Coincidences

Act XXXVIII

"Is it Zoey?"

The phone displayed 11:06 minutes and counting. What was supposed to be a short call turned out to be a nightmare.

She originally called Ty to find out what they were doing. She noticed them leaving the bus, as the bus driver sneered impatiently. He told her that they were just hanging out, doing a "guy's thing"? He must have forgotten to press the "end call" button. She was about to do exactly that, until she heard Martin's voice, loud and clear, and her curiosity still hasn't been vanquished.

"Is it Zoey?" Ty's voice rang out.

"Huh?" she heard Martin say.

"You're too easy to read, transparent. You can't fool me, Marty."

"You... You're mistaken."

"Sorry...buzz...I can't hear you...buzz...bad reception," Rocky joked.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"Is it Zoey, Marty?"

"Don't call me that, it doesn't suit me."

Rocky said, "Changing the topic, eh?" There was some sort of noise in the background, and Martin exclaimed, "Ow."

"I'll ask you one more time. Is it Zoey?"

Silence.

Tyrone broke it. "So, it is her. I figured."

'What about me?', she thought.

"She really isn't herself, huh," he continued. "Recently, she's been avoiding me. Class, recess, after school."

Martin finally talked, "She's been doing the same to me."

She tapped the speaker button on the screen, augmenting the clarity of the conversation.

Rocky sighed, not sounding like his usual preposterous self, "Even I noticed it; she avoids me, alright, but not like before."

Another silence.

"Do you like her, Ty?" questioned Martin.

"Yes," he said, without further hesitation.

"Yes," Rocky said, too.

"I didn't ask you, Rocky." Some more noise, even louder than before, rang from the speakers. "Ow!"

"Why? Do you like her?" asked Ty.

Another, another silence.

"Clenching fists, avoiding eye contact, reddening face. We've got a guilty person here."

"Stop it, Rocky!"

Zoey expected there to be the same noise from before, but instead, another, another, yet another silence.

"Rivalry, huh?" Rocky declared.

"Against each other? I guess."

"I came here first, just so you know."

"That doesn't mean she's yours."

"Why are you referring to her as a thing? A possession?"

"Shut up, you two. She's mine."

"Again with possessions."

"Smart*ss, shut up."

"No way, she'll find herself better with me."

"Rock, paper, scissors," shouted Ty.

"Huh?" said Martin, Rocky, and Zoey. Her voice was unheard.

"Let's settle this with a game of rock, paper, scissors."

"This isn't a game, Ty," breathed Martin, bewildered from what he said.

"Come on, it's a 'guy's thing'."

The last silence.

"Ok, whatever. Stop calling it that, we're not kids anymore."

"Rock.

"Paper.

"Scissors."

Ty's voice was the first to speak. "Rocky, you're out."

"Scissors lose against rock," said Martin.

"Another one, please," begged Rocky.

Although they didn't exclaim it this time, Zoey could imagine them counting in their heads.

"Scissors."

"Rocky, you're out, for sure," said Tyrone. "You really like scissors."

"Well, yeah, they're sharp and pointy."

What Ty said drifted into her mind. Scissors. She had to. She ended the call.