“I’m good, Meg, what brings you to the mall?”
“Just shopping the sales. How’s Courtney?”
Brian looked down and then back up at Megan, “We, uh, broke up a few days ago.”
“Oh, Brian, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. We’re still friends and all. She just decided to move back to Toronto.”
“I’m sorry, I know break ups can be tuff.” They both stood there in an awkward silence for several seconds, “I was just headed to get some coffee, wanna come?”
“Never turned down coffee with a pretty lady.”
**
Kevin sighed as Jessie’s answering machine picked up, “Hey, you have reached me, Jessie, at 765-7823. I can’t get to the phone, so, leave a message and I’ll get back with ya.”
He waited for the beep, “Jess, it’s me. Call me when you get this.” Kevin dropped the receiver not knowing anything else to say.
**
A.J. beat on Nick’s door and waited for an answer, when none came he got his cell phone out and dialed Nick’s number. After several rings Nick picked up, “Hello?” he said in a raspy voice.
“Nick, wake up and answer your freakin door!”
“A.J.?”
“Yes.”
“What’s are you doing?”
“I came to talk to you, now open the door!”
“Okay, okay, sheesh.”
A few seconds later Nick, messed up hair and all, opened the door, “Dude, what are you doing? It’s like before noon, on my day off!”
A.J. pushed him back into the house, “We need to talk.”
“About what?” Nick asked confused
“About Stephanie.”
“About your friend? Okay, what about her?”
“Don’t play coy with me Nick. I know you know who she is.”
“A.J., what are you talking about?” Nick asked rubbing his head.
“Stephanie, we met her a long time ago, really good friends, and then she died. Don’t play stupid!”
Nick was now looking at A.J. like he had grown another head, “A.J., are you okay? Did you hit your head or anything? You are making no sense.”
A.J. crossed his arms, “Then where did you get that chain that you were wearing yesterday?”
“What chain?”
“The chain that Stephanie bought for you when we were in Europe.”
“A.J., I wasn’t wearing a chain yesterday and Stephanie has never bought anything for me.”
A.J. got as far into Nick’s face as possible considering their height difference, “Carter, you are skatin on thin ice!” with that he stormed out of the house. The figure that appeared to be Nick watched him pull out of the drive.
The phone rang and Nick rolled over in bed and answered it, “Hello?” The figure downstairs looked up at the ceiling and then vanished.
**
Stephanie jumped as a deep voice sounded behind her, “It’s to close.”
She spun around, “What’s to close?”
“A.J. almost talked to Nick about you.”
“What do you mean almost?”
“I intervened, but they must not talk to each other,” without another word the dark figure vanished.
