Unreachable

Video chat

A few days had passed since that unexpected night. Emma tried not to think too much about Nick, but it was difficult. Her emotions were conflicted. On one hand, she didn't really know him. All she knew about him was what the media and social networks portrayed, and to be honest, that wasn't the most reliable source. On the other hand, there were the numbers in his birthdate that gave her a different perspective. Yet, somewhere deep inside, she felt a strong and inexplicable pull toward him—something about his charisma, his presence, his eyes that told a different story from what he projected. She tried not to give it too much importance, but it lingered there, occasionally tugging at her heart.

And of course, she couldn't ignore the fact that Nick was a movie star, while she... she was just someone on the other side of the world. She reminded herself that she reached out to him to try and help, not because she was attempting to make a move.

Every now and then, she checked Instagram to keep up with the people she followed, telling herself it wasn't to see what was happening with Nick. But every picture of him that she stumbled upon sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach, ones she found hard to ignore.

Two weeks had passed, and in that time, Nick hadn't posted anything personal, just updates about his latest film set to be released in the coming weeks. That afternoon, Emma was supposed to attend a student council meeting, and she needed to get ready for it. She laid out her clothes and stepped into the shower. As she rinsed the soap from her body, she heard her phone buzzing incessantly.

She finished rinsing off, dried herself thoroughly, wrapped the towel around her body, and walked to her room to check her phone. Two missed calls, one video call, and two incoming messages from a long, unfamiliar number.

"You're ignoring me..." followed by a winking emoji.

"By the way, it's Nick."

How could it be that Nick was messaging her on WhatsApp? How did he even get her number? She quickly saved his number in her contacts, and as she did, a picture message came through. It was a carved wood in the shape of a dwarf's head./

Nick: "What do you think of my creation?"

Emma, taken aback by the entire situation, tried to grasp what was happening but responded anyway.

Emma: "You made this?" She added five clapping emojis. "it is so cute. this is look very profetional, I'm so proud of you. How does it feel?"

Nick: "Amazing."

A video call from Nick came in.
Now, Emma was completely confused. Nick had been off the radar for almost two weeks, and today he somehow found her phone number, texted her on WhatsApp, and now he was calling her on video. What on earth was going on? she wondered. She intended to decline the call and send a message, but accidentally did the opposite and answered it.

"Hey, what's up? Why did it take you so long to answer?" he asked, looking cheerful and enthusiastic, though his expression quickly turned embarrassed when he realized Emma's hair was wet and she was clad only in a towel.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt? Want me to hang up?" he stammered, unable to maintain eye contact.

"No, it's fine, I'm here. How are you? I'm glad to see you so happy, truly," she said, smiling while trying to hide her embarrassment.

"After talking to you, I ordered all the supplies I needed from Amazon. A few days ago, the shipment arrived, and I set a goal for myself: I would only talk to you after I finished. That way, I'd be committed to the process and the work, and I just had to see your face, your reaction."

Nick was brimming with excitement, like a child proud of the craft he made in kindergarten.

"I'm so proud of you, Nick. And I can see how much this affects how you feel" Emma said, trying to position the camera so it captured more of her face and less of her bare shoulders.