Unknown Number Read online

  (16:58) Trust me kid. I’ll destroy them all.

  ~

  (18:47) Shit, someone’s gotten MONOPOLY out. I shouldn’t have cheaped out on the sturdy furniture.

  (18:50) Ha. This is what you get for living life on the edge!

  (18:55) Plans?

  (19:07) Movie night. Arthur, Soph and tons of snacks and popcorn.

  (19:11) Sounds fun. Movies?

  (19:15) I’ve convinced them to re-watch the Mummy series.

  (19:19) You know I’ve never actually watched those.

  (19:23) WHAT? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!

  (19:26) I suppose it just never caught my fancy.

  (19:31) JFC! 1. I adore the way you speak and 2. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THIS IMMEDIATELY!

  (19:32) Do I have to?

  (19:33) … Maybe we could watch them together???

  (19:36) I’d love that. Hey look at that. You’ve convinced me.

  (19:37) Really?! :D

  (19:39) No.

  (19:41) If you watch it with me, I’ll owe you two movies of your own choice!

  (19:42) Aren’t there supposed to be three or four Mummy movies?

  (19:43) I don’t count the third one because they recast the main girl, and anything with Tom Cruise is a bit :/ for me.

  (19:44) Isn’t he the one they cast for Jack Reacher?

  (19:46) Don’t remind me. It was a sad day for us all when they happened.

  (19:48) So we won’t watch that then?

  (19:49) I mean, you can just to see how inaccurate it all is.

  (19:50) And awwww you said ‘we’ :3

  (19:51) AGAIN with the emoticons! Go away, brat. Games are aplay!

  (19:52) Try not to kill anyone.

  (19:53) Why not? ‘Dexter’ remember.

  (19:55) That’s what I’m afraid of.

  ~

  (20:19) Cavan, I did a bad thing.

  (20:22) What did you do?

  (20:25) I’m ninja texting in a blanket fort FYI.

  (20:31) I never made blanket forts. Should I be jealous?

  (20:35) Um YES! Blanket forts are amazing and ours? They’re ridonkulous!

  (20:39) That wasn’t even a word but whatever.

  (20:42) So what did you do?

  (20:46) I may have thrown Jack Reacher against the wall.

  (20:51) WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?

  (20:53) WHAT DID JACK EVER DO TO YOU?

  (20:58) I’m sorry. He was just the closest thing to me.

  (21:02) Why did you need to throw anything at all?!

  (21:06) I may have lost a game of Clue.

  (21:11) What did you flop on?

  (21:15) The weapon.

  (21:18) Really?! I’m amazed. Would have expected you to have a whole arsenal of weaponry.

  (21:21) That’s in my country cottage.

  (21:26) Why do you have weapons in your country cottage?

  (21:34) Well, would YOU suspect anyone living in a cottage of having weapons?

  (21:38) Well … no.

  (21:43) There you go.

  (21:47) So where is this little cottage?

  (21:51) It’s up in Lincoln. It’s a converted stable.

  (21:55) So … it’s not exactly small?

  (21:59) Not really, no. It’s split into two properties. I own one.

  (22:05) Do you get to go there often?

  (22:11) Most end-of-term holidays I’ll go up there. Get to clean it up and relax in solitude.

  (22:17) You sad, lonely old man.

  (22:28) Maybe I’ve just never had the right company.

  (22:34) Maybe not.

  (22:40) Maybe you should join me.

  (22:43) Maybe I will.

  ~

  (23:57) So Sophie keeps teasing me about you.

  (00:10) Believe it or not, I’m getting bombarded with the same treatment.

  (00:16) It’s such a good thing we’re not in the same room. All our friends would gang up on us!

  (00:22) Well I’m sure if you were here, we could out-romance the fuck out of all of them.

  (00:26) With words like that, how could I not be smitten?

  (00:30) Mmmm I feel so languid right now. Wish you WERE here.

  (00:34) What would you do if I was?

  (00:37) Play with your hair.

