Run-On

Chapter 6, The One With Reggie

I can't afford real car insurance, so I walked home. My bag got wet, and the ink on my notebooks is smudged around the edges. I don't really care. I knocked on the house door, where nobody comes running to answer it. We haven't talked in a long time, strange, considering we live together. As I have my arm raised to knock again, louder this time, footsteps patter towards the door and she opens it. I blink a couple times in surprise before she laughs aloud, the laugh that I fell in love with almost a year ago, ushering me through the door. What is she doing here?

She grins and offers me a blanket as I remove my jacket and peel my wet shirt off of my skin. The house is warm, heating that we cannot afford, and the chandelier lights are on. I glance around, confused as she sits me down on the sofa, gently placing the blanket over my shoulders.

"We have good news," she says quietly. I raise an eyebrow, not responding quite yet. Trevor comes out of the kitchen with a bottle of champagne. Now I am very confused.

"What is going on?" I exclaim finally. I'm more than concerned. I feel like someone is going to jump out and shout, "your brother died!" or "we're kicking you out!" or something of the sort. This is what I've become, expecting the storm before it even brews.

"You got an email back!" She bursts, like a bubble that's been suspended for far too long. She jumps on top of me and throws her arms around me. I am still at a loss, but I have a glint of excitement. No, no, I can't get my hopes up. This is a good thing. I can't afford to be disappointed.

"An email?" I ask, my eyebrow raised, as she leans back. A big grin spreads across her face, and her eyes look like they're going to burst with tears or fireworks. I can't tell.

"From the publisher you sent your work to," she says. "Look!" Jonathan's iPad is placed in my hands. I can feel my heart in my throat as I read each delicious word, digesting each syllable.

We've received your submission and we are very interested in what you have to offer. If you can, we'd like to fly you out to New York at a convenient time. Please give our agent, Marilyn Gillinsky a call as soon as you can at the following number.

I look at them. They're all holding their breath expectantly, and I think the flow of oxygen has completely left the room.

This is my chance.

I don't realize I'm not breathing until I start again, filling my lungs with sweet oxygen. I suddenly let a yelp escape my mouth and a loud laugh, picking her up by the waist to which she promptly returns my shouts, swinging her around and the guys cheer as she kisses my lips. This is the greatest feeling in the world. I have been hanging onto this moment for three years, I've been working with the same old city, in my same old house, in my same old school. This is my chance. I can't taste anything but victory right now and nothing has even happened yet. My phone buzzes on the table, someone is calling me, but I ignore it. It is such a good moment I cannot bear to lose.

I take Jonathan's iPad and hand it back to him, realizing that he paid for his own 3G service on it. We're in the midst of celebrating when the room gets quiet as the door bursts open.

Reggie always was one to make a grand entrance.

He burps, and Trevor runs over to clap him on the back to give him the good news. He's soaking wet, head to toe, and he must've not driven there because he clearly has been walking in the rain. He takes off his flannel and wears only a tank top, his big belly peeking out from underneath. She runs over to give him a hug, which makes me smile. She's always found the ones who are the most rejected and she's alwys given them a home. Reggie somehow makes his way over to me, through the small crowd of people talking to him, he's somber and they hush, their explanations fading to whispers as he puts a thick hand on my shoulder.