This Addie?
I don’t recognize the number. My heart drops a bit. It can’t be Coach Ford because he would never call me that.
Who is this?
Roland Peek.
Captain of the men’s varsity swim team. Holy shit!
I’ve never had a thing for Roland, but he’s basically run the school from the age of fourteen. They say he could obliterate all of Weston Ford’s speed records.
I text him back: As in Ridley’s bf?
He replies, Was her bf. Not anymore. What’s up with u?
I’m confused. I wonder what he wants.
Studying, I text back.
Same, same.
Need help with trig or something?
Nah.
Is there a swim thing I need to know about?
Nah, why do u ask that?
Bc you’ve barely said hi to me since 3rd grade & this is weird.
Nah, just checking in with u, girl. U know how it is.
I rarely know how anything is, I reply.
Ur funny. & cute. U know ur kind of the shit right now at school.
I roll over onto my stomach and tuck my plush unicorn under my chin as I read and text.
I’m the shit?
Don’t be humble, it’s too cute. Just wondered if u wanted to hang out sometime.
Is this really happening?
Are you asking me on a date?
U really gonna make me ask?
I roll my eyes. This fuckin’ guy.
You texted me. The onus is on you to be clear with me.
He replies: ROFL! U said onus. I didn’t know u had a mouth on u.
I cock my head and squint, trying to determine if that was a joke or he really doesn’t know that word. I text back a bunch of eye-roll emojis as well as Whatever.
OK, OK, girl. Listen, Fisher’s parents are out of town over New Year’s. It’s gonna be sick.