Emerge by Lila Felix Page A

most glorious sound I had ever heard. 
                  I laughed in return and he said , “You need to up my limits then, because I’m planning on meeting my Jenna quota every day I can.” 
                  Leaving me melting on my porch steps he turned and got in his car, started it and then motioned me with a smile and a waving hand to go in the house. 
                  I complied and when I had shut the door he put his car into gear and sped away.  I collapsed against the old broken backdoor with the duct tape window and sat there for a half an hour just smiling like my world was complete.  I buried my eyes into the palms of my hands and finally admitted to myself the truth. “I love him, even if he doesn’t love me.  Loving him is enough.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 8
     
                  I went through my routine of work, homework and a Ramen noodle soup dinner.  We didn’t confirm what time he would call, b ut I was a ball of nervous, excited energy.  I showered and took up temporary residence by the phone.  Yeah, I’ve progressed passed moron and onto obsessive, sit by the phone and wait moron.  Nice.  I lost myself in a new book about a boy who was an Ace trying to find his significant other.  I was entranced by it.  So much so that when the phone rang I threw the book in the air and then had to “Air Raid” until I made sure it wasn’t going to impale me. It plunked on the floor beside me and I picked it up and marked my page with a bookmark.  I checked the caller id and it was a local number , the same number as the night before .  I took a deep breath and put my hands out in front of my palms down pushing downward trying to move the nervousness away.  It didn’t work. 
                  “Hello , ” I said it so cool.  I was getting good at this. 
                  “Hey you , ” he said. 
                  OK , never mind …he was the epitome of cool.
                  He continued, “What are you doing?”
                  “ Um, I was reading.” I really needed to work on not saying ‘um’. 
                  He groaned, “I hate reading.  When I have to read a book for school I read the beginning and then the end and guess about the rest. ” 
                  I laughed and answered , “ Well, reading is my crack.”
                  He laughed, “ Ahhh , well, good to know.” 
                  All of the sudden my brave girl surfaced and I started, “Can I ask you a question?”
                  He chuckled and answered , “Of course , J, ask me anything.”
                  I cleared my throat and asked “When I first came to Drama class and told you that I had been transferred there you said that made things easier for you. What did you mean by that?”
                  He was quiet way too long and I glanced at the caller id and saw that the call was still active. 
                  “I um….well...I saw you last semester.  You were walking between the Administration building and the Commons Area and ever since then I’ve been trying to find you again.  I saw you once through the gate.  You were walking towards the bus stop and I walked around the fence but it was too late, you were boarding the bus.  So, what I meant was … you being in Drama was easier for me than trying to chase you around all the time.” 
                  I replied the onl y way my throat would let me .  “ Oh”
                  There was a long pause…longer than the one that superseded this one. 
                  “Oh , man…I’m scaring you right?   I’m telling you too much.  I basically just confessed that I’m a stalker.” 
                  He let out a violent “whoosh” of breath and it sounded in the phone like