FRIEDA did not like to be on the receiving end of a guessing game. unfortunately, her friend molly kept annoying her to guess what present she got for her. it was probably something stupid because it was always something stupid.
molly gave her a box of tissues randomly once in middle school. it was always something stupid. so as they were walking home from school that friday afternoon and molly kept repeating 'guess. no, guess!' over and over again like a broken record, frieda wasn't expecting a gift that would knock her socks off.
"just tell me already!" frieda barked after molly's twenty-eighth 'guess again'. she could see molly jump slightly from the corner of her eye and frown, sucking in a deep and disappointed breath before finally spitting it out.
"i got you mark's number."
at this, frieda's nose scrunched in distaste and her lips tugged downward. she could spot her neighborhood in the distance and wondered if she could make a run for it before molly could hand her that godforsaken piece of crumpled notebook paper with a phone number scrawled on it in fluorescent pen. "and?" she replied sullenly, shoulders drooping in disappointment.
molly gave her friend an incredulous look, "and? what do you mean, and? there is no 'and' i got you his number!" her voice began to do that thing where it raised in pitch when she was nervous or annoyed and freida groaned internally.
"thank you for being so thoughtful, molly! jesus i can't thank you enough. i don't even know what to say, how will i ever repay you?! you got me the number of a guy in my science class, you saved my life!" molly rolled her eyes dramatically as frieda's words came out sarcastically.
it was too late, frieda thought. she watched as molly stuffed her hand in the pocket of her burgundy skirt and pulled out a folded piece of paper. molly handed it to frieda who reluctantly took it from her before giving her a stern look. "call him." she demanded before walking to her house a few streets away.
+
and so frieda sat by the ruby red rotary phone that rested on her bedside table, staring at her reflection in the sliver of light near the dial with the paper poised in hand. she had been staring at the phone for a good few minutes now, contemplating on whether or not she should call the number. what's the worst that could happen? something inside her said and then her fingers began to swirl the dial around.
picking up the phone, frieda holds it up to her ear and listens to the mocking ring that lasts for a minute before mark picks up. "hello, is this mark?" she asks.
"nope, it's someone better." the person responds and frieda could hear his smirk. the voice didn't sound anything like mark's, it wasn't littered with voice cracks. so far. frieda rolls her eyes but goes with it.
"is it?"
"mhm, mark give you a number that wasn't his?"
frieda scoffs into the receiver, "i probably dialed wrong." she says defensively and hears him laugh.
"glad you did. if you hadn't then i wouldn't have met you."
the arrogance on this guy, she thought. "do you always flirt with wrong numbers?" frieda questions.
"only the ones who have a nice voice."
"what if i'm an eighty year old woman covered in wrinkles?"
"are you?"
she took a moment to respond and during the time the boy laughed again. "no." frieda finally replied glumly. "you don't even know my name."
"that's an easy problem to solve. tell me."
it was at this very moment that a revelation occurred. it was frieda's turn to play the game. "why should i?"
"will it get in the way of our relationship?"
"what relationship?" it was frieda's turn to laugh now.
"aww, you're breaking my heart." he paused briefly and the line got muffled as he put his hand on the end of the receiver and yelled something. finally, he asked, "what should i call you then since you want to play hard to get?"
frieda chuckled again and thought for a moment. she didn't want to be too extra so she went with the simple route, "friday." she replied. it was a friday after all.
"friday it is. i'm robert, not the richest man in the world so i'm going to hang up before the phone bill becomes unpayable." his comment made her laugh again, what a comedian.
"alright, sleep tight robert." frieda heard him sigh dreamily.
"say my name again please." he swooned dramatically.
"fine. stop being thirsty, robert." she put extra emphasis on his name and listened to him laugh again before the line went dead. upon putting the phone down, frieda realized that she had something to look forward to now. a phone call every day.
well, hopefully, every day.
