TBTILAF

Part 3, Chapter 47

Vyola's phone rang. She didn't recognize the number so she so she swiped to let it go to voicemail. She was being harassed almost continually by reporters and the constant, unidentifiable numbers reminded her too much of Rob and his disposable phones. While she wasn't certain how so many people had gotten her private number, she suspected Kyle has something to do with it. The calls had increased in frequency when she lawyered-up and refused to move out of her house. Since she had the number for years she stubbornly refused to change it, but was growing increasingly weary of the constant barrage. It rang again, same number. When the phone started to ring for the third time:

"What!" she answered.

"Vy?" came the familiar voice.

"Jjeni?"

Vyola had not heard from Jjeni for the longest time. Not while she was in the hospital (Patience had said she couldn't reach her) nor since she had been home.

"Yeah. Hi, Vy. How are you?"

"I guess you've heard."

"Yeah."

"I can only guess that's the case, anyway, since you haven't called me."

"Vyola, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to bother you."

"Right."

"No, really. It's been so long since we've talked. I didn't want you to think it was the only reason I was calling."

"What's with your number, JJ?"

"I changed it – just recently. People were calling about...."

"About me?"

"Yeah. I didn't tell them anything, Vy."

"It's not like you would know anything, Jjeni."

"I know. I understand that you're angry with me. It's just...I don't know. I wanted to say hi. I wanted to let you know that you're the best friend I ever had."

Vyola did not know what to say. After all this time, for Jjeni to call out of the blue, to have not called, or come, when she was at her lowest. They were all still so young and it had really not been that long since they were girls together. Still, Vyola felt strangely untouched by Jjeni's apology.

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"I'm sorry, Vy. I know that you've been going through a lot, but I, I have, I just wanted you to know what your friendship has meant to me."

And then the phone went silent.

"Jjeni?" Vyola tapped her phone and looked at the number. She saved it to her contact list and then tossed the phone aside. At least she now had JJ's new number should she need it.

Vyola went back to what she was doing, going through a box of her Mom's stuff. It was crammed with things that Vyola could not believe her mother had saved: print-outs of old report cards, articles about girlRulz, bandanas that had hung from Vyola's jeans when she performed. Vyola pulled out a small photo album and smiled to herself at her Mom's old-fashioned habit of getting prints of her photos. She sat down to leaf through it: Vyola as an infant, her dad cradling her in a football hold; her and dad lounging on the couch watching television, her head resting on his chest, a huge bowl of popcorn on his lap. Vyola lingered on it until she felt a burning in her eyes that made her turn the page. Next, it was her, Patience, Jjeni, in their pajamas, sleeping bags on the floor. They were probably about 11 years old. Vyola looked on the back of the photo, no date. She flipped it back over. The three girls were making silly faces, clinging to each other. Jjeni was in the middle, her arms around the both of them.

"Crap" Vyola said, blowing a wisp of hair out of her eyes. She picked up her phone and voice-dialed.

"JJ," she said. She got a voicemail with only a number greeting. She held the photo album to her heart as she left her message.

"Jjeni, JJ, I'm so sorry. It was so nice of you to call. We are friends, best friends. I've just been, not myself. I'm sorry I was such a bitch. I'll try you back later."