  (00:40) Give you a massage.

  (00:43) Tease you.

  (00:46) I bet you look adorable when you blush.

  (00:49) I … might be a little pink right now.

  (00:53) Show me.

  (00:55) No!

  (00:57) Why not?

  (1:00) I … Idk. Didn’t think we really did that?

  (1:04) Hmmmm you’re right. I kind of like it like this. Mystery.

  (1:06) Definitely sexier ;)

  (1:13) Oh, definitely kid. You’re such a sweet innocent little thing. What’re you doing getting tangled up with a criminal like me?

  (1:18) Haha you’re not a criminal.

  (1:25) Well no. I got away with a warning.

  (1:29) Wait … WHAT?!

  (1:36) You wait until nearly two months into this to tell me that you’re a criminal?!

  (1:40) Disappointed?

  (1:43) Um … a little turned on actually.

  (1:47) Aaaaaaaaand with THAT I’m going to hide under my bed.

  (1:49) BYEEE!

  (1:53) Criminals turn you on, eh?

  (1:59) Nooo! I lied! Before I thought you were a murderer but now I HAVE PROOF of your criminal past!

  (2:04) Don’t lie to me, kid. You find me hot.

  (2:07) Maybe I should rock up to your house on my bike and whisk you away for a date to watch the sunrise.

  (2:17) How have you managed to be hot, dangerous, romantic, and sentimental all in the same text?!

  (2:20) Also WHAT?! YOU HAVE A BIKE?!

  (2:27) Technically I have a bike and a car.

  (2:31) And a flat and a cottage?

  (2:36) How much money DO YOU have?

  (2:40) Shit, sorry. That was rude.

  (2:46) Nosey more than anything. Anyway kid, it’s getting late. We should both turn in for the night.

  (2:50) I’ll be okay. I got a free period first thing so I can get an extra hour or so sleep.

  (2:54) Sleep tight, kid.

  (2:57) Text me something sweet in the morning? Since you’ll be awake before me? ;)

  (3:01) I don’t really do ‘sweet’ but … Maybe I’ll make an exception.

  (3:06) Of course you will. Because it’s me!

  (3:10) We’ll see, kid. Get some sleep.

  (3:15) Goodnight Lucas.

  (3:17) Goodnight Cavan.

  Friday PM

  (12:03) Are we ever going to meet up face-to-face?

  (12:05) Well happy Friday to you too.

  (12:09) Well I’M SORRY, Mr. Rebel, but a certain someone didn’t text me something adoringly sweet this morning, so I’ve been grumpy all day.

  (12:15) You’re lucky I’m on lunch break right now.

  (12:18) So? Are we going to?

  (12:24) I mean I get that it’s scary, and I’m shitting myself just typing this out.

  (12:27) Sorry, this was a bad idea.

  (12:32) Cavan, calm down for a moment.

  (12:38) I’m more than anxious to meet you too. However, you want to meet. If you want to just stay friends, then that’s perfectly fine. I’m not about to put any pressure on you for anything.

  (12:46) If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can have control of arranging the first time.

  (12:49) You mean like … I get to decide where we meet? What we do? Where we go?

  (12:53) If you’d like. If it makes you feel more comfortable.

  (12:57) That means a lot, Lucas. Thank you.

  (12:59) Anytime Cavan.

  (13:02) I’m literally standing outside my classroom tapping this out to you. Wanted to say a proper goodbye for the afternoon.

  (13:05) Go inside you bad man! Go and teach the younglings!

  (13:09) This lot are Year 11’s. M
ajority of them are 16 years old.

  (13:11) Try not to kill anyone.

  ~

  To Eleanor:

  (17:09) Cavan said he wants to meet up with me sometime soon.

  (17:13) OMG THAT’S AMAZING!

  (17:16) What are you going to wear?

  (17:20) Can we take a moment to realise the gravity of this situation? He’s agreeing to meet a man that’s almost twice his age.

  (17:22) Lucas you’re 34. That’s not ‘twice his age’.

