Page 39 of Talk to Me

“Mmmm.” Arthur sat back. “How long did they talk about James Baldwin?”

Theo and I were laughing again. Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle along. Finally, he straightened himself in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.

“So,” he asked, “do you want the story or not, Theo Hendrix from Peepers?”

“Of course, I do,” Theo smiled. “Yeah.”

For some reason, I felt as though Theo and Arthur had come to some understanding about each other without me even catching it. Maybe it was a kindred spirit thing—having been bullied. Of course, Theo and Arthur were much different cases when it came to bullying, but they both understood the gist of it. Having never bullied, nor been bullied, I was the outsider for once.

“Well—” Arthur began.

“Wait,” Theo said as he dug in his pocket. “Do you…would you mind if I…can I video this? For Peepers?”

Arthur examined him for a minute as Theo held his phone in his lap, waiting for an answer. When I thought Arthur was about to clam up and tell Theo to put his phone away, he seemed to soften. Theo was about to slide his phone back into his pocket when Arthur finally spoke.

“Well,” Arthur said, “I suppose. If you must.”

Theo smiled. “Thanks.”

Arthur waited as Theo unlocked his phone, found the app, clicked on it, and began recording. Theo lifted the phone and framed Arthur perfectly, making sure he was getting the best light he could from his angle, then spoke.

“Okay,” Theo said. “Let’s hear your story, Arthur. Talk to me.”

When Theo and I were finally making our way out to my car over an hour later, Theo was smiling, and I was pleased with myself. Obviously, Arthur was going to have one more visitor a week for the foreseeable future. As we slid into my car, Theo turned to me and smiled.

“Thanks,” he said. “I needed that.”

I chuckled. “Everyone needs a little Arthur from time to time. He always seems to know what to say. Even if it isn’t always pleasing to the ear.”

Theo chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Anyone like your video yet?” I asked as I buckled my belt.

“I saved it to drafts,” Theo said. “I don’t know if I want to post it. I want that story to be just for us. For now.”

I turned to stare at him for a moment.

“I get that,” I said.

And I really did.

Often times, when things are going well, people forget that things were not always as good as they currently have it. As a person, I’m one of those people. Actually, it’s one of the defining characteristics of what it means to be human. Foreboding hopefulness. It’s why hope is so powerful. The only other option is living in a constant state of fear and the inevitable. Would one rather be hopeful, or fall into despair over the thought that none of us get out of this life alive, so what’s the point?

People crave the feeling of hope.

Which is also what makes it all the more devastating when something bad happens during a pleasant period of hopefulness.

When Theo and I left Spice House on Monday, he was basically walking on clouds. Even though Theo knew that the visit with Arthur, and the story he’d recorded, didn’t solve all of his problems, it made him feel less alone. It made him realize that, in the end, it would all be okay. He faced Tuesday and Wednesday like a champ.

A handful of students still whispered insults, but Theo sloughed them off like a pro. Whether we were in the dining hall for a meal, picking up a coffee at Midway Roasters, or just hanging out around campus, nothing bothered him. No matter what, he couldn’t control what people thought of him. Theo had realized that he could only live his life, be the best Theo possible, and ignore the poison the world tried to slip in his water.

That new motto lasted until Thursday.

I’ve never claimed to be an observant fellow. Unless I’m interested in what is presented for my entertainment, I tend to mind my own business. What other students are doing with their free time, what the hot topic of the day is, or basically anything related to pop culture, is simply not something I waste my time on.

Theo didn’t chase me down on the way to get breakfast and coffee on Thursday morning, but I didn’t think much of it. Everyone sleeps in every now and again. It’s every American college student’s right to have at least one day to sleep in until the last minute, rush to get to classes, and swear off sleeping in ever again. Only to repeat the same scenario within a fortnight.

It’s a time-honored tradition that must be upheld at all costs.