Run Between

Ringtones

         In my family, every time someone gets a new phone, we have a family meeting and make sure we all have different ringtones.  It sounds weird, but you wouldn’t believe how useful it is.  I have an older brother, and two younger ones, too, so it’s crucial that we don’t get confused with each other.  My mom has a small, tinkling ring that sounds like raindrops on a window.  My dad has the traditional “old time” ring, which none of the rest of us would take.  My older brother, Ben, found some way to make his favorite rock song his ringtone.  He did it for me, too, before he decided I was too uncool to have as a little sister.  Ben didn’t give my eleven-year-old brother, Evan, this treatment, so he stuck with the digital sounding ring.  The first time I heard it, I ran to my computer, thinking that someone had deleted my essay.  My brothers tease me about it to this day, and part of me laughs at myself too.  The other part is reminded of the bullies I face at school.  My youngest brother, Daniel, isn’t old enough to have a cell phone.  He does, however, claim that the home phone line is his.  So when I hear it ringing while I’m doing my homework, I don’t answer it—that’s Danny’s job, and he’s very protective of it. 

         Needless to say, I’m really surprised when he comes running into my room, a highly stretched wire trailing behind him.  “Lucy!” he yells, drawing out the word so my name sounds more like the brand name for Utz pretzels. 

         “Shut up!” I sing back cheerfully, and turn back to my textbook.  “I’m doing homework.  Is it Kat?” In my mind, Kat’s the only person it could be.  The odd fact remains, though, that she’s never called my home phone, only my cell.

         Danny makes a face.  “No.  You talk to Kat too much.  It’s some Fly Buy Studios Guy or something.  He wants to talk to you.” 

         I intake a sharp breath.  After weeks of callbacks, meetings at the studio, and waiting, here is the moment of truth.  I probably didn’t get the part—I love acting, but really, I only learned so I could stay an innocent little girl in our parents’ eyes while pranking Ben when I was little.  Besides, I’m too shy to be on camera. “Hello?” I say, fuming at my small, shaky voice.

         “Lucy Harper?” the voice says. I recognize it as the nice bald man from the auditions.  I relax a bit, at least he’ll break the news to me lights.  “You’re the one I thought looked like Skye, right?”

         “Yeah,” I reply with a breathy laugh. “So? I didn’t get a part, did I?” I brace myself for the worst.

         “Hold your horses, Lucy.  I was getting to that! Are you free Saturday morning?”

         “Yes,” I say, confused.

         “Good, because that’s when we’re having our cast reading.  And we couldn’t do that without the main character, could we?”