It’s been almost a year now since we talked.  It was amazing that last time, to hear your voice after so long: you sounded just like you did way back when.  It took me back…almost like that first time I called, and heard your telephone voice.  Well…actually it was better, because that first time, I think I might have gotten you into some kind of trouble.  You remember.  You gave me your phone number that Friday before school was over, and we agreed that I’d call you Saturday and maybe we could both take our cameras for a hike somewhere…like maybe Great Falls.  By the way…I still have that roll of film of yours you had me develop.  I think I gave you the contacts I made, and some prints, but somehow I ended up with the negatives.  I can mail them to you if you like.  Anyway…I called and asked whoever it was who answered if you were home, and then you got on the line and you were all like…uh…sorry…I didn’t think you’d call…why did you call…I can’t go anywhere…I didn’t think you’d call…like I wasn’t supposed to call, which really confused me because we’d agreed I would call and you gave me your phone number which isn’t the sort of thing you do when you Don’t want someone to call you.  Next Monday morning I met you at school it was like nothing had happened.  There were times while we were seeing each other, when I wasn’t sure when you were teasing and when you were serious.  And you always kept me at arms length from your family.  For years afterward I wondered if I’d gotten you in some kind of trouble with your parents for giving me your number.  Maybe we should have agreed you would call me.

Say…maybe you should call me now.  It’s been almost a year.  It would be nice to hear from you again.  We’re too far away from each other to go for that camera hike like we were going to back then.  But we can chat now, can’t we…without it getting you in trouble…right?

Wave back sometime.  Please.  It would be the best birthday gift ever.