"hello?" lucy answered the unfamiliar call.

"hey, ned, you'll never believe - "

"whoa whoa whoa, buddy, slow down," she interrupted. "i don't know who ned is, but this definitely isn't him."

"oh, uh...then who are you?" the boy - lucy guessed he was around her age - seemed skeptical.

"i'm not comfortable giving my name to strangers, if you don't mind," she replied swiftly.

"right, right. so...why'd you pick up the phone then?"

"excuse me?"

"if you don't like giving your name to strangers, then why'd you answer my call if my number isn't in your phone? or is it..." he audibly smirked.

lucy rolled her eyes. "no, your number isn't in my phone. i was half hoping you'd be a telemarketer trying to sell me stuff."

"uh...why?"

"'cause then i'd have a chance to mess with them. i've always wanted to do it, haven't you?"

"no."

silence hung over the line like a shroud.

"oh...well..."

"but i can pretend to be a telemarketer, if that's what you're into."

"wha - "

"hello, you have just won a million dollars in the power ball contest!"

"uh - "

"or, or how 'bout this," the stranger continues, "your credit card has been hacked! please see your local - "

"what are you even doing?" lucy asked, her annoyance building exponentially. this was not how she expected this call to be going. a quick, "sorry, wrong number," was all she was expecting. but this?

"can't you tell? i'm helping you live out your dream!"

"oh...um, thank you?"

"you're very welcome...?"

"i'm still not giving you my name, stranger."

"alright, alright," the boy backed off. "until next time, then."

"next time? i - "

but the line had already gone dead.