Before the Morning [BEING EDITED]

11 | Sharon

Ah, middle school. What a time to be alive.

"What's up, buttercup?" Nora asked, phone to her ear.

"Andy forgot he had work today, so he won't be coming," Willow said.

"Okay." She paused, let that sink in. "Wait! Shoot!"

Willow laughed. "I'll pick you up, don't worry. Is Nolan still coming?"

"As far as I know," she said. "I'll ask him. Please hold."

She hung up and swiped through her contacts. Nolan's name sat under Nathan's.

She bit her lip, free fingers tapping absently against her arm as the phone rang. Would he pick up?

"Hello?"

"Hey!" she said. "You're still going to Willow's today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Andy had to cancel, so Nathan's gonna pick us up. Could I have your address?"

Nolan started to rattle it off, but Nora swiftly realized that she wouldn't be good at any position that required a stellar memory. "Wait, sorry, I need to grab a piece of paper."

"Okay."

She bounded up the stairs and snatched one of her class notebooks from where they'd been banished in her closet. "Now I need a pen," she murmured. "I'm so disorganized. I need an assistant."

Silence.

"She snatched her mechanical pencil from the drawstring bag. "Mechanical pencil's close enough, right?"

"Sure," he said.

She laughed. "Okay, hit me."

"Fifteen Truitt Avenue, apartment five," he said.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, wow, that's actually like two streets over from my house."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" To think, he'd just been two streets away this entire time. What a small and funny world. "Ooh, since we live so close, could I just walk over to you so Willow just has to go to one place?"

"Uh, sure," he said.

She grimaced. "Sorry, pushy. It's okay if—"

"No, it's fine. Caleb will be happy to see you."

"Awesome! I'll see you in a few."

She hung up and called Willow.

"You know, putting someone on hold doesn't mean hanging up on them," Willow drawled upon picking up.

"Shh."

"Never be a receptionist."

"Hey, I'd be an amazing receptionist. Speaking of which, I have a message for you, sir."

Willow cleared her throat. "Can it wait 'till lunch?"

"Afraid not, sir."

"Fine. What is it, Sharon?"

"Sharon?"

"Seems like a good receptionist name."

She nodded her head from side to side. True. "Your father is to pick myself and Nolan up at fifteen Truitt Avenue."

"Thank you, Sharon."

"You're welcome, sir."

✝

Nora had to pee. Like really, really had to pee.

She bounced up and down as she scanned the apartment numbers. Crap. Which one was he again?