the way i see it
an email novella
by V. J. Chambers
THE WAY I SEE IT
© copyright 2011 by V. J. Chambers
http://vjchambers.com
Punk Rawk Books
Smashwords Edition
Please do not copy or post this story in its entirety or in parts anywhere. You may, however, share the entire book with a friend by forwarding the entire file to them. (And I won't get mad.)
From: Dana Hellerman
To: Sarah Rook
Date: Fri 31 Jan 2003 10:09:38
Subject: (none)
sarah,
what's up? i am in ms. cooke's class but she can't see that i am typing. i'm supposed 2 be working on some dumb short story. this will have to be quick. are u going 2 the party this weekend? Tristan and Eric are going to be there, atleast that's what Tristan told me yesterday on the phone. if u check this during study hall e-mail me back. I will be on the computer at lunch and then we can talk about it after school.
did u see what cara wilson is wearing? i was going to buy a shirt like that at the mall, but now that i see it on her, i am not sure. she is alot thinner than me and she looks horrible!! i don't know. what do u think? well, i will see u after school, girl. hope ur coming this weekend.
l8er,
dana
From: Sarah Rook
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:44:01
Subject: Where is the party?
Dana,
I don't know if I can get out this weekend. My dad says that I can only have the car once every two weeks and you know I took it last week. You would have to pick me and then someone would have to get me home by curfew.
I will try. Where is the party? Is it in Reetown again? I don't know why you keep telling me about Eric, because you know I don't like him. He is a huge dork and I don't care if he IS your boyfriend's best friend, that does not mean you have to foist him on me.
I thought Cara looked cute. You think she looks horrible? Anyway, even if she is thinner, you are much better proportioned, if you know what I mean, and I'm sure the shirt would look fine on you. Cara looks like a clothes hanger. We have had this discussion before. You know that you are really hot and stop being such an idiot about the whole thin thing. You know that you look bigger because you are bigger--where it counts!! Ask Tristan.
Okay, well, this is study hall, and I have a major test in Trig next period. So I have to go. See you after school!!
LYLAS,
Sarah
From: Eric Dice
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:48:55
Subject: (none)
Dana,
Hey. tristan said he was sick of playing translator for me, so he said I should just e-mail you myself. so I am. Have you talked to Sara? are you guys coming to the party? Because I know she hates me or whatever, but I just want to talk to her. She is probably the smartest and funniest girl I know.
anyway, just see if you can get her to come, okay?
i'm out,
eric
From: Dana Hellerman
To: Eric Dice
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:50:44
Subject: your a dork eric
Dorkwad,
I am trying my best, but she says that she can't get the car, and she has a curfew. I will tell her 2 tell her parents that she is sleeping over at Lisa's, and maybe that will work. I don't know.
she is just my best freind, i don't control her actions. I am not a miracle worker, okay? so just sit tight and quit drooling. i will talk to her after school and then email tristan at 6:00, like I always do. u can call his ass and talk to him. okay. bye.
dana
From: Dana Hellerman
To: Sarah Rook
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 3:33:43
Subject: Where were you?????
Where were u after school? I waited for u for like ten minutes, by ur bus. And now ur phone is busy. Check ur flipping e-mail, girl.
Okay, so look. Here's the deal. The party is tonight at Josh's house in Reetown. Tell ur parents that u and I are sleeping over at Lisa's and I will pick u up at eight. Tell them I will have u back tomorrow by one. they should go for that, right?
what the fuck does foist mean anyway? u have to stop with all those big words. u are driving me insane.
Stop talking about my chest like that! u know I hate that. Call me as soon as u get this or if someone is still on the phone, then email me back, kay? I'll keep trying to get in touch with u.
l8er,
dana
From: Sarah Rook
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 4:00:21
Subject: sorry
Dana,
Sorry that you waited for me. I got a ride home with Jackie. I looked for you to tell you, but I didn't see you and Jackie wanted to get out before the buses, so we had to leave really fast. Sorry about the phone. My sister is on it and you know how Trina is about talking on the phone. She has a boyfriend now, even though she is only eleven and I think it is ridiculous that she has to talk to him for like two hours. My dad said he would ground her if she didn't cut it back.
I asked my parents if I could stay the night at Lisa's and they said it was okay. So you can come get me at eight and I will be ready.
