chapterfifteen

The movie let out at about 11:30 and Elle and I were on the way back to my car when I got this creepy wave of nausea.

�Elle, I don�t feel so good,� I told her, slowing my pace.

�I told you not to eat those peanut butter M&M�s,� she said. �I stick with the plain ones.�

I shook my head and started laughing. �Elle, you�re allergic to peanut butter. So of course you don�t eat them.�

�Completely beside to point,� she told me. �Come on�we�ll stop by 7-11 and get you some Sprite. That should help.�

We pulled up to the store and I went to open my door.

�No,� Elle said. �I�m gonna run inside and get it. You stay here. The last thing we need is you puking in some guys store.�

�Jesus, Elle. Thank you so much for that image.�

�Anytime,� she yelled as she slammed the passenger door.

I felt this sudden urge to talk to Taylor, so I grabbed my cell phone and started flipping through the numbers. I found the number to his cell and pushed send. Thank god for nationwide long distance!

**********************

Taylor had his phone on vibrate, so he felt it ring against his thigh. He sat up immediately, lifting his body off Gabby�s where it had been comfortably squirming for the last half-hour or so.

�Taylor? Is something wrong?� Gabby asked.

�No�my phone�s ringing,� he told her.

�Oh. You scared me for a second there.�

�Scared the hell out of me,� he said, reaching for it. �Give me a sec, OK Gabby?�

�Yep. I�m gonna go grab a drink. You want one?� she asked.

�Yeah, that�d be great. Thanks.�

Gabby walked away and Taylor turned his phone over in his hand to check the caller ID. �Nat�s Cell� scrolled across the screen, and his stomach dropped.

********************

�Taylor, pick up your fucking phone�� I muttered out loud. It never took him this long to answer. �Maybe he�s asleep�� I said, continuing my dialogue with myself.

�Hey!� I heard him say.

�Taylor! I was about to hang up. Thought you were asleep,� I said.

�Nope. Can�t you hear the music? This party�s still going,� he told me.

I could hear the music in the background, and all the laughter. It sounded like a lot of fun and I was kind of bummed he was there without me.

�Sounds like a great time,� I told him. �Elle and I just got out of the movies. I don�t know�I just wanted to talk to you.�

**********************

��I just wanted to talk to you,� Natalie said.

Gabby walked into Taylor�s line of vision, so he hurried to wrap the conversation up.

�Well, it was sweet of you to check up on me,� he told Natalie.

�I just miss the sound of your voice,� Natalie said sadly.

�I know, I miss you too,� he said.

Gabby had found her seat next to him again and handed him his drink. Taylor tried to finish up his phone call.

�I love you,� Natalie said.

�No, I won�t be out too late. Love you too flom,� he said, pushing the off button.

�Who was that?� Gabby asked.

�My mom,� Taylor lied easily.

�Awww, how cute. Your mom still checks up on you.�

�Shut up Gabby,� he said, leaning in and kissing her.

************************

I put my phone back into my purse and tried top figure out what had just gone on. Elle came in and handed me a bottle of Sprite.

�Here you go,� she said.

�Thanks Elle.�

�Natalie, what�s wrong? You look sicker than you did before I left the car!�

�I called Taylor. He�s at this party and that�s fine and all, but when I called him��

�When you called him WHAT?� Elle demanded.

�It seemed weird�.like he never said my name�and at the end, he said something about not staying out too late...�

�So he was trying to reassure you,� Elle said.

�But I never asked. And I swear that at the end of the conversation, he called me �flom�.�

�Flom? What the hell is flom? Is there such a word?� Elle asked.

�I don�t think so. But you know what �flom� sounds like, don�t you?� I asked her.

�Mom�� she whispered.

�Yep.�

�But who does he want to hide you from?� Elle asked.

�That is an excellent question.