Melissa McGrath

Halo, Goodbye

“Are you a Twizzlers person, or a Red Vines girl?” Without responding I tossed my phone like a frisbee. I watched, both frustrated and impressed, at my ability to effortlessly generate casual chaos as it somehow launched under my pillow and managed to skid across the floor. I have insurance on that phone case, don’t panic. I knew what happened next. I would fail to conjure the energy to respond until the last minute, to which I’d then cancel said movie plans ( I shudder at the word “date”) with some asinine excuse. Typically I’d go in with something vague, before my anxiety booted up five speed, causing me to get suspiciously specific with my lie, to someone who I’d likely never see again. Sometimes I spend twenty minutes coming up with these lies.