Page 6 (1/2)

"Are you done?"

"Sure," I laughed "For now"

"Good You should really restrict these flights of fancy to your fiction, where I can redline therounds of verbosity and excessive allusion"

"You know you're not randeur expanding?"

Pam and I bantered like that for another half hour, after which I escaped hoh the city or a ride out to the ood, but lately I couldn't break away from my phone and computer and a safe space in which to handleThe result wasinto space Around dinnertime I sent Hannah an email

Subject: Assholery

Sender: Matthew S

Date: Sunday, June 30, 2013

Tiht In future, you probably shouldn't be so lax with personal information We internet predators feed on such facts For example, now that I know your superpoish is to fly, I a the location of your secret bunker

And I want to project ht All bets are off now)

Call et a chance I'e and roamed my apartment like a zombie

I stared at the forty plus Tupperwares crammed into the freezer, each labeled with a sticky note Yes, irlfriend had not only cooked and frozen about two months' worth of meals for me, but she planned the order in which I should eat the dated for the middle of July I hit it in the anoff

I was still poking at my food when Hannah texted

9900 Sienna St in Aurora We have an open door policy Except for tonight, an old high school friend is taking me out I'll have my phone So excited to be home!

I called her i in the background and people talking over one another "God, I'rowled "I cannot believe you texted me your address Are you insane?"

"Oh don't start I refuse your bad attitude tonight I' to do your Mr Frostypants routine on er "You don't even know me"

"Yes, you've pointed that out "

"It doesn'tyour address to strangers from the internet, please That kind of behavior is a terrible accident waiting to happen Do you have any idea how et an idea" She yawned in my ear Oh, that little devil

"Fortunately for you I am not a psychopath, but I c--"

"Yes, okay Matt Point taken I soleive my address to internet randos in the future, etcetera etcetera But this is ive ave it to you I want to azing at my sketch of Hannah Every tih me

God, Matt I can feel it, hoet I am

Compared to the eyes I remembered from Hannah's photo, the eyes in my sketch were lifeless I could lanced at a framed photo on the wall--Bethany's face and ainst a backdrop of Miairlfriend

"You want to ht of the words

I had never felt such longing in my life My whole body responded to the idea of Hannah near h ht makes ht"

"Um, unfortunately no Not unless you want to uy friend?"

"Yes, Matt A guy friend A friend who is a guy Don't get any ideas"

"I don't have any ideas," Iyou?"

"I don't know So"

"Great" Myto a bar with soh school friend Given what she'd told h school pals weren't exactly young scholars Mostly gamers and dropouts

"Try to sound a little happier for led Fuck, that sound Why did she have to be going out with soht? Why couldn't she pant and moan on the phone with me until I came? I needed to come--with her God, I needed it

"You're cute, you know," she said

"I prefer handsome And yes, I know"

"Ha! Such a snob, too"

So Hannah's nah, I know Apparently the way to solicit attention in this house is to go full five-year-old Anyway Uround noise and lowered her voice "I'll I'll text you when I get home, okay? We can chat if you're still up"