"Red or blue?"
"Get out of my room," Nick repeated as he pointed toward his door. Schmidt came barging in; phone up to his ear and briefcase clutched in his free hand.
Schmidt stepped up onto Nick's bed, stepping down on said man as he did so. "Ow! Schmidt!"
"Hello? Hello? Hello?" Schmidt repeated into his phone. "The scarf has been back ordered for a month. Meanwhile, the hat is just sitting here!"
"André! André?"
"Blue or pink?"
"This is not a business center!"
Winston ran into the room, "Mama? Mama? Unplug it. If you unplug it, it can't electrocute you! Mama?"
The group of six continued to yell over one another, phones pressed to their ears. Nick's bed creaked under the weight of five of them, as Winston crouched next to the window. Bartholomew still laid across Nick's body and watched his family happily.
Jess suddenly screamed. Doc jumped up with a yell, punching Jess in the stomach. The older woman groaned and fell onto Nick, causing Bart to jump off the bed quickly.
Doc crouched down, rolling Jess onto her back. "Jess! I am so sorry! Are you okay?"
Jess groaned, but gave a weak thumbs up. "All good," she wheezed out. Quickly jumping to her feet, causing Nick to groan out. "This phone thing has me really jazzed up!" She doubled over and groaned, "Give me a second."
"Excuse my language," Jess continued, "Now, I'm going to propose something. Something insane." The rest of the group glanced at one another in confusion. "Now, you all just have to stay calm and trust me."
A few minutes later, the group stood in the living room staring at a green landline sitting on the table. Jess had fished it out from her Wonder Closet — as Doc and Winston called it — and had plugged it in.
Jess crouched in front of the phone and stared at it, perplexed. Doc clung onto Nick's back, peering over his head at the old phone. Bartholomew rested his head on the table and stared at the phone with everyone. "Where does your music go?" Coach asked.
"How do you take pictures?" Doc at the same time.
Schmidt squinted it at it and pointed, "Why does it have a rope?"
It suddenly began to ring, causing everyone to jump back in surprise. On instinct, Nick placed his hands protectively around Doc's knees. The girl clung tighter to his neck as her eyes widened.
"Woah, that's cool," Coach muttered.
Winston chuckled lowly and leaned forward slightly, "Just like in the movies," he breathed out happily.
"We should answer it with funny voices," Nick said with a laugh.
Jess turned to him with a shake of her head, "We don't know who it is."
Doc rested her chin against Nick's head, a lazy look in her eyes, "It could be anybody; like the president...or Betty White."
"Or Tonya from sixth grade," Schmidt added.
𝗶. landlines & ballet
Start from the beginning
