how to catch feelings

17

I waited a week for a response – nothing.

"Maybe email them again?" Jess suggested.

"I guess."

I typed out a variation of my last email and hit send.

An error messaged popped up, telling me the email address did not exist.

What the hell?

"It's telling me that email address doesn't exist," I texted the group.

"WTF."

"That's so weird."

"It's the same email?"

"Yes, same email. I hit reply. It came up with an error."

"So either they were messing with us, or someone stopped the emailer from talking to us."

"Guess that's a dead-end."

"Darn. I wanted to know what they wanted to tell us."

"For real tho."

"Oh well. Maybe someone else will reach out."

"Too bad it wasn't a student email. We could've looked them up."

"Who's to say it was a student?"

"Who else would it be?"

"A professor, a coach, a director, a janitor, a dean..."

"Okay, we get it. The point is, it wasn't a university email. There was no name associated with it. We have nothing."

"I'm gonna reach out to some people in the computer science department. I'll let y'all know if I hear anything."

"Who do you know in CS?"

I closed out the app and set my phone aside.

Time to play Candy Crush.

***

"Hear anything from Cole?" Meg asked.

"Nope."

"How long has it been?"

"I dunno."

"Alright, do you wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure."

"Whatcha wanna watch?"

"I dunno."

Meg sighed and closed her binder. "Girl."

"Where's Damaris?"

"Library. She's studying with some people from her group. Look, Nat. I'm sure Cole is just—"

"Let's watch something on Disney+," I said, grabbing the remote from the coffee table. "Something with good music. I feel like singing."

"Okay, fine. But I just think—"

"It's been a while since we watched Aladdin. You good with the live action one?"

"Nat—"

"I think we still have some wine. Do you want—"

She threw a pillow at my face.

That was certainly one way to get me to shut up.

"What was that for?" I asked, well-aware of the reason.

"Because you aren't listening."

"I was listening."

"You weren't. I was just trying to tell you, he's probably just busy."

"I know that."

"Really? Because the way you've been carrying on the last few days, it looks like you're taking it hella personal."

"I haven't been carrying on. Unless you mean carrying on with my life, which I am totally doing." I got up and walked over to the kitchen to pull the wine out of the fridge. "See? Carrying on with my life. Also, I'm not taking it personally, because there's nothing to take personally."

She joined me in the kitchen. "It's okay if you are."

"I'm not."

"Fine. You're not."

"Awesome. Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to watch Aladdin and get turnt."

"Sure."

***

Sunday production brought on yet another conversation about the mysterious emailer.

"Maybe we can make a Facebook post about it?" Jess suggested. "You know, just something like, 'hey, The Post is looking to do a story about Dax Sharp, DM us if you wanna talk.'"

"Maybe."

"I think that sounds good."

"Agreed."

"Alright. I'll make a post right now." Jess spun back to her computer to go on the internet.

"Did you ever hear anything back from CS?"

"Nothing helpful to us."

"Darn."

"Oh well."

"Sometimes it be like that."

The three section editors went back to their page designs.

"Is anyone else in the mood for nuggies? I'm starving."

"Hell yeah. I'm always down for nugs."

"I'll order while y'all finish up. What do y'all want?"

"We can just get the usual. Sixty nugs, assorted sauces. Three large fries. Y'all want drinks?"

"I have water."

"I'll just get a pop from the convenience store."

"Alright, so no drinks."

"Are we paying you back, or...?"

"I'll pay for it and just reimburse myself later. Nuggies are on the paper today."

"Yeehaw."

"Do we want—"

"Someone responded."

We all scooted our chairs over to see Jess's computer screen.

Someone named Adam Hopper had texted, "Hi, Dax was one of my roommates. I already talked to the cops, but I saw your post and figured I'd talk to you too."

"Maybe see if he's available right now?"

"Sure." Jess messaged him back.

"I'm free now, yeah," he said.

"So do we want to just have him come to the office?"

"Might as well."

"Alright. I'll ask if he can come to the office at one. You know, give y'all time to finish your pages."

"Good idea."

"Hey, Nat, what was it you were asking before?"

"Not a clue."

"Gotcha."

"I'ma order the nuggies now."

*** ***