1.6 - New Phone

Logan scratched his head as he studied the new phone his grandma had got him for his birthday. He didn’t really need a new phone but his grandma liked to buy shiny technological toys for him and his brothers. This meant that when the newest phones came out on the market, she’d cajole him to take her to the electronics store and she’d poke at them and ask question after question to the salesperson.

Logan was beyond being surprised at her technological savvy; he always enjoyed watching the shock on the salesperson’s face when the realization dawned that his grandma knew what she was talking about. He also enjoyed the wink she gave him when she stumped the salesperson.

So last night, he’d picked her up and they’d had dinner and then she hustled him into the electronics store with the verve of a person half her age.

Before he knew it, he was the owner of a brand new ‘smart’ phone. Logan wasn’t sure he liked this idea. He didn’t want a phone that was smarter than him, for one thing. For another, he didn’t know how to operate it very well, yet. He’d managed to set up his gmail account and access Facebook on it. He also downloaded a few apps and changed his ringtone to the Godfather theme. Yeah, now that was pretty sweet, he had to admit.

He also set up a special ringtone for Alexa and one for Miriam and, here he sighed gustily, one for Frances since he might get a call from him and Logan would appreciate having a little warning. Even if it was his phone blaring the theme from Halloween whenever Frances might deign to call him.

Whatever.

So, OK. New phone. He could do this.

Earlier in the day, he’d taken Miriam aside and talked to her about what was on his mind. She listened to him with a smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled as she gave him suggestions. He appreciated her friendship so much; she was always there to help if he needed it.

‘Just...ask, Logan. That’s all you need to do. It doesn’t have to be fancy or anything like that. As long as it’s from your heart...that’s what matters most. That’s what’s going to mean the most, ok?’

At that moment, Logan thought that Miriam was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen in his life thus far; the sun had brought out the mahogany highlights in her hair and had turned her eyes a deep velvety brown with all the mysteries of the universe within them.

He’d thanked her and spent the rest of the day, distracted by his thoughts, composing, editing, and deleting messages in his mind. He had the feeling his teachers thought his mind was in outer space. He would have agreed with them; his thoughts were a million miles away.

Logan touched the screen and then touched the message icon. From there, he typed in a message then sent it. He fidgeted as he waited for the reply and when his phone vibrated, he looked at the screen.

He hoped that he’d see a ‘yes’ there. He hoped that maybe, there’d be a phone call following the text message. He thought of going to school the next day, dressed in black jeans and the dress shirt that looked just right on him, and feeling like he owned the world. Yeah, that would be awesome. He’d strut down the hall with his proverbial tail in the air. He’d feel like he was walking on air. He’d feel like a god.

He did a double take and looked again.

Frances had typed a message back to him. ‘Sorry, dude, but you’re not my type. Try asking that other guy from the GSA club, ok? Good luck.’

Logan howled in frustration and embarrassment and threw the phone.

Shit. His new phone.

He picked it up and inspected it anxiously; it was just fine and he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Then, he checked his message and who he sent it to and resisted the urge to throw the phone again. He could have *sworn* he sent it to Alexa. He’d agonized over the wording. He didn’t want to sound like a complete noob but he didn’t want to sound like a jackass, either, and look what happened.

He accidentally sent his message, his hope in an electronic bottle, to the one person he never wanted to have seen it.

Frances.

Logan groaned. He wasn’t sure he had the gumption to send that text out again. At least, not right now.

He looked at it again and sighed. It was a good text. He just needed a couple more days before attempting to send it to Alexa again.

In the meantime, he was going to do his best to ignore Frances. The idiot is going to be intolerable at the next GSA meeting, Logan was sure. Damn.