinking that it was mine, I had yanked it out and then remembered that I had basically stolen his phone.

Which is fantastic. So great.

I mean, what am I even supposed to do with his phone? It's not like it's even the phone that my Secret Guy uses - unless he has a fake number on it or something, which I highly doubt (is that even a thing?) - and I don't think Josiah would be cool with me if I said, "Hey, man, you dropped this, but I didn't tell you, because I just wanted to make sure that you weren't my secret admirer. Thanks, for not flipping out like any sane person definitely would in this situation."

After a couple minutes of thinking about it, I decide that I can just go back to the school and drop it off at the front office.

But, even as I'm climbing in the family Subaru, its once-shiny red exterior dull from years of teenaged abuse, I can't help but wonder if this is the right move. I mean, for starters, what if Josiah realizes that he had it in his hand, then dropped it when he ran into me? What if he's already checked the office? Will I have to fill out a report or something?

I know where he lives, I think. We might have had a cast party for Shrek: The Musical there last year. (I was Lord Farquaad; they decided that my Scottish accent was 'absolute rubbish', so instead of embracing my inner ogre, I got to charge about on my knees in a disturbingly greasy wig.)

It takes me a few tries to find where his house is - I mean, it was nearly pitch black when we all met up there to play Secret Hitler and make fun of that time when I fell on my face in front of some kindergartners - but I finally find it.

123, Fruity Way. You're joking.

When I slip out of the car, I try to come across as nonchalant as possible. Yeah, there's probably no one watching, but it's still nice to think that someone out there realizes how cool and relaxed I am.

I'm not cool and relaxed. Fake it till you make it, I guess.

The door knocker is large and looks kind of antique. I'm almost worried I'll somehow manage to break it as I use it to gently rap against the door.

No one comes for about a minute, until, when I'm about to knock again, I see a figure in those little side windows of the door. My hands drop to my sides; I stiffen completely. So much for being "cool and relaxed".

"Hello?" greets the little boy cautiously as he opens the door. He's young. Like, eight or nine. Just like my own little brother, Ben, though Ben certainly isn't a spitting image of me like this kid is of Josiah. Which is really freaking creepy, especially considering how I was thinking earlier of how really freaking hot his brother is.

Now I'm uncool, non-relaxed, and very unnerved.

"Hey," I say with a (probably douchey) nod. "Is Josiah here?"

The boy smiles. At least he doesn't smile like Josiah - Josiah seems honest when he smiles, while this kid seems like he's just found his siblings' Christmas presents and is planning on telling them what they're getting. I'm even more unnerved now.

"He's not here right now," he says. "He's at the animal shelter."

Oh my freaking God. Of course.

At this point, I'm half tempted to just hand the peevish kid Josiah's phone, but I have a slight feeling that he'd take a hammer to it or use it for blackmail or something. Seriously - this kid comes across as more of a creep than David.

So, instead of handing him the phone, I smile tightly and say between nearly gritted teeth, "Okay. Cool. Thanks a lot."

The boy smiles snottily once more, then shuts the door with a resounding click.