Page 32 of Light Up My Life

“Then how are you going to ask him about an invite to the country club masquerade ball?”

I scoffed. “I told you. Not happening.”

“Worth a try,” she said with a smirk. “It’s okay, I have some other ideas for my art project.”

The house lights dimmed. I took out the number again, analyzing the handwriting. Was it written quickly? Thoughtfully? I was obsessing. And I wasn’t going to stop obsessing until I texted the number for answers.

It probably wasn’t even for me. Marcus drove the car more. Someone was probably trying to get ahold of him. Some girl from the neighborhood who had a crush on him or somebody from school. Or maybe the note was for my moms. Or someone was playing a prank.

Who is this?

I sent the text without the What do you want? addition that Fiona had suggested.

Who is this? was the almost immediate reply back.

Onstage, the Ghost of Christmas Present was coming to wake Scrooge in the night and show him how terrible he was. Fiona’s sister played the Ghost of Christmas Future so she was still to appear.

You left me your phone number. You first.

Which location was this number left at?

He was teasing, I knew he was, but the thought of him leaving a thousand girls his phone number brought me back down to earth and reminded me why I really shouldn’t be talking to Ryan Moreno … assuming this was him.

The screen light on my phone was low, but I knew I needed to stop texting. I sent one more: On a car window, without identifying information, in the most cryptic way possible. You’re lucky my brother didn’t get it first.

I tucked my phone away, and despite it buzzing a couple more times as I watched the rest of the play, I didn’t check it. Not when Tiny Tim said his famous lines or when Scrooge was reformed by the magic of fear. Not even when the audience was clapping.

“That was great,” I told Fiona as we stood up. “Nova is such a good actress.”

“I know,” Fiona said. “I should’ve guessed with how easily she convinces my parents that she’s innocent in all things.”

I laughed. My phone buzzed again.

“I’m dying for you to check your phone,” she said. “I heard it buzzing.”

“I’m being good!” I replied.

“Yes, now let’s see what happened while you were being good.” She pushed her shoulder against mine as if waiting to look at it right that second.

“Excuse me,” someone to my right said, before I had a chance to dig my phone out of my pocket. Several other people were waiting for us to move as well.

“Sorry,” I said to the girl. Then to Fiona I said, “Walk first. We’ll look at it while we wait for Nova outside.”

I was tempted to look at it first while she was exiting the aisle, but she would’ve called me out, so I waited. We collected our coats from the hooks in the lobby and found some open space outside with the other people waiting to greet the cast. It was so cold I could see my breath. I looked up at the sky, but no snow. When was it coming? It felt like another thing that was out to get me by dimming the magic of the season. White Christmases were the best. They added something extra to all the decorations. Especially ours, I felt. Unfortunately I couldn’t have a talk with the sky to try to solve that problem.

I zipped up my coat to my chin and finally looked at my phone.

The first text I saw was from my mom to both me and my brother: Miracle of miracles, the Morenos turned down their music tonight. Apparently flyers work on them. Maybe I should start writing some of my own.

Marcus: Maybe your yelling is what worked.

Fiona, who was obviously reading the texts next to me, laughed.

I responded to that text with: Yes, Marcus is right. I’m going to start yelling more.

Fiona waved at my phone. “Stop messing around. Get to the good stuff.”

“You don’t think my witty response to my family is the good stuff?”