Dialing

Cherry

//call received//

Cerise: Hello?

Devin: Hey, Cherry. We haven't spoken in ages.

Cerise: It's only been a day...

Devin: Felt like ages. You didn't take my calls yesterday... why? Are you mad at me?

Cerise: No...

Devin: Did I say something wrong?

Cerise: No, absolutely not... it's just that everything you said, they sort of overwhelmed me. I'm sorry.

Devin: I should be the one apologizing for dropping that on you out of nowhere.

Cerise: Oh, no! No... [sighs] I was the one who asked about it. And what you said... the best thing I've heard about myself from someone else in my life. It was... it was just perfect. More beautiful than Homer, or Dante, or Wordsworth.

Devin: Well, for once I didn't fuck shit up. Feeling pretty proud of myself about it...

Cerise: [laughs]

//brief silence lapsing//

Cerise: Hey... I'll call you when I get to school? It's almost time. You're going today, aren't you?

Devin: Yeah, of course. Will talk later, then.

//call disconnected//

***

Dialing

Cigarette

//call received//

Devin: Christ! Are you okay, Cherry?

Cerise: Yeah, why?

Devin: I, uh... [chokes, coughs] Heard you were about to be locked in the janitor's closet again...

Cerise: Yes, but the thing is, I wasn't. I was saved from that, saved from Tristan and Elijah. [excitedly] And you'll not believe who my knight in shining armor was.

Devin: You're not... um, traumatized?

Cerise: Far from it!

Devin: That's...

Cerise: Hey, hey, hey! I'll tell you what happened. I was just on my way to Calculus class when Tristan blocked me and said something about me being a terrorist or whatever. Then Elijah was suddenly behind me, had my arms twisted back. They took me down Hall C and pushed me into Sam's closet. But, before they could lock me in, this guy--I think his name's Devin or something... anyway, so, he just stepped in--appeared out of the blue--and decked Elijah right on the nose! You should've seen Elijah go flying on his butt. And his nose was bleeding! God!

Devin: Aren't you a bit too excited about witnessing this fight?

Cerise: No, I'm not. Listen to what happened next. [rambling] Devin went to Tristan, fist raised, and he would've punched him, too, but Tristan started groveling, literally begging! He was so scared. And the satisfaction I felt on seeing those two so vulnerable and bashed up was euphoric! I'm still buzzing from that.

Devin: So... you're not going to report this?

Cerise: [incredulously] What?! Why would I? I was just saved from another episode of major humiliation... if anything, I need to thank Devin for this. I never got the chance, he just left--like, one minute he was there beating those jerks up, and the next, he was gone! Poof! Or maybe I didn't notice him leave because I never thought I'd see Tristan and Elijah scramble and run for their lives...

Devin: I advise you against it. This Devin has a bad reputation of unhinged anger and violence.

Cerise: Oh, shut up. Why're you being so judgmental? Just like the rest of the school?

Devin: I'm not being judgmental. Just saying what I've heard about him over the years. Devin Jameston, right? He's not someone you wanna involve yourself with...

Cerise: Oh, but I do wanna involve myself with him... he saved me! And he's kinda cute... in that angry, rebellious, bad boy way.

Devin: [exasperated snort] Right. Okay.

Cerise: Oh, come on! He's not that bad, okay? He's a Calculus genius. He's the only, the one and only guy in our grade--and probably in the whole school--who gets all the integrals right in the very first try. How cool is that?!

Devin: Not impressed.

Cerise: Ugh. [makes frustrated noise] Fine. Hate him all you want. I think he's amazing and I'm going to talk to him after school... I've often seen him in The Brewery on my way to Matheson's--I think he works there.

Devin: Oh...

Cerise: He's just been misunderstood one too many times... I think he's not inherently all that bad. Just circumstances or whatever have made him like this. I'm sure he's a total sweetheart in reality.

Devin: Okay, whatever...

Cerise: [exhales] Yeah, whatever...

Devin: I have to go now... class and shit.

Cerise: Ah, me, too...

Devin: Talk later.

//call disconnected//

***

Dialing...

Cigarette

//call received//

Cerise: Hey. Sleeping?

Devin: Wide awake.

Cerise: Good. Me, too.

Devin: What's up?

Cerise: Nothing. I just wanted to talk.

Devin: Okay, cool.

//heavy silence fills//

Devin: I thought you wanted to talk...

Cerise: I do! I just don't know what to talk about.

Devin: [slowly, thinking] Alright. So... did you go to work today?

Cerise: Yeah... stopped by The Brewery also, but Devin doesn't work today.

Devin: [snorts] I'll be surprised if he even works there and you're not mistaken.

Cerise: [irritably] He does work there! God...

Devin: [chuckles] Alrighty, angry birdy. I guess he does.

Cerise: Don't call me angry birdy.

Devin: Fine, feisty kitty.

Cerise: [groans] You're a major jerk sometimes, you know that?

Devin: And a minor jerk the other times, yes, I know.

Cerise: [giggles]

//momentary quietude//

Cerise: Well... [yawns]

Devin: Hey, Cherry?

Cerise: Hmm...?

Devin: You sound tired. Go to sleep.

Cerise: [protesting] But I'm not sleepy. [yawns again]

Devin: Uh-huh...

Cerise: I'm not tired, I want to meet you.

Devin: [taken aback, silent]

Cerise: Cigarette? Are you there?

Devin: [swallows] Here...

Cerise: I want to meet you. Please?

Devin: What? Now?

Cerise: No, not now... but like, soon. Tomorrow? It's Saturday?

Devin: I... I can't.

Cerise: ... Why not?

Devin: I just--it's this...

Cerise: [persistently] What is it? Why can't we meet?

Devin: I just... I don't want you to stop talking to me.

Cerise: [suddenly alert] And why would I do that?

Devin: [protracted exhale] Because of who I am?

Cerise: I like you, Cigarette. I like you, a whole damn lot. It's difficult to live not knowing you.

Devin: I--

Cerise: Please. Please! I'm not the kind of person who judges people, okay? And I don't care what you look like, who you are, how much money you have, or whatever... I like you. I need to know you.

Devin: You do know me...

Cerise: Passing by you unknowingly in the school hallway, familiar with just your voice... this is not knowing. I want to meet you... [insistently] Please?

Devin: I can't... [sighs]

Cerise: Please. I've never had a friend ever in my life, and now that I do have one, I don't want him to be a shadow... I want him to be tangible and there... like in front of me, talking face-to-face, hanging out, like normal friends. Please, Cigarette?

Devin: [cursing] Jesus Christ...

Cerise: If it's something like you not wanting to be seen with me... because I might... um, taint your reputation or--

Devin: [quickly interrupting] No, no! It's not that, nothing like that.

Cerise: Then?

Devin: [after a long while of deliberation] ... Okay.

Cerise: Okay? [enthusiastically] Okay, okay!

Devin: Yeah... when and where?

Cerise: You decide.

Devin: Thomas Beach? Tomorrow morning, around eleven?

Cerise: Perfect! And then we can go grab lunch together--

Devin: [muttering] That is, only if you want to be within a mile of me when you finally find out who I am.

Cerise: [scoffs] Puh-lease. I will always be your friend. No matter how ugly you are.

Devin: [short, quiet laugh] Alright, then.

Cerise: You have no idea how excited I am to finally know you!

Devin: I think I do... you sound like a bundle of fried nerves.

Cerise: Jeez, okay... well, I'll sleep now. I have an important meet-up tomorrow. You should sleep, too.

Devin: Important meet-up, ugh. Whatever. Goodnight, Cerise.

Cerise: Goodnight.

//call disconnected//

***