Fugue #136

And what about requited last loves? Well, that’s just normal, isn’t it? Zed chuckles, and it’s hard to say whether they’re interesting or not.

What are you going to do? What? What really?

Gene sits and stares at the telephone. If he doesn’t call, she can’t say no. If he doesn’t call, everything is still possible. He can think of her, still, as the perfect girl he has imagined. It takes a while for him to pick up the phone.

- Hello?
- Uhhh...hey, Emily?
- Yeah?
- It’s Gene...from the hallway?
- - I know who it is. (She smiles, but he can’t hear it.)
- Oh, ok.
- How are you?
- Ok...how about you?
- I’m fine. What’s up?
- Nothing...
- So why did you call me?
- I’m sorry.
- Don’t be. It’s nice to hear your voice.
- Yours, too. Would you want to...
- Yeah.
- ...meet me...
- I said yeah. (She smiles again, and he can hear it now.)