Page 26 of 72 Hours of You

I mean, sure, after he found out, Peter stood there all steady and strong, trying to lightly touch fingertips with me or whatever. But I know from experience it’s one thing to understand the clocks in a theoretical sense, and a whole other bag of dicks to actually see it unfold. And that’s what’s going to happen next. Ms. Jegstrup is going to die. And this will go from weird quirk to full-on nightmare for him. This isn’t some Ouija board middle school sleepover shit. This is real life. And real death. And when he sees how fucked up this is—how fucked up I am—he’s going lose it.

I grab for my phone and swipe up. I need to unfriend Peter immediately. I need to shut this all down before—

Great.

He’s already left me a mes—no, excuse me—nine messages.

PETERBECKETT1984:Hey.

PETERBECKETT1984:So I just wanted to let you know that I probably won’t have service on this camping trip.

PETERBECKETT1984:I just didn’t want you to think I was ghosting you.

PETERBECKETT1984:

PETERBECKETT1984:I officially regret sending that emoji.

PETERBECKETT1984:Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. Haruki Murakami said that.

PETERBECKETT1984:Sorry. That sounded wildly pretentious.

PETERBECKETT1984:I just … don’t want to mess this up.

PETERBECKETT1984:Okay, now I am officially pissed Zuckerberg doesn’t let us delete messages after they’re sent.

I sit there with the phone in my hands, reading his messages three times. And then I realize I’m doing something horrible. Inexcusable.

I’m smiling.

I’m reading his messages and smiling like a fucking idiot. It’s disgusting.

I lock my phone and set it on my nightstand. I need to focus on something—anything—else.

I pick up my backpack and haul my math textbook onto my bed. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Jerzo won’t be conveniently perishing over the weekend, which means I still have to study for my trig test on Monday.

I open the textbook. I look at the equations. And then I pick up my phone.

No. No. Fuck this. I toss my phone to the end of the bed.

Then I crawl over and grab it again. I shoot Peter a message before I can think twice about what I’m doing.

SYD_IS_NOT_HERE:uh … that function definitely exists

SYD_IS_NOT_HERE:but also. don’t worry. zuckerberg is going to die in 24 hours

PETERBECKETT1984:Holy shit, really?????

SYD_IS_NOT_HERE:no, stupid

PETERBECKETT1984:Hey, watch who you’re calling stupid, smartie.

SYD_IS_NOT_HERE:that’s … not how that insult works.

PETERBECKETT1984:I have this thing where I don’t insult girls that are cooler and smarter and prettier than me.

Dots appear and disappear.

PETERBECKETT1984:I guess THAT’s my kink.