Just Normal

Chapter 10

I didn't really take Mary as a pothead, at first. She just didn't seem like the type of person who would. Was she uptight? slightly deranged? mentally unstable? Absolutely. 

But not this. I didn't have a problem with it, definitively, but it was just . . . surprising. 

Mindlessly sketching cartoon murders in my math textbook, I heard my phone starting to ring. Eagerly, I picked it up, but was curious when I saw the unfamiliar caller ID. 

Creeped out that somebody that I didn't know had my phone number, I raised my voice a few notches and for some reason, I picked up a Southern accent, "Hey, suga! Have you finally come crawling back to my apple strudels?"

Allie's concerned voice rang on the other side, "Eli? Why is your voice like that? Oh my gosh, are you sick?" 

Oh, no. I forgot to input her in my phone. Dammit, iPhone 3.  

I cleared my throat, "No, no. Um. . . I was just practicing my Dolly Parton impersonation." 

"Oh?" 

"Uh-huh. Yeah. . . It's for, um, this is important, er, drag queen night?" 

I shoved my fist into my mouth and silently screamed. Are you dumb, Eli? Are you FRICKIN dumb? 

"Oh. . . That sounds fun!" 

Maybe if I hang up right now, I can move to Alaska. I heard they have really good salmon up there. I'll probably get a fish fillet that's really hot because it's cold in that area, and then I'll proceed to FLING MYSELF IN THE GLACIERS. 

Because, seriously, anything is less painful than this. 

"Yeah. . .So, did you call for some reason?" 

"Of course! I was just wondering where we were going to eat before the dance tomorrow. I expected you to call, but you must've forgotten. Which is totally fine!" 

The dance! My eyes bugged out, "Yeah, yeah sure. I was just about to call you." 

"That's great!" 

Pacing around my room, I rubbed my hands on the back of my neck, "And. . .I was going to call and ask if you had any preference." 

I threw finger guns at myself in the mirror for how smooth that was. 

Her laugh reverberated through the phone, "Okay. Are you up for the fancy place on the corner of 4th?" 

"Sure, I'll pick you up at 6?" 

"Great! I'm so excited!" 

Hanging up and flinging my phone on my Star Trek pillowcase, I slowly processed everything and realized something very, very bad.

"Oh, shoot," I whispered to myself. 

About to have a meltdown, I flung the door open and forgot everything in my right mind and rushed across the street. 

Except, right before my knuckles were about to rap onto Mary's front door, I remembered her grandmother. Will she be crying? Would it be selfish to talk to her about something when she's this sad? 

I don't think I could deal with a crying Mary. I could barely deal with one that wasn't. 

Shrugging and whispering 'yolo' to myself, I knocked three times and waited for the familiar tap tap tap of her foots approaching the door. 

Slowly creeping the door open, Mary's face was revealed. Besides having her eyes a bit bloodshot and her hair looking like Helen Keller cut it, she looked fine.