The Last Wish of Sasha Cade

Yeah, not happening.

The screen tells me that he’s typing a reply for what feels like an eternity. Thanks to my sophomore keyboarding class, I type ninety words a minute, and Zack types like twice that fast since he’s a massive computer nerd. I’ve never had to wait more than a few seconds for Zack’s email chat replies.

Finally, his message pops up.

Elijah0Delgado: Why not? Boyfriend won’t like it?

He doesn’t know I have a boyfriend, does he?

Wait, I don’t have a boyfriend. Not really.

RockiBoBocki: Not sure how I can explain some strange guy who happens to look exactly like Sasha to my mother … If I were lucky like you and didn’t have school, then we could watch them in the daytime when she’s at work.

Elijah0Delgado: ….

RockiBoBocki: What does that mean?

Elijah0Delgado: Means you could skip.

RockiBoBocki: ….

I’m guessing Elijah has probably skipped school a day or two in his life. But the closest I’ve come to ditching school is mildly exaggerating a sickness so that Mom will encourage me to stay in bed all day and get better.

But I did miss four days to mourn Sasha and nothing bad happened. I lean on my elbow, biting my nails as I stare at the chat window. He’s willing to drive all this way and spend a whole day watching movies with me and a digital version of Sasha. I pull up another internet window and add up the length of all five movies. With Mom’s workday, plus her long commute to the city, we’d technically have enough time to watch them all. While I’m weighing the pros and cons of ditching school and the possibility of getting caught, he sends another message.

Elijah0Delgado: I wonder how strict she is with the one-week rule?

RockiBoBocki: I can’t break her rules, even knowing that she’s not here. I just can’t. We need to do this.

Elijah0Delgado: So you’ll skip?

RockiBoBocki: What if we just watch the movies separately on our own? I can send you the movies. I have my own copies.

Elijah0Delgado: I don’t have my own computer. :(

I’m on my boss’s.

RockiBoBocki: You have a TV, right?

Elijah0Delgado: Yup

RockiBoBocki: So we could talk on the phone and I’ll play her video commentary for you?

Elijah0Delgado: No phone. Maybe we could meet somewhere? Rent a hotel room … Hahahaha.

I don’t realize I am biting my tongue until I taste blood. I let out a long sigh. He doesn’t have a phone? Or a computer? He lives somewhere so secret he wouldn’t even tell Sasha? What is up with this guy?

Now that I think about it, I don’t really know him at all. I take a deep breath and trust in Sasha. I send him my address.

RockiBoBocki: Can you get here at 7 am tomorrow?

Elijah0Delgado: I don’t want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor. Truancy is a big deal, you know.

RockiBoBocki: I can break the rules just this once. You coming or not?

Elijah0Delgado: I’ll be there.

RockiBoBocki: Cool. :)