Stranger, Help Me

HESITATIONS

"...hello?"

"I'm at a pit stop. This petrol station stinks. Yet there's a shop where I'm buying every snack possible. Two hours left. Excited?"

"No."

"Ouch."

"Haha. I'm just..."

"Come on. Is everything okay?"

"Is everything real? I'm nervous..."

"It's real. As real as it gets."

"..."

"..."

"... I don't even know you."

"I don't know if I can trust you."

"I don't know what you look like."

"I don't know anything. I wanted to call someone, anyone, even if they wouldn't help, because a voice other than mine is already calming enough. Mine's so cruel to me. Thank you for picking up Gale, but I guess I'm still afraid."

"Alright, Evangeline. How about we just talk about ourselves, familiarise ourselves so that when we see each other, it won't seem so strange?"

"...what?"

"I made predictions. Were they true?"

"I'm... not really the best-looking...?"

"Standards are different. Everyone looks fine no matter who they are, and you're no exception."

[ 23 minutes 12 seconds ]

"You think I have freckles?"

"I can hear your judgment right now."

"You think I wear sandals with socks."

"Okay, first of all! You don't?"

"Gale!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm sure you're like a cute little muffin."

"... a muffin. Fine. You're... you're... an apricot."

"A what? How?"

"Oh my god - you need to go. It's almost 25 minutes!"

"Oh - you're right. I'm holding up the line... they're honking at me! I'M GOING, I'M GOING!"

"Well... see you soon!"

"See you soon."

Beep, beep.

"I'm... really excited. Eek."

"Wait - did my heart just - "