  (17:26) Either way. I told him he could take control of the details of meeting up.

  (17:27) Why?

  (17:29) I guess in case he wanted to back-out at the last minute? This way all I have to do is show up and hope he doesn’t run without saying a word.

  (17:32) He’s not going to run Lucas. He likes you.

  (17:35) Even so. I’m just trying not to get my hopes up. I told him if he wants to just remain friends then that’s okay.

  (17:38) LUCAS! Stop denying yourself happiness for two goddamn seconds!

  (17:40) You like this guy. You’re allowed to want more.

  (17:45) I’m not telling you for advice, Frizz-face. I’m just keeping you updated.

  (17:48) Whatever you say Cappy-tain! ;)

  (17:51) Go jump in the ocean.

  (17:53) SPOIL SPORT!

  Chapter 8

  Saturday AM

  (10:23) So I’ve been thinking about us meeting up and I think we should definitely do it sometime soon.

  (10:27) I’m free every weekend, or if you’d prefer more wiggle room there’s a half-term holiday the week after next.

  (10:30) That could work.

  (10:34) Although there are still some things we don’t really know about one another.

  (10:38) Yes, but that’s what meeting up is for, right?

  (10:41) Yeees but … Sorry, I’m just nervous. I don’t want either one of us to feel awkward.

  (10:44) Let’s start simple. Where do you live?

  (10:47) I’m in London. You?

  (10:50) Hayes. So I’m not that far from you.

  (10:53) About an hour, right?

  (10:55) Precisely. Nice and easy.

  (10:57) I’d happily come and meet you in London if that makes you feel better?

  (11:03) Okay how early do you want to meet?

  (11:05) Cavan, I’m a teacher. I’m up at 6AM every day.

  (11:09) Okay, so how about we meet for 11AM next Tuesday?

  (11:12) Why Tuesday?

  (11:14) No lectures that day.

  (11:17) Okay so central London, next Tuesday at 11? Where are we going to meet?

  (11:20) We could just meet up outside Charing Cross station?

  (11:24) Sounds simple enough. Did you have any ideas of what you wanted to do?

  (11:26) Or does it depend on how ‘hideous’ you think I am?

  (11:30) Lucas, there’s no way you can be hideous at this point.

  (11:31) Oh?

  (11:34) You’re a hot, rebel teacher who smokes ;)

  (11:37) I was sort of thinking about just winging it.

  (11:42) You don’t have any idea of where you’d want to go? Or what to do?

  (11:45) Lucas, this is new and scary. I don’t really know how I’m going to react after I see you for the first time.

  (11:48) I understand. This is why I’m letting you plan this out.

  (11:55) Okay so … you’d be okay with me planning something?

  (11:59) Of course, kid.

  (12:03) Okay! Let’s hope Google can spit out something useful!

  ~

  (13:45) Do you know how to cook?

  (13:49) No Cavan. I made it all the way to 34 without knowing how to cook.

  (13:52) Woah what’s with the snappy tone? Did I annoy you or something?

  (13:54) You know, more than usual?

  (13:59) No, sorry. Just trying to explain to these morons why they can’t join me next Tuesday.

  (14:03) And that makes you angry? Why?

  (14:08) More frustrated than anything.

  (14:10) Is this a bad time? Do you want me to leave you to deal with them?

  (14:15) Please.

  (14:17) Buzz me later if you wanna chat.

  (14:20) Will do.

  Sunday AM

  (00:34) Once upon a time in Ancient China there was a goddess named Chih-nii who was renowned throughout the land for creating the most stunning gowns of brocade and clouds.

  (00:39) For her work, her father married her off to a mortal man on earth, who herded cows.

  (00:43) However, Chih-nii fell so deeply in love with her mortal husband that she soon forgot all about making intricate gowns and instead settled for a simple life with the man she loved.

  (00:51) Her father was so enraged that she would waste herself away, that he cast the lovers apart.

  (00:55) Mmmm you woke me up …