Page 22 of Dear Mr. Brody

“Thanks, again,” I said. “And I’m sorry I woke you up for this.”

“No, you’re not.” She laughed. “Call me anytime, Park. You know I’m here for you. Always.”

“Love you.”

“You, too,” she said, and the call disconnected.

Looking at my phone, I had a message from Pegasus, but I didn’t pay it any mind. I shut my laptop and got out of bed. Stretching my tired muscles, I debated on going to the gym. It was late enough, I could tell myself I didn’t have to go. Plus, Marcos would most likely give me a ration of shit if I ignored him much longer. But I was irrationally irritable, and I didn’t know why. I’d gotten most of my work done like I’d wanted, but I couldn’t seem to shake my grouchy mood. I wanted to blame the stats class, but I had to admit, I was let down the guy I’d chatted with had turned out to be a bust. Restless, I grabbed my phone off the bed and my keys from my nightstand, deciding the gym was my best option for blowing off some steam. I’d made it halfway to my bedroom door before my phone vibrated in my hand. Taking a quick look, my stomach dropped when I saw I had an email from Mr. Brody.

The essay I’d sent him was the most personal thing I’d ever written. I almost didn’t turn it in. But he’d asked for real words, and when I’d sat down to write, I couldn’t change the path my mind had wanted to take. I’d written about this random guy I’d let fuck me one night under a pier at the beach when I’d lived in Florida. He hadn’t meant anything to me, but what had happened that night had meant everything. That night I’d taken back what had been beaten out of me. The man had been a stranger, but I’d given him all my secrets, and he’d given me back my pride. My confidence. It had been the night I’d stopped being a victim and had become a survivor.

Swallowing past the ache in my throat, I opened the email.

FROM: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]

Date: Aug 26 9:58 PM

SUBJECT: RE: ASSIGNMENT 2

Mr. Mills,

“Excellent” work.

P.S. I did dock a few points for not meeting the word requirement. To be fair.

Donovan Brody

English Department

Winchester State College

Something excited and nervous fluttered in my stomach, my grin unwilling to subside as I typed out my response.

FROM: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]

Date: Aug 26 10:05 PM

SUBJECT: RE: ASSIGNMENT 2

Mr. Brody,

If you want, I could write more over the weekend and send it? Technically I have until Monday.

Thanks,

Parker

P.S. FYI… it’s perfectly acceptable to address me as Parker via email. All my other professors do… unless you like being stuffy.

I hit send and winced, overanalyzing the stuffy comment. I’d teased him about it before, but having it written down, without a tone of voice for reference, it almost seemed disrespectful. I hit refresh about twenty times until finally my inbox lit up with another email.

FROM: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]

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