One, Two, Three by Jaina Erin
	One Beep, Two Beeps, Three Beeps, "What?" "One more day, one more time One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied. But then again, I know what it would do, Leave me wishing still for one more day with you." In a dim room a refrain emmited softly from a corner, a small black clock ticked away the time, and a series of taps could be heard from a computer keyboard, where a distressed appearing form was half-bent over the screen. One beep, two beeps, three beeps. "What?"--- I had known it was him before I even touched the phone, and had waited long enough to turn down the CD player before answering. I think I had him wondering, and I really didn't want him thinking about the last few days. "If you don't start talking, the phone goes back in the cradle." "Please don't, I'd just call back." he said. "You." The word was a combination of anger and pleasure. Pleasure mostly, cause I was thrilled to hear from him, and anger at the situation before me. "How are you doing?" he said cockily, toying as if this whole thing had hurt him none. Though I knew that wasn't the case, it didn't help how I felt. I glanced around the room, from scattered papers, tapes of old love songs, and an assortment of the gifts he had given me; two empty Dr. Pepper bottles and a laptop with several emails, also from him, open on the screen. "I'm alive. All's the more pity for you, I suppose," I responded flatly. "Why'd you call? To gloat?" "No, to check up on a friends well-being." I nodded to the phone. "Thank you. It's nice to know I'm still a friend." We spoke together for several minutes, like friends who hadn't spoken in years. Finally, in a lull, I asked "So, how are you?" "Good," he said. "I've been reading this and that. Some of it is stuff you've written." "Do you like it?" "Yes." He paused. "But, you know it shows how mushy you really are." I laughed. "I know." "I've heard that people who seem tough and hard to hurt from love are those who are in bad need of love," he said, approaching a subject touchy at best with me, and right now... My temper flared. How dare he! I understood now. He had called me to find out how I was feeling about this. To tell me I needed love! And the one I needed it from, wanted it from, was sitting on the other end telling me I needed it. "You may be right, but my heart is not exactly a subject open to discussion. You of all people should know that," I said scathingly. Of course, I regretted it instantly. "I'm sorry. I...didn't mean it like that. I've just been..." I swallowed a sob, "Forgive me?" Silence came from him, then he spoke. "Alright." There was an icy undertone to his voice and cold tension was easy to find between us. "Anyhow, thank you again for calling to check on me. It's most touching," I said, trying to erase it. "And for calling." "No problem" he said. I could picture him, holding the phone to his ear, munching on junk food as he listened to music and worked on whatever it was he was doing. We spoke for a while yet, carefully avoiding personal feelings, then he hung up. I left the phone at my ear for a moment, and stared at my surroundings with troubled eyes. Finally I replaced the phone with a slow, measured breath. "God!" I whispered with pent-up, difficult feelings. I put my head between my hands going back to doing what I had been before he called. Trying to get on with life. Get on with a giant, aching hole where my heart should be. Before I realized it, I was crying. In a dim room a refrain played softly, and all was silent except for that the ragged breathing from a distressed form lying over a computer table, and a small clock ticking the time away. One beep, two beeps, three beeps. "What?"