"So, you going tonight?" Rory asks, arching his thick eyebrows and tapping his fingers on the table. He sits across from me, in Cam's old seat, and it makes my chest ache. I try not to hold it against him.
"Nah," I reply, because I've grown out of college parties by now. I set my phone on the table because Cam is usually texting by now.
Abby and Gabriel are chatting and smiling at each other, and Abby doesn't hesitate as she eats her pasta salad. That makes my stomach ache happily; one of us deserves a good year, and it might as well be Abby not relapsing.
My phone chimes with a text, and Rory presses his hands to the table in my space.
"Why not?" It's just a party. Cam's name is on the screen and I feel my lips pulling into a smile. Gabriel gently knocks his shoulder into mine. We exchange smiles.
Cam: hey
Me: hey!!
Cam: so guess what
Me: whatt
Me: I missed you
Me: what's up
Cam: I met these awesome people who still watch gilmore girls
My stomach flares, hot and unpleasant and searing with jealousy.
Me: whoo whoo whoo ?
Cam: there's one guy and he has two girlswhoarefriends
Me: ooooooh that's wonderful!
Cam: okay, what are you actually thinking?
Me: how is it that you can read me while we're texting?
Cam: out with it, baby
Me: I'm jealous, ok
Me: I wish we were watching together
Me: and I wish that I didn't resent the people who do watch with you
Me: that's it
Cam: I wish I could make it better
Me: it is what it is
Cam: I'll be visiting soon though
Me: really?
Cam: yessss
Cam: but in the meantime
Cam: have fun
Cam: Gabriel says you've been hiding in your room all the time
Cam: make friends with that worthwhile dude
Me: how hard was it for you to write that?
Cam: so hard
Cam: but I mean it
Cam: I love you
Me: and I love you
Cam goes to his next class, and I put the phone back in my pocket.
A fry hits my face, and I look up at Milo, Cam's best friend. "Kat," he says.
"What?"
"Smile." He makes a kissy face, and I toss one of my Ritz crackers back at his too-happy mouth.
YOU ARE READING
Conversations From Afar
Short StorySEQUEL TO BALCONIAL CONVERSATIONS | In which Katherine and Cambriel suffer the ups and downs of a long distance relationship | Wattys 2016 | cover by the fabulous @kdkellow
