Page 93 of Not In A Billion Years

“On that prophetical note, I’m going to wish you a good night.”

“Night.”

The moment we hang up the lights flicker back to life.

I take it as a sort of sign. I fish my phone out of my backpack and check it for a signal. There’s still none, but it asks me if I want to connect to the Wi-Fi network. I tap yes and it lets me log on without asking for a password. Guess there aren’t a lot of Wi-Fi thieves around these parts.

I cradle the phone in my hands for a few more minutes before I pull up the chat with MGM and type:

To Gabriel:

I’m sorry about the Goonies comment, I didn’t really mean it

Gabriel replies immediately as if he, too, already had the phone in his hands.

From Gabriel

You know I’m just in the next room. You don’t have to text me if you want to talk

To Gabriel

It’s easier to have this conversation with a solid wall between us

From Gabriel

Why?

To Gabriel

Because you unsettle me and not always in a good way

From Gabriel

Hijacking a scavenger hunt for a picnic is okay, felling imaginary trees to spend more time with you is not

Got the message loud and clear

To Gabriel

Are YOU being snippy with ME?

From Gabriel

YOU called me manipulative

To Gabriel

And how would you define yourself?

From Gabriel

Proactive? I’ve always liked to make my own fortune and not sit around waiting for things to happen

To Gabriel

Yeah. I also got that message loud and clear

Anyway, I already said I was sorry

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