Alex:In your dreams, I’m betting.
Romina:
Alex:
I walk to Pit Stop Soda Shop that night after closing up. He sends me a picture of myself, arms distorted in motion, sipping my milkshake in the twilight. I jump out of my skin, then scour the neighborhood, but there’s no sign of him. No truck, no Alex, nothing. He’s in the wind. He is invisible!
I am unnerved.
I am so unnerved that I eat a whole bowl of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner without realizing they’re the vegetarian meatballs I hate.
Luna points her fork at my face. “Ha! You see! Can’t tell a difference.”
“I can tellnow.”
“Only because I told you. Youenjoyedthem.” She’s so smug about this.
“I can’t taste anything. My tongue isn’t working right.”
Zelda snickers into her food. “What have you been doing with it?”
“I’m right here,” Aisling whines, waving a breadstick. “I’m eleven. Save your weird stuff for when I’m not in the room, please.”
“Sorry.”
I bang my head on a table until Ash complains that I’m causing her distress and Luna drags me away. I flop onto my belly on Luna’s couch, distracted by Alex’s spate of bizarre text messages.
Nobody even knows about this horse
Do you think there’s such thing as sharks
How come a Pluto?
One small corn muffin
What??I reply. When he doesn’t immediately reply, I drawthe conclusion that these texts were sent by his Alexa, which is probably listening to the noise in his background and garbling it at me. But then, half an hour later:
Alex:I bet you’re still thinking about How come a Pluto.
Romina:wtf
Romina:that was just to get attention?
Alex:Yes.
Romina:-____-
Alex:I have developed a plan and am holding fast to it. But please know that I miss your beautiful face! In addition to one small corn muffin.
Romina:Come see my beautiful face. You know where to find it.
Alex:Soon.
Romina:Are you playing hard to get, or what?
Alex:Honey, you know I’m easy. You’re getting used to the idea of being with me, a little bit at a time. And look at you now, pining over me. SO sweet.
Romina:I never said I was PINING
