'Started with a' series

Started with christmas shopping

"Oo that'd be good too!" I said as clicked the 'add to my cart' button.

I was currently online shopping for Christmas because unlike last year I don't wanna end up standing in a line to actually pay for things I wanna buy, on Christmas Eve. I guess shopping in November is pretty early. But that's what I thought and made the biggest mistake of physically going shopping. New Yorkers can be a bit too eager for Christmas.

I finally finished shopping i.e. clicking on the items I wanna buy for my family and waited for the email from the company confirming my purchases.

Ping!

The sound woke me up from my almost slumber as it was past midnight already. I looked at the phone screen searching for an email from the company but instead found one from a very peculiar ID.

kittensareheretokillyou@hotmail.com:

Hi! The official online account is currently not working. Please leave a voicemail in the given number and your orders will be accepted or you will get a call back. Thank you for your patience!

There was a number below the message and I debated whether or not to call. I decided to leave a voicemail and go to sleep.
'The person on the other side better call me in the morning.' I thought as I dialed the number .There was the familiar sound of the beep as I said,"So I want my orders accepted and delivered as soon as possible. Thank you."

I woke up oddly refreshed the next day and checked my phone. I was surprised to have received a text from the same number from last night. It said,"Hey Gary! Long time no see. How are you?"

"Who the hell is this? Are you some kinda stalker because I know people from the police." I messaged back, batshit scared.

A reply came in seconds as the same number said,"Ah Uncle John I suppose. I see you don't remember me. Here's a hint: I lived next door."

"Vennesa?" I texted back guessing the name of the only neighbor I ever had since I could remember . But that changed when she moved out all of a sudden and I bought an apartment here in New York where you don't even know who lives next door.

This time I was replied with a call instead as I picked up.

"Hey Garyboy. How are you old friend?" Her sweet voice said through the phone.

"I've been good. What about you Kit Kat?" I asked.

"Argh I never really understood why you called me that name." Her british accent mixed with a hint of confusion. Ahh I missed my best pal.

"Because 'nessa' would be too boring and it also sounds like 'nestle' and Kit Kat is a nestle product, Kit Kat." I explained .

I heard her beautiful laugh. I missed her laugh. I missed her.
"That's the silliest thing I've heard all day. So you're in New York right?"

"Yea how'd you know? "I asked surprised.

"Your number doofus." She deadpanned.

"Oh right ." Then it dawned on me. "Hey! It means you're in New York too!"

"Umm...Duh!" She said.

"Wow! How long?" I asked.

"Now you sound like a mother asking her teenage daughter how long she's been pregnant." She said.
I barked out a laugh.

"Seriously though. How long have you been in New York?" I asked in a serious voice.

"About two years now actually."

"And you never thought of calling me?"I asked.

"I didn't know you were here."She said in her defense.