The Hardest Part of Today is a Hangover.

I slouched back into the couch and flicked the TV on, trying to adjust my seat without waking up Caitlin, whose head was resting on my lap. After a long night, the least thing I could do is let her sleep.

But, of course, my phone goes off in my pocket, causing Caitlin to groan and slap my knee in annoyance. I laughed, pulling my phone out of my pocket and flipping it open. I didn’t really expect the text to be from Erin, considering she hadn’t talked to me since she fired me two weeks ago.

Oli’s coming back tomorrow. You going to be there? scrolled across the screen.

My eyes went wide as I slapped myself in the forehead.

Caitlin gave me a funny look. “What? Are you okay?” her voice cracked, her eyes watering from the sudden light of the TV.

I sighed. “Oli’s coming back tomorrow.”

“Uh-oh,” she muttered, laying her head back down on my lap.

“Yeah,” I sighed again, “’Uh-oh’s right.”

Count me out. I text back, closing my phone and throwing it across the room. I didn’t want to see her response and, even as my phone vibrated against the cracked wall, I held in my urge to run over and read it.

He was in the past and this was the future—I decided that months ago.

[-Oli-]

She’s not coming. Erin finally text back, making my hands involuntarily ball into fists, almost snapping my phone clear in half.

Curtis looked at me. “Man, I’m sorry.”

I took a long, deep sigh, which didn’t help anything, and looked out the window of the moving bus. “Yeah? Well, that’s going to help everything, isn’t it?”

Trisha plopped down on the cushion next to me, bouncing and absolutely joyous since we picked her up a few towns over. Her and Curtis had been absolutely all over each other the entire time.

“Don’t be mad, Verr,” she said happily, “I’m sure things will be right back to the way they were before you left.”

I laughed. “No. They won’t be, Trish.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic, kiddo. Even if things won’t be the same when we get there they eventually will be. Anna loved you quite a bit—she might not have known you for that long, but it was there—it was quite evident. So sit up, smile, and join in on our game of Uno, okay?”

I shook my head, a smile creeping onto my face, though I wanted to remain looking sullen, and grabbed the cards from Curtis.

“As long as I get to deal,” I laughed, shuffling the cards.

“No cheating, Shitface,” Curtis ordered, making me laugh.

“Yeah,” I rolled my eyes, “Whatever.”

But, in the back of my head, I couldn’t stop repeating the number 358 over in my head. It was a relentless number, full of anger and annoyance. It reminded me of a time when I was happy—two whole weeks when I was happy, chasing the one girl that could turn me down.

And now she won’t answer my calls—358 times she wouldn’t answer my calls. I guess she didn’t miss me for too long after all.