Jason: "Screw you, David. I'm far better in science than you are. Who do you think tutored you in organic chemistry when you risked to not play in the end of season football game sophomore year?"
David: "Likewise, you douche, I tutored you in Calculus. I've been doing Calculus since I came out the womb."
Jason: "Screw you."
Michelle: "You'll get used to this, Leleti."
"Who are you guys chatting with?"
My stomach tingles. It's Ananda. I haven't seen her in almost a month yet the mere sound of her voice causes my body to react.
Jason: "Ana, you're here early."
Ananda: "I know. My meeting with Mike ended a lot sooner than expected. He said that my parents should just forget about that contract. Who is this?" [Points at the screen]
Michelle: "This is David's friend, Leleti. Leleti this is Jason and David's other best friend Ananda."
I see an array of emotions cloud her face before she raises her hand in greeting with a wavering smile on her lips. I could have spent the remainder of my day just watching her greedily, but her eyes finally reach me. There's a little bit of everything in her brown souls: anger, hurt, pain, relief, and fear.
David: "Hi Ana."
Ananda: "Hi David."
The silence is more than awkward. I don't know what to say to her and I'm pretty certain that she doesn't want to look at me. Her eyes revert from Leleti back to me and I think she's trying to establish what kind of relationship we really have.
David: "How've you been?"
Ananda: "Fine, um, I'm gonna go and...water the...stuff."
I knew she wouldn't want to see me still it hurts to see her running away. I deserve it though.
Jason: "Well, since Ana is here, we're gonna head on out. We'll call you later, all right?"
David: "Yeah, that's fine. See you later."
We end the call, I change, and now Leleti and I are making our way to honest Abe. The ride is silent and we don't speak until we're standing right before our sixteenth president.
Leleti: "You two aren't just friends were you?"
David: "She's my best friend...at least was before I left."
Leleti: "There's definitely more than that."
David: "If you must know things are complicated."
Leleti: "I take it that's as much as I'm getting out of you."
David: "Yup. Will you take a picture of me for my dad, please? He likes to live vicariously through me."
Leleti: [laughs] "Fly him out here and he can see it for himself."
David: "I've been trying to talk him into it for the past three weeks. He's as stubborn as a mule."
Leleti: "So that's where you get it from!"
David: "You're using all your big guns already."
Leleti: [grins]
Leleti and I hang out for a little longer until she has to stop procrastinating and get back to work. I lie around in my bed, after talking with my father, wondering about Ananda. He told me that she stops by at least once a week to check on him and then he chastised me for not marrying her—or anyone in general—and settling down to give him grandkids. I hate those speeches. One thing is for sure however, Ananda will be stuck in my mind for the rest of the night.
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