My dad wants me to go hang out with his boss's son tomorrow night. The Mick dude I was telling you about. My dad thinks we are going out, but we aren't. We so aren't. But I will tell Eric we are if he keeps trying to hit on me and don't think that I won't. You better back me up, too. Okay. Well, I'll see you at eight. If you need anything else, try the phone around five. Usually, Trina's done by then.
tootles,
Sarah
From: Dana Hellerman
To: Tristan Orndorf
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 6:03: 44
Subject: We’re on
Hey my little tomato,
we are on for tonight all systems go. i’m picking up sarah in two hours and we are all good!! Tell dorkwad eric that sarah is coming, but she’s none too excited at the prospect of him being all over her.
it is at Josh’s house, right?
l8er,
dana
From: Tristan Orndorf
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 6:10:58
Subject: hey doll
Heya---
yeeaahh, the party is @ josh’s and i’m glad y’all are coming. I’ll tell eric where he stands with the s-ster.
See ya soon, sweetness.
out—tri$t@n
From: Tristan Orndorf
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Sun, Feb 2 2003 10:33:22
Subject: What did you tell Eric?
Heya doll,
the ericster has been chirpin some phunny phukin things in my ear, chica. Apparently, you made some crazy deal with him?? now, i don’t want to be in your thang or whatnot, sweetness, but I gotta tell you, eric is my main man and I don’t want to see him hurt, okay? So you telling Eric that you had Sarah in the bag, when from previous convo, I took it that you were far from that... Well, let me say, that could be potentially crushing for the dude.
Eric’s not like us. See, Eric has always been this real silly romanti
c dude who always gets burned in relationships and he writes poems and makes pacts and he just takes the whole thing real freaking serious. and I love the guy, I do. So I hate to see him all broken up over some chick, cause I have seen it before and it ain’t pretty.
Understand, doll, i’m not trying to get in your face or nothin, but I just gotta know what you told him? Dig? Cause, maybe I can reverse the damage at this point, if there is any...
All right. I’m out.
-tri$t@n
From: Sarah Rook
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Sun, Feb 2 2003 11:14:09
Subject: You are not going to believe this.
Dana—
Guess who showed up on my “date” with Mick last night? Okay, well I’ll just tell you. It was flipping Eric, for God’s sake. What is up with that? Somehow, he knew we were going to be at this bowling rink, even though he acted like it was a big coincidence. I could so tell it wasn’t. Anyway, so there I am with Mick, who’s telling me all about his stupid rich dad and I’m like really really really bored. But—I am beating Mick at bowling, which is a plus if you ask me. Anyway, Mick’s all, “So my dad is going to take me to Aspen to go skiing, and I bet your dad would let you come if you asked. It’ll be tight.”
He actually said that. Tight. I’m not kidding.
I’m like, “I don’t ski, Mick.”
And he’s like, “Oh, don’t worry, Sarah, I’ll teach you. After all, we are dating and all. It’ll be really romantic.”
I’m fighting the urge to just be like, “Mick you bastard, I so know how to ski, so just shut the freak up,” and then who shows up?
Eric.
He waltzes up to our lane and just stands there with this huge grin on his face and says, “Sarah, what are you doing here?”
As if it was perfectly normal for him to be in Hallsburg at the bowling rink when he lives in Reetown.
I’ve had to up to here with Mick at this point so I just grin right back and say, “Eric, what a great surprise. Why don’t you join our game?”
Mick makes a whole bunch of excuses about how you can’t have three people bowling, ‘cause there have to be two teams.
So I say, “Fine, then. Why don’t you play whoever wins, Eric?”
I make short order of beating Mick and then Eric and I start playing. He’s really horrible at bowling, but better than Mick.
“So,” I say, “how come you’re REALLY here?”
He makes some bullshit excuse about being in the neighborhood and liking this bowling rink better than the one in Reetown. I mean, seriously. As if there’s any difference between bowling rinks. All bowling rinks are practically the same, right?
Well, anyway, I know I told you that Eric is not exactly my idea of a dream guy, but I saw a side of him last night that I’d never seen before. I was only nice to him at first because I totally hate Mick and I just wanted to get away from him. But we started talking about mythology. He was saying how he thinks Star Wars is a modern example of mythology. I know you don’t like mythology, Dana, but you know how into Greek mythology and King Arthur I am...
It turns out, so is Eric. So, we had this big long conversation about heroes and he actually convinced me that I have to see Star Wars with him. I know, I’m a big idiot and you can tease me all you want, but. . . okay, so maybe I was wrong about Eric.
I’ll tell you more later, if you’re interested, but I’ve typed your ear off (eyes off?) so I’ll let you go now. Call me later or e-mail me. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, kay?
LYLAS,
Sarah
From: Dana Hellerman
To: Tristan Orndorf
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 12:55:03
Subject: Don’t worry about it!!
Hey doll!
