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Benny was nodding.

I had actually thought about her. I’d checked once or twice to see if she’d messaged me again. She hadn’t. The last message was me telling her it was nice chatting with her, three days ago. Trying to keep talking to her was a dead end if she lived somewhere else. But I don’t know. Maybe Brad had a point. What could it hurt to try? Worst-case scenario, I’d spend some time and money and have no connection with her. What was new? I was already doing that with every date that didn’t pan out anyway.

Screw it. I opened my phone and started typing a message to Emma16_dilemma.

CHAPTER 3

EMMA

Justin just messaged me.”

Maddy was driving us home from the grocery store.

I hadn’t heard from him in three days and sort of figured we were done talking.

“What’d he say?” she asked.

I read it out loud.

Justin: Can I ask you a medical question?

Maddy glanced at me from behind the wheel. “You’re either about to get a rash or a dick pic.”

“Should I take my chances?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m actually interested in seeing the size of both.”

I laughed and typed in a reply.

Me: I’m here to answer any of your burning questions. And if it’s actually burning, you should see a doctor.

Justin:

And then: “Is there any truth to the q-tip thing being bad for you or do doctors just not want me to be happy?”

I laughed. Then I read it to Maddy.

“You know, for someone that cute, he’s pretty funny,” she said.

I looked at her over my phone. “What, they can’t be cute and funny?”

“No. When they’re that attractive or over six feet tall, they usually have the personality of a sexy palm tree.”

I was cracking up when I typed in my reply.

Me: Sadly, the q-tip thing is true. I have flushed many, many impacted ears.

Justin: I’ll never stop.

Me: Me either. #qtipsforlife

Justin: Lol

I waited a few minutes, but he didn’t send me anything after that.

This was the place in a back-and-forth to either make an effort to keep it going or let it die.

I was a little bored. I opted for life support.