Connect

20: Coping and Apologies

Unknown: a friend.

The stranger didn't say anything after that, but that was fine by me. This was getting creepy, anyways. I set my phone to silent and fell asleep. As strange as my conversation with the spammer was, it helped me distance myself from my Kaito problem.

"Gumi?"

I groaned and rolled onto my side, opening my eyes. I saw my mom's face. She was eyeing me like a lioness would eye her wounded cub. I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily.

"It's nearly six in the evening," she whispered. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" I blinked, now wide awake. I couldn't tell my mom about Kaito, let alone how I had confessed to him and he had turned me down. "No, I'm fine...why do you ask?"

"Well, first of all, you didn't even tell me that you had come home." My mom crossed her arms.

"You were asleep," I countered.

"And you fell asleep just like that, for so many hours."

"I was tired! And besides, school's over!"

"I understand that," she said. "Then Len called."

"What?" I swallowed slowly. "He...He did?"

She nodded. "He asked me if you were alright. He said you weren't picking up your phone. I came up here and found your phone silenced. Were you expecting a call?"

"No," I shook my head. "I'll call him back."

"Are you sure you'll alright, Gumi?" My mother stroked my hair slowly. "Something tells me you're not."

"I'm fine!" I grinned. "I was just tired, I guess."

"Okay," she offered a small smile. "I'll be downstairs, you can come down when you want, okay? Your father's coming in a few hours."

"He's off work?" My eyes widened. My mother grinned and nodded.

"He gets to stay the weekend!" She giggled. I smiled. My mom always looked so energetic and youthful when she brought up the topic of my father.

"That's great," I said. "I miss him sometimes."

"It's hard, with the kind of job he has," my mom mused. "Can't really get used to him not being here so often. Anyway, I have to get dinner ready."

I nodded and my mom left the room. I glanced at my phone. It was lying face-down on my bedside table.

I wonder if that creep messaged me again...

Hesitantly, I picked the phone up and turned it on.

No new messages.

I read through the messages the stranger had sent me before, smiling to myself at how stupid and odd they were.

I decided to call Len. Lying back in bed, I dialled his number and put the phone to my ear.

"Hello? Gumi?"

"Hey," I said. "How are you?"

He chuckled softly. "I'm fine, what about you? You sound...happy."

"I just woke up from a long nap," I explained. "I'm trying to think about other things. No point in focusing on that anymore."

Even though I can't stop thinking about him...

"Yeah, that makes sense," he said.

"You called my home?"