Emeros X

A week later, Erin was walking to the kitchen when she heard her mom say her name on the phone.

“Yes, that time would be excellent. Thank you, have a good day.”

“Who was that?”

Erin’s mom spun around, looking happier than Erin has ever seen her. Without an answer, her mom

walked toward her and hugged her, crushing Erin’s ribs.

“The doctors already assessed your answers and they want you to come in tomorrow to meet the lucky

boy!”

“Tomorrow?”

Erin was incredulous. How could they have gone through her paperwork that quickly? They even said it

took between two and three weeks. What, was nobody else scheduled in the district this month but her?

Erin’s head was spinning. They had to have been negligent in their analysis. She was sure to get paired up

with someone who she’d never like, or worse, someone who would never like her. She couldn’t help but

lean on the kitchen counter for support.

“What…what time tomorrow?” Erin pressed.

“They said around ten a.m., so we can go out for lunch afterward. That’s what Violet and I did after she

met Todd.”

Erin nodded, hoping that would help her assess what was actually going on. In less than twenty-four

hours, she was going to meet the person she would fall in love with. In less than twenty-four hours, she

would meet someone who most likely went to her own school. She wondered if she had already met him

before, if she knew him personally or not. Perhaps he was a year older than her; that sometimes

happened. She wouldn’t be the first junior to date a senior in high school, and certainly not the last.

Perhaps he did go to her school, and she had never paid any attention to him. He could be on the

basketball team; Erin never paid any mind to sports after all. What if he was in the running to be

valedictorian? Erin could definitely see herself with someone with a great mind.

Erin’s mom invited Violet and Todd over to announce the good news. They seemed ecstatic that Erin was

“finally going to meet her one-and-only true love”. Erin couldn’t help but feel ill after Violet had said that.

“but what if he dies?” Erin asked, initiating an intensely awkward silence from everyone, including Alex.

“Well…” Violet stammered. “Um. Mom? What happens then?”

“Like any faithful marriage, you’d become a widow, I suppose. You could choose to be re-analyzed I

believe, but I’ve never actually heard of that occurring.”

The conversation didn’t exactly get less awkward after that.

After Violet and Todd had gone back to their place, Erin went to her room and tried in vain to fall asleep.

It wasn’t until one…two…three in the morning that she fell asleep from exhaustion.