Long-Distance Calls

31

Tyler told me how proud he was of me, alluded to the fact that I was growing up, and suggested that I told my parents about it.

"You know, my mom is not always as frisky as she is with you," I told him, "and don't get me started on my father. I don't think we've even talked yet, this year, me and him."

"I understand," he said, "but how bad can it go?"

"Very bad," I gasped, "no more Internet bad. Mom goes crazy every time she hears me talking to someone on Skype."

"That's because she doesn't know who it is you're talking with," he noted, "maybe if you tell her that it's a girlfriend..."

"Nope," I cut him short, "she'll be even more mad."

He sighed. "She has to understand that this is the age you start to look for someone special."

"She still considers me a child," I accused, "I don't think you really understand."

"That's because you don't give her the chance to see you for what you really are," he said, "c'mon, believe me!"

Right in that moment I received a text from Evelyn: "Hi, Avsam. Sry, slept all morning :$ btw, can I have your home address?"

"What do you need that for?" I typed back.

"I wanna send you something," she wrote.

I glanced at Tyler and gave him a hand sign to wait a moment, and texted back, "that's not a great idea. If my parents see something in the mail for me, they'll open it without even asking. Pretty sure of that."

"What?? That's bs. My parents would never dare."

"Yeah, my parents are not your parents, unfortunately."

"Let's talk on Skype." she wrote, and I wanted to tell her that I couldn't because I was with Tyler but then I thought about it for a moment and texted a "okay".

"Something wrong?" asked Tyler, seeing me stand up all of a sudden and grabbing the laptop.

"Yes and no," I said, "I have to call Evelyn."

"Oh, alright, I'll go downstairs," he said.

"No," I stopped him, "stay here."

I rapidly logged onto Skype and hit the call button on Evelyn's contact. She picked up after a number of rings.

"Here you are, Avsam," she said, as she turned on the webcam.

"Hey Avsama," I answered, giggling at the female version of 'Avsam' I'd just made up and turning on my webcam too.

She seemed startled for a moment, as she saw two heads, mine and Tyler's, appearing on her screen, and then she said "oh, you could've told me you weren't alone," blushing a little.

"Avsama," I announced, "this is my cousin Tyler. Tyler, this is Evelyn."

"Nice to meet you," Tyler waved at the camera, "now what are those Japanese terms you just said to call yourselves?"