"Hello?"
"Hello, is Isaac there?"
Mrs. Hanson gave the phone a funny look. She'd never heard this voice before. "Yes, he is. May I ask who is speaking?"
"This is Jerry," the voice replied. Mrs. Hanson shook her head in confusion.
"Hold on a second, dear." She covered the receiver with her hand and screamed, "ISAAAAC!!!"
There was a click on the other line, and Mrs. Hanson hung up as she heard a deep, "Hello?"
"Hey," Jerry said, a bit more shyly.
"Hey, who is this?"
"Jerry," she said, her voice wavering.
"Whoa! Your voice sounds different over the phone," he said. "What's up?"
"Nothing," she said. "I just wanted to talk."
"Oh," he said.
"I'm thinking now maybe I should've dished 20 bucks for your name on a slip of paper."
He raised an eyebrow, but laughed anyway. "I oughtta take you up on that offer. I'm flat broke."
"What? Wasted away your fortune on fast cars and fancy clothes?"
"NOT HARDLY!" he said. "I don't work, therefore my money stays frozen in the bank...somewhere."
She burst out laughing. "So, are you busy?"
"We're leaving tomorrow on a tour," he confirmed. "It's a bit hectic."
"So I guess that my invitation to the Stable Boys concert tonight will go untaken?"
Isaac breathed into the phone. Stable Boys were only THE greatest non-mainstream band in existence. They'd been Tulsa's best kept secret for nearly 4 years. He had every single one of their releases. Knight, Horseman, and Cavalier, Mismatched Memory, and Whorehouse Friday Night were a must-have on every tour. They were, in a word, awe-inspiring.
"I...I can't turn that down," he said, excited. "Who could? Where? What time?"
"Nobody. The West Tulsa Metropolitan High Gymnasium. I'll pick you up at 6?"
"I think I can do that," he said.
"Great," she said.
"Great," he replied.
"Yeah," she mumbled back into the phone. Isaac looked at his watch. 2:55.
"Dammit," he muttered. "I'm sorry, but I've got about a mess of little kids to pick up from school."
"No problem," she said back. "See ya at 6."
"Yeah," he said back. "At 6."
Isaac hung up the phone, and hurried down the stairs. He met his mom at the bottom.
"Mom, you'll never guess what!!" he exclaimed.
"What?" she asked.
"I'm going to STABLE BOYS tonight!!!"
"Tonight?" she asked.
"Isn't it great?!" he asked.
"But, honey, tonight is your birthday," she said softly.
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "What? Were you planning something special?"
She sighed. "I just wanted you to be here. What time is it? I'll arrange dinner around whenever it is."
"Jerry is coming by at 6 to get me," he said.
"I...is Jerry the girl on the phone?"
"Yup," he said.
"Just...I..."
Isaac glanced again at his watch. "Mom, Ave and Mack are gonna kill me if I am late again!"
"Go," she said. "Go..."
