WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HEART

NOW.III

NOW. III

Him

JA: can I call u?

NF: (typing something)

JA: Nat? can I call u?

NF: not right now

JA: ????

NF: my phone is dead. I'm charging in a coffee shop.

JA: and?

NF: and the cable's too short, I can't raise the phone higher...just...wait

JA: what?

NF: I h8 this thing

JA: let's just talk, I wanna hear ur voice

NF: babe, listen. Ill call you when ready, ok?

JA: but

NF: babe, promise

JA: ok

Half an hour later she called. I was taken aback by her voice. That was Nat alright but she sounded...small. She had the voice of a mouse.

"I can't believe you found me" she said.

"Course I did" I replied.

"God, I'm so stupid, I completely forgot about freakin' Facebook" I cried.

"It's okay. We're ok now, right?"

"Are we? What the hell is going on, Jamie?"

"I don't...I don't know" I replied.

"Where are you?"

I froze. All the guilt and dread from the weekend came back, culminating with the image of Christine...just being Christine.

"In town, in my old apartament" I replied.

"Of course," she sighed. "Can you come see me?"

"I think so...but babe, if this is real..."

"Yeah?"

"If this is real, it's going to be extremely weird for me to show up and your parents'. They have no idea who I am. You should have no idea who I am."

"Yeah, but I don't care. I want to see you. Please come. Look for a flight and come over!"

"Yeah, a flight..."

Did I mention I was now broke? All my savings were now hanging by the fate of one Lebron James and the Miami Heat. And the resolution of that was a few weeks away.

"So?" she kept waiting for a confirmation.

"Ok, I will. Just...give me some time. It's kind of a tricky situation here"

"Yeah, no kidding! Jamie, I have a math exam coming up."

I laughed. Jokes still bounced flawlessly between us. Good!

"I guess there's no chance of you doing the trip instead?" I suggested.

"Hmm...let me see. I'm 18, my final exams are closing in. Hey mom and dad, can I burrow some money in order to fly across the country and meet this guy you never heard of before? He's amazing, I promise. You'll like him too...in 10 years!"

"Fair point" I replied.

"C'mon, how bad are you right now? You can't make it over here?"

She was getting desperate.

"I can make it," I said.

I could hear her sobbing, slowly trying to hold the tears back.

"I love you..." she whispered.