what had happened was...

The phone rings three times before he picks up. By the tone of his voice, he’s either getting sick again (which would ruin my plan) or I just woke him up (which would make me feel like an a*s) “Hello?” he says with his raspy voice.

“Hi, Alex… Uhm, hi… it’s Ricky.” I stutter, and for the first time in months, I start to shake, my stomach goes in knots, my palms get all clammy, my heart races, my head feels ten times its size. I can hear myself speaking slowly, as if an outer body experience. I can see myself pacing back and forth with the phone in hand, trying to catch my breath. I see him in bed, smiling perhaps, his dark brown eyes wandering all over the ceiling tiles and wondering why on earth I’m calling him up this late at night.

“Oh, hey man, what’s going on? Everything okay?” he responds after what it seems an eternity. And I’m relieved he remembers who I am because for the past four hours, I’ve feared calling thinking he’d be like, Ricky who?   And that’s why I’m calling this time at night.

“Roderick, are you there?” he calls out my full name making me come back to reality.

“Oh s**t, sorry.” I apologize for daydreaming, and he says it’s okay; he’s used to it by now. We’ve been working together for almost a year now and I tend to drift into space for long periods of time more often lately; it’s not that I’m rude, it’s just that reality is just overrated to me. I rather make my own world and live in it for a little while. I wonder if Alex would like to come to that fantasy world with me.

“Roderick, you’re doing it again.” Alex snaps me out of it one more time, laughing now. He doesn’t mind my short attention span. He thinks it’s cute, and although I personally dislike it, I don’t mind it as much when it makes Alex smile because I get to see those dimples and the gleam in his eyes that captured my heart for a long time now.

“Listen, it’s the weekend and I have nine hours to spend at home so I was wondering if you want to kick it?” I say it so fast that I don’t realize I had said it until the last word roll out my tongue flawlessly.

“Don’t you want to spend it with your family?” Here’s the softener for a rejection coming along. I guess I was expecting it, but I wasn’t ready for these mixed feelings. It burns my eyes, and my throat, and my cheeks, and my heart, and my head, and…

“They’re out of town, so… that’s why I ask.” Nice going, a*****e! I think to myself, not only do I sound desperate, but I also make him sound like my last resource of fun. Now I deserve the rejection. Bring it.

“Okay, sure…”

And I was not expecting him to accept either so I don’t know what to say next.

“Well, I can’t drive as you know so what do you say to a horror movie night in? We can do a SAW marathon if you want to.” I add enthusiastically. He knows I can’t stand that thriller, so it may give me brownie points. Yet, I can’t help catching my voice sound pathetic and needy, and nerdy, and nervous, and a total amateur in this field. But Alex has said yes, so I don’t really care how I sound anymore. He’s coming over and I can breathe again. 

Reviews

[EMMIE]

Great story! I'm sure very relating for, if not all, then most people out there. It's creative and unique with a really well written plot. Good job!

[Green]

You did an excellent job capturing the silent freak out that comes with calling someone you like.

I liked it man. YOu made a great story here and I liked it. good job.

[Mockingbird]

great story. you've really captured rick's anxiety. it's suspenseful too. it's like a high school crush. it's trying too hard to please someone you really like, but he seems to like you, too. great story.