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TJ grabbed his phone with eager hands as soon as he finished putting his climbing gear away at the end of the day. It was finally Friday evening. Hello, weekend.
He’d gone from work to the gym without dinner, and the rumbling of his stomach as it gnawed on itself wouldn’t let him forget. But while he was scaling walls, Melody had written back.
She’d also texted him on her lunch break. And when she got home. But that had been to TJ. This message was for Jeremy.
Hi yourself. Have a good day? Mine was okay but not amazing. I have this play I’m directing and it’s not going so well. So that’s kinda a big deal.
TJ frowned. She hadn’t indicated anything amiss with her Valentine’s play other than her regular complaint that it couldn’t be a musical. According to Mel, everything in life was A-Okay at all times.
I left Silver Lake City for college after living here my whole life. When I finished I suppose I could have gone elsewhere. I don’t have any family here but I came back because my best friend lives here.
Something warm expanded in TJ’s chest. She was talking about him. She’d come back forhim. He hadn’t known that. She’d never said so.
He dragged his eyes back to her message.
Business sounds practical. It’s steady and reliable. I’m not sure either of my jobs are. I just teach music at SLCCC and direct theater at Artisan’s Hope, the nonprofit for underprivileged creatives on 16th. I enjoy my jobs but I wish I were better at them. Sorry to be a downer, it was a rough day. But I did find sun. Thank you. – Melody
There it was again, that underlying insecurity. He sensed she had been hiding pieces of herself from him all these years. But why? He was her best friend, and here she was telling a total stranger things she never breathed a word of to him.
He didn’t like this. Not at all. He wanted to close the app, hit the speed dial for his most precious contact, and demand an explanation. Demand honesty.
But then he would have to explain his own dishonesty. And it would all be over.
He read her message again. Didn’t Melody know how amazing she was? She “just” taught music? Yeah, because she “just” played four instruments and received a hefty music scholarship from Michigan State University despite her poor upbringing.
He knew where she grew up. She didn’t like to talk about it, so he never pushed her. But he knew. Not as much as he wanted to. But enough to know she was the most tenacious, determined, and gifted individual he had ever met.
No second-guessing allowed, he hit reply, seeing the green dot that indicated she was presently online.
Jeremy: Hey, I see you. I’m sorry you had a bad day. Your jobs sound very interesting to me. What’s the play you’re directing?
He drummed his fingers and bounced a leg as he waited. His stomach let out a gurgle in protest at the prolonged length of time between meals. “Get over it.”
A ping announced her reply, and he released his breath.
Melody: Oh hi, so it’s a small play we’re putting on just before Valentine’s day. No professional actors just my acting students. A lot of pressure. Then we lost a donor and the director wants revenue from my play to make up for it. More pressure. I don’t wanna let anyone down.
Why didn’t she tell him things like this?
Jeremy: How many plays have you directed before?
Melody: That takes too much math for me, sorry. So bad at math. But we do four plays a year and I just began my fifth year there.
Jeremy: So maybe sixteen or seventeen?
Melody: Sounds about right
Jeremy: Have any of your past plays been a flop?
He knew the answer. He’d been to all of them. The ones she’d performed in as a teen, and the ones she now directed.
Melody: No…
Jeremy: Then you should probably relax and keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll be fine.
Melody: Thank you, I needed to hear that. I better go. Haven’t eaten yet.
Jeremy: Glad to encourage you. Let’s chat like this again soon. I like it.
