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"Nonsense! You're perfect."
Meaning, he was desperate. Adam's two weeks to mourn his girlfriend of one day must've put the hotline in a dire spot.
"When is Adam coming back? Maybe I could fill in until he gets back?"
Mr. Moser squashed that idea as he slapped a file on his desk. "We'll figure that out when the time comes."
I winced from the slap and resigned myself to my fate. I had an entire six hour shift answering a phone in my future. You'd think I would've seen this coming since I was the Immortal and empathic, but I was lame.
CHAPTER TWO
"No, Anne, you shouldn't let your roommate eat your peanut butter. If it bothers you, you could ask her not to eat your food. And don't feel foolish calling the hotline about this issue. Sometimes the smallest arguments stand for the bigger problems."
I was bored. Five hours and fifty eight minutes had passed and my eyes gleamed in excited anticipation. Two more minutes and I could hang up the phone. No after hour calls would lure me back. I'd gone that route and see where I was—in the exact same spot! Never again. And I fought back a yawn.
"Davy."
I glanced over and saw Holly Brightner waving. She leaned across our desks and tapped my Dialogue Reassurances sheet.
I rolled my eyes and shooed her away. Still, I recited like a sympathetic moron, "Anne, the peanut butter probably stands for something more. What does the peanut butter really stand for?"
Shoot me more minute.
Holly gave me a smile in approval and I resisted the urge to kick her underneath our desks. Her pasty white skin and round brown eyes were enlarged underneath her glasses. When she blinked, I swear that her lips formed a small oval and the image of an owl flashed in my mind. And her brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. If Holly had a spirit animal, it would've been an owl.
Thirty seconds and I no longer cared what Anne had to say. I'd used my empathic stuff on her and felt the normal jealousy and insecurities that so many girls suffered. The girl wasn't homicidal or suicidal. That was all I cared about.
Five seconds, four, three, two, one…I hung up and grabbed my bag.
Holly stopped me. "Davy, you didn't cite the proper farewell greeting. It's very important to the callers. You never know what they're going to do after they end their call with us."
"It was peanut butter, Holly. Peanut Butter."
"We have the guidelines for reasons. I know you've been away for a few weeks, but—"
My phone cut her off, which was a mixed blessing. I was ready to eviscerate Holly.
The phone rang again and I looked at shift was over.
Rang a third time.
Holly's mouth fell open.
The fourth ring seemed demanding. I knew what I should do, but my shift was over and Mr. Moser had said no calls after hours. When Holly saw that I had no intention of answering the phone, she reached over and did it for me. She listened for a moment and then held the phone away from her ear. "They hung up."
I wouldn't have wanted to talk to Holly either.
My bladder was screaming for attention so I made a trip to the bathroom before heading home. When I popped back in for my bag, I saw that Holly had left. I'd never been so happy in my life…and then my phone rang again.
Doom and gloom settled on my chest. I knew who was on the other side. Consider it my empathic curse.
It rang again…and again…and again…and I knew it wasn't going to stop.
I dropped my bag, plopped down in my chair, and picked up the phone.
"You're right. That other girl has the attitude of an owl. I don't blame you for being irritated."
Welcome to my world of craziness and the supernatural.