Okay, yeah, so my conversation with Eric was probably not the best of ideas. but seriously, i have it under control. sarah just emailed me and told me that everything is working out fine. let me tell you what happened.
u know those two stupid girls, Diana and June? well, they were arguing over some dumb remark that Josh Gueiss made. u know what I’m talking about right? When we got to the party, me and sarah, josh was at the door and he said that he was going to put one of the girls in charge of punch distribution, since all the girls would only want to drink punch, u know cause it tastes good. so he said that like whoever was the prettiest girl at the party would be the person in charge. so as sarah and i are walking in, he’s like, well, dana, ur certainly in the running.
okay, so i know it doesn’t sound like it should be such a big deal, punch being not the biggest order of business. but it became clear a couple of drinks later that if i wanted to get any of the punch, I was going to have to be in charge. Especially because it was between me and diana and june who were just being really immature and stupid about it. so, Josh went into the bathroom with some guys to do whatever it is they do in there, and he still hadn’t made his punch decision. He left Eric to pick between me and diana and june.
So, Diana’s dad is Eric’s soccer coach and she was all like, Pick me, Eric, and my dad will let u start every game. And June was promising to make sure he won prom king or something ridiculous. Anyway, at that moment, I was just completely not in the mood to let those dumb girls get all the punch for them and their stupid crowd. so i said, eric, if u pick me, i will get u with sarah.
I know it was dumb of me to promise that. I know that i have no way of knowing for sure if i could pull something like that off, but at the time, punch seemed very important. i was planning on seriously apologizing, but everything seems to be fine. I told eric that sarah was going to be at the bowling rink in Hallsburg and she was going to be there with Mick Menel and she hates Mick Menel, and that if he showed up at the right time, she’d want to talk to anybody besides mick.
that seems to be exactly what happened. sarah just sent me an email telling me how much fun she had with eric and they are going on a date. so everything is okay. don’t worry! bye!
l8er,
dana
From: Tristan Orndorf
To: Dana Hellerman
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 6:03:22
Subject: (none)
Hey sweetness! I hope you know what you’re doing. Mick Menel is only like the son of the most powerful guy in the entire county. My dad works for him and I work for him part time, and I like Mick, so I hope this doesn’t cause big problems...
Anywayz, good to hear from you, and glad all is cool. In the future, though, doll, if you need somethan like punch, ask me before playin matchmaker, huh?
Alright, well, I will talk to you tomorrow. Have a good night!
tri$t@n
From: Eric Dice
To: Sarah Rook
Date: Mon 3 Feb 2003 6:33:44
Subject: Hey!
sarah,
hey, how are you doing? I had alot of fun at the bowling rink the other night, and i was wondering if you were still up for hanging out sometime and watching Star Wars like you said. If so, maybe we could get together on Friday evening. I know you have a curfew, so it would be early, like maybe after school or something. Or maybe on Saturday, during the day. I don’t have anything to do this weekend.
i really enjoyed talking to you. I know you already know that i’ve sort of liked you for a while, but seriously, you are really intelligent and stuff. god. I sound like a huge, stupid dork. uh. Look, I’ve been thinking about what you were saying about heroes, and how most heroes don’t do their biggest, most “heroic” thing because of ideals, but because of more what did you call it—sordid reasons? Like because somebody is cheating on their wife or husband, or because they’re arrogant or because they’re hungry for glory. Well, you haven’t seen Star Wars yet, but I think the hero in Star Wars does what he does for good reasons. Well...maybe he wants ad
venture or something. He’s very young. Anyway, I’d be interested to hear what you have to say about it after we watch it. Also, I checked that T.H. White book out of the library. The Once and Future King? I skipped The Sword in the Stone, like you said, and so far, it’s pretty funny.
Have you ever read Tolkien? You would like Tolkien. (Watching the movie doesn’t count.)
okay, well, e-mail me later and tell me what you think about Friday or Saturday.
i’m out,
eric
From: Dana
To: Sarah
Date: Mon 3 Feb 2003 3:44:54
Subject: hey
sarah!
what’s up girl? hey, i’m sorry we didn’t get a chance 2 talk at lunch today. i wanted to talk with u all about this eric thing. so? what is it, now? do u like eric? are u guys dating? i’m totally curious.
tristan said that mick menel’s dad is his boss and his dad’s boss and he sounded kind of upset. he said that eric’s really fragil and he doesn’t want his friend to get hurt. so, like, if u don’t really like eric, then don’t string him along, because everyone would be really mad. plus, it’s just not a really nice thing to do to someone, u know?
N E way, email me back and let me know what is going on between u and eric, okay?? I am dying to find out.
l8er,
dana
From: Sarah
To: Dana
Way I See It: an Email Novella Page 1
