Page 36 of Yolo

“Come on,” I said to Rooster. “Let’s go back to the people.”

Rooster led the way, almost as if he knew which people I wanted to go to when I could clearly hear that there were two sets of groups now.

I could hear Gee’s voice off by himself, likely talking on the phone, and Trance and his daughter’s voice talking toward where I assumed was the front porch of the house.

It was when I was about halfway there that I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, causing me to sigh.

Instead of continuing to walk, I made a detour back to Gee’s truck as I told Rooster where I was headed. Once there, I stopped to lean against the vehicle, and felt Rooster do the same, but against me.

I was pretty much pinned between him and the truck, which made me smile.

The vibration came again, reminding me of the message from Joseph.

I’d set specific vibrations to specific people.

Mom’s vibration was a heartbeat.

Dad’s, a constant tapping.

Joseph’s vibration was an SOS vibration.

Therefore, when it did the SOS vibration, I didn’t ask Siri to read the messages to me—at least not usually. But today I was in a good mood, therefore I figured the best time to listen to whatever horse shit he came up with that day would be now.

“Siri,” I said into what I thought was the quiet afternoon where I stood leaning against Gee’s truck.

“First message is from Joseph,” Siri read. “Why are you like this?”

I laughed.

I couldn’t help it.

At some point this morning Joseph had called me, then texted me when I didn’t answer his calls. In the call, he suggested that we try the relationship thing again.

I’d explained that I wasn’t really interested in trying anything ever again with him, and he’d then bombarded me with texts.

I’d let Siri read through all of them when I sent out:

Phew, that was a really hard escape room.

His reply had come not moments later. Siri had read in the most robotic voice ever:

That was our relationship.

The texts from him had continued—once Joseph set his mind on something, he didn’t stop.

Yet, I’d ignored them.

Siri then read the second text that he’d sent moments earlier:

I’ll get you back one way or another. You might as well make it the easier of the two ways and just agree.

“Siri,” a dark, angry voice said. “Reply to text.”

“What would you like it to say?” Siri asked.

“Go fuck yourself. I have someone that treats me better than you did, that is better in bed than you were, and actually knows how to treat a woman. Why would I ever go back to something so subpar?” Gee’s liquid smoke voice drawled.

“Sending,” Siri replied.

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