The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1)

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Lol that was a pretty vague answer.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day okay i’ll do better

I’m having fun at college, yeah, but rightnow I’m really fucking hungry.

And this party is pretty lame which is probably why i had more beer than I susually have But the dude throwing it—I know how you are about not sharing names and information so i won’t tell you his name even though he’s from Boston and i’m like 98.2% sure that 58% of men born in that city have the same name—is on a sports team that I am also on and he’s pretty cool so I wanted to show up for him. But other than him and 1-2 guys from the team, there’s not actually that many people I know here And here’s another thing. I’m getting deep now are you ready? It’s weird to move away from home. Not bad weird, neceesarily, but different. Everywhere feels so different than Irvine. Irvine is a bubble, and we all know that when we’re growing up there but it’s different to leave and see how sheltered and privileged we all are.

How are you

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Okay C, I’m impressed.

This was genuinely elaborate. You sound a little homesick, though. I’m sorry.

I’m okay. My boyfriend and I (yes the same one from last year) had plans to go away with his family this weekend, but two weeks ago I drove by him in his car making out with some girl I found out goes to a different high school, so he is now my ex-boyfriend, and tonight I’m learning to sew so I can make voodoo dolls and slowly stab them with sewing pins.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Are you serious? That dude is a dick.

I ended things with my gf before I left for school and it was like two weeeks before she was dating one of my best friends. Iwas fine that she moved on and I wasn’t mad, but it made winter break pretty awkward.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Woof. I bet.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Yeah but do’nt worry about that. College has been good to me.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2017

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Ok Romeo! Get yours!

See you next year.

T.





Chapter Five


2018


From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Happy Valentine’s Day!

I WINNNNNNNNN

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

NO FUCKING WAY, you will not believe this, but I was literally about to hit Send.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

And yet, she pulls out the win! Sweet, sweet victory!

What’s up, C? Are you drunk at a party again?

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ha ha no, I have a huge exam tomorrow in [class name redacted for T’s privacy regulations], so I’m at the library.

Are you building voodoo dolls again?

Also, nice email address, girl, I see you.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Had to keep with the trend. And since you’re literally the only person I email other than teachers or my grandparents, I figured we’d keep the talk of college parties off my school email address ha ha.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Okay, yeah, about that. The next day I felt like such a dick. “College has been good to me.” But we don’t really message outside of this day, so I felt weird sending an email that was like, hey, sorry I sounded like a slutty douche last night. Figured in this case, the statute of limitations on apologies is at least one year.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

You’re not a slutty douche, C, you’re a conundrum wrapped in a mystery tied with a puzzle shoved in a pickle jar. Apology unnecessary but accepted.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Oh my god.

I forgot about that.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Well, lucky for both of us and the importance of history, I did not.

Are you feeling more settled at school?

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yeah, I think that night I was just feeling homesick. You’re a senior now, right, so if you’re going to college you probably know or will know soon where you’re going. If you haven’t decided yet, let me encourage you to take the leap and go somewhere new. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. I don’t know about you but I’m super close to my family, and I think it would have been so easy to just stay local and be in school there, but there really is something great about going somewhere different and seeing a new part of the country or world.

You don’t have to tell me, but do you know yet what you’re doing next year? I know everyone gets sick of that question. And if you’re not planning on college, ignore all of this and tell me what you’re doing instead.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’m sick of the question but I don’t mind it, if that makes sense? College pressure is the Irvine way! And yeah, I applied early to my #1 for the athletic program and got accepted, so I’ll be moving later this summer. For a second I considered changing my mind and staying close to home but then committed. I’m excited and nervous.

A few of my friends are going to IVC and then will transfer to a UC junior year. It makes sense economically and it’s such a great option . . . but I’ve always wanted that freshman dorm chaos. That fun disorientation and fish-out-of-water newness and all that. I’m close to my family too, it’s just me and my mom and my younger brother [consulted my Details & Privacy Rule Book on this level of detail sharing; determined it was acceptable], but Mom wants me to go have an adventure.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Your mom sounds cool.

I think my mom had a psychotic break when they dropped me off at college. I’m the youngest of [number redacted; please consult your D&P Rule Book] and so when they drove off, rumor has it my mom lost her shit at a [regional restaurant redacted; please consult the D&P Rule Book] and threw a cinnamon roll at my father.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Per the official D&P Rule Book, family size is allowed; regional restaurant names are not.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

In that case, I’m the youngest of four.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Okay four kids in college, though? I’d throw a cinnamon roll at the man responsible, too.

Anyway, go study for your test. And good luck.

See you back here next year.

xo

T.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: February 14, 2018

Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day!

See you next year.

And good luck with whatever you decide. I know you’ll be fine.

C.





Chapter Six


2019