Operator, Please
Eleanor reached out for the phone. She had her own phone. In her own room. In a house with loving people. Something she'd never have imagined before. The black phone was within reach of her bed, so she moved her arm to grab it. When her fingers brushed the surface, she pulled back as if an electric shock had coursed through her from the phone.
She took a deep breath and stared down the phone. SO much had changed. In a year, she'd lost some weight (though not as much as she'd have liked) and gotten a cat. Not to mention that her new family was amazing. She noticed little things that had changed. Her personality was more open. She wasn't as harsh. Not that she really cared more. Park was a long ways away, and so she couldn't possibly care more.
"Lets go. You can do this," Eleanor encouraged herself. Her red hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail but she made the motion of brushing it back anyways. It was a habit.
After a minute of sighing and relaxing, she picked up the phone without flinching. Carefully, slowly, deliberately, she rolled the dial to the first number. She took a break. After another deep breathing session, she got the next three numbers in. It went on this way until she had the full number in the phone.
Eleanor put the phone up to her ear and waited for someone to pick up.
The ringing woke Park up from his power nap. He stretched his shoulders and made a move for the phone. He was an inch too far. Ugh. Park stretched himself as far as possible. He stretched until his body felt like a Chinese finger trap that was currently in use by someone who didn't know how to relax.
"One…more…centimeter…" With one last burst of energy, Park had the phone in his hands.
"Hello?" His voice was groggy and tired sounding. Park cleared his throat. "Hello?" No one was answering him. He felt like an idiot. "Is this a prank call? God!" He slammed the phone down into the couch. HE felt too lazy to stretch again to reach the cradle.
"Who called?" his mom asked.
"No one. Prank call." At the end of this statement, Park's voice had become an indistinguishable muffled mess while he buried himself in blankets again.
"Oh." Park's mom continued making dinner. "Prank."
"Yeah…" He drifted back off into his dream. A red-haired girl was standing at the back of a bus. Park was sitting down, offering her a seat next to him.
"Come on, sit." He patted the green seat.
"No, I'm on the wrong bus. I'm going t the wrong house," said the girl. She ran away and suddenly Park was falling off a cliff. HE grasped for twigs and roots and rocks but wound up just falling. He saw the hard ground and said his prayers.
He woke up right before impact.
Why hadn't she said anything?! Why?! "Stupid! Stupid, Eleanor!" She smacked her forehead with her fist in anger ad frustration.
She'd call tomorrow. She'd call and he would answer and she would reply. He would start a conversation and she would talk with him. They would meet back up and get married, eventually.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" She buried her face in a pillow and screamed until her throat burned. Eleanor was dumb. She should've just sucked it up in the first place. Then she'd still be near Park. He'd always ride the bus with her and he'd be there. She may not have her own room but she'd have Park. And tat would've been good enough for her.