Foreign Objects

06 • Lipperhey

She pouts momentarily at me before we both share a laugh. My phone makes notification noises so I decide to check it out. I'm expecting that it's Mike sending me more Alien articles but, it's just an Instagram notification. A private message. From user Jremiah56.

Cautiously, I tilt my phone's screen away from Peyton's line of view.

jremiah56:
Strawberry so early in the morning?

I pause with the rainbow straw already in my mouth and retract my hand, a sudden weird feeling washing over me as the reminder that he is in fact in tune with my tastebuds comes to mind.

Just on cue, his emotions comes to me in waves and I marvel at how as time goes on, I am starting to distinctly tell which one is his and which one is mine. A little bit. My chest isn't heavy this time like earlier but, it isn't calm either. If I were to describe it (albeit my being terrible at it), I can say it's just an okay mood. Not particularly happy but, not sad either or in his case, trying not to be sad. I bet he's trying his best to move on and for a moment, I just think about how hard that must be for him.

deelilahjc:
None of your business what I put in my mouth at mornings

jremiah56:
😳

I scrunch my eyes shut. That was awfully worded but, I decide not to show any ounce of embarrassment at it.

deelilahjc:
And besides, shouldn't you be appreciative? Strawberry's a good flavour.

jremiah56:
It makes me wanna puke

jremiah56:
I hate strawberry.

I look at the drink in my hand for a few seconds and blink.

deelilahjc:
Jeremiah

deelilahjc:
How can you hate strawberry???

deelilahjc:
I don't understand, how??

deelilahjc:
it's strawberry. What's bad about it?

jremiah56:
EVERYTHING

jremiah56:
it's a terrible flavour

jremiah56:
I haven't had it in years. Been trying my best to avoid it

jremiah56:
So thanks a lot

I think for a beat, before proceeding to take another sip. When a message pops up a few seconds later, I can't help but snort.

I feel Peyton side eying me and in panic, I turn my phone's screen off.

"Um, who's got you smiling so hard this morning?"

I tsk. "I wasn't smiling."

"You looked pretty invested in whatever conversation that was though," she notes, "That hasn't happened in a while."

"It's just Mike. He keeps sending me these articles and some are hilarious as fuck," I lie smoothly.

She doesn't believe me. I can see it in her hesitant smile but, she goes with it.

I turn my phone on again, tilt the screen out of her line of view, put my screen brightness at the lowest and read the new message he sent.

jremiah56:
Seriously? Have you no heart?

deelilahjc:
Relax. I just wanted to see if you had an off switch

jremiah56:
Off switch?