Jack:????
I wanted to avoid any “we need to talk” preamble, and Ireallydidn’t want to start anything over text, but I’m resigned to the fact that my current method of passively hoping I run into him at school isn’t working.
Ellie:Hi.
Dumb. Boring. I wouldn’t reply to me.
Griffin:Howdy there
Exhaling a shaky breath, I send the scariest text I’ve ever sent. (Scary for me, not for him, obviously.)
Ellie:Can I see you sometime soon?
Griffin:You’ll see me tomorrow won’t you?
Ellie:I meant like, just us
Griffin:Just you and me?
Ellie:Yeah
Ellie:If you want
Ellie:We don’t have to
Ellie:I just maybe wanted to talk to you about something
Griffin:Everything okay?
Ellie:Yeah no totally! Just some stuff on my mind that I can’t really talk to Jack or David about
Ellie:Nothing ominous
Griffin:That’s what someone with ominous news would say
Shit. I’m blowing this. This is exactly why I didn’t want to do this over text. Except there’s a ninety nine point nine percent chance that I’ll also be this much of a bumbling mess in person. Probably worse.
Ellie:Sorry, this is way more dramatic than I wanted it to be
Ellie:Let me start over
Ellie:Hi Griffin, can we hang out sometime soon, maybe just the two of us?
Griffin:Hi Eleanor. I’d like that. When?
Ellie:Maybe tomorrow before the guys come over?
Griffin:Don’t you have dinner with Abby?
Ellie:No, we cancelled this week
I’m going to have to tell Abby that ASAP.
Griffin:Okay, that works for me
Griffin:Want to come over here?
Pondering it for a minute, I decide that I’d rather have this talk on more neutral ground, so I can run away with my tail between my legs if necessary. We decide on meeting at the lake for a walk, which is great because it’ll give me a perfectly natural excuse to avoid eye contact.