Love Bytes: Swap, Snoop, Swoon

Nathan

I have never been good with peripheral vision, but I will never regret not looking up from my phone that day.

                                                                                          2 years ago

As I rushed through the crowded streets, attempting to ignore the chaos that unrolled around me, my phone buzzed in my bag. Initially, I ignored it, I was going to be late. It buzzed again, so I looked down, pulled my satchel round to the front of me in attempt to grab my phone without having to stop. I unbuckled the latches on the front and lifted the front covering, expecting to see my phone in the side pocket; I groaned at the lack of the device where I expected to see it. As I reached my hand down into the bag, rustling around, eagerly searching for my buzzing phone, it stopped. Just as I managed to grasp the device, a notification popped up on the screen:

[1 Missed Call – Sahrina]

I rolled my eyes, knowing that when I got to work, she was going to scold me for missing her call, and probably, for being late. I pressed the screen and put the phone to my ear. It rang for a moment before beeping. I looked down at the screen.

[Call Declined]

As I looked back up from my phone, I swerved at the last second to avoid bumping into someone. Annoyed, I opened my messages, expecting to see her writing an angry message to blast me with questions about why I had not answered her call, or why I was not at work yet. This has only happened once before, me being late, I have, never, not picked up her call. Even when she butt-dialed me at 3am one Saturday last year. Last time I was late to work, she threatened me with a warning, telling me I must be on time, and I cannot be 'Dawdling.' I never dawdle. Sahrina has always expected me to be 'perfectly punctual,' her words, not mine, despite her recent rule change. She now expected all staff to be in the building at 7:00am, even though the school day did not start until 9:00am. Her excuse was that she wanted to discuss and plan the day ahead and allow us all to have our lessons planned and know what duty point we were on that day. I press the side button on my phone, turning the screen off, yet keeping it in my hand in case of another call, or a message.

As I reached behind me to re-manoeuvre my bag to my back and put my phone in my back pocket, it buzzed again.
I rolled my eyes, getting more annoyed about my current situation. I was still another 5-minute walk from the bus stop, and the bus was due in 3 minutes. I was hoping that I could speed-walk fast enough that I would catch it just in time, or an elderly woman was taking her time to get off. The next bus I could catch was another 10-minute walk from here, but it was not due for another half an hour. If I missed my bus, Sahrina would really be on my back if I turn up an hour late. I looked down at my phone to see a new notification.

[Outlook – 1 New Email. Open to see more]

Just as I went to click onto the notification, a droplet of rain landed on the screen. Just what I needed. I quickly put my phone into my back pocket and reached back into my satchel to pull out my umbrella; I pushed the button and the canopy of the umbrella shot up and skimmed my nose. I flipped the covering back over my bag and pull my phone back out of my pocket whilst I continued to speed-walk, trying to get to the bus on time.

I clicked on the notification, and when I saw who the email was from, I groaned. The email was from Sahrina.

From: Sahrina Footlow
To: Nathan Cole-Montgomery
Subject: Late enquiry
Dear Nathan Cole-Montgomery,
As you probably already know, you are already half an hour late to work. I hope that you understand, without an extremely significant reason for your lack of punctuality, this event will lead to an official warning, and if this happens to occur again, we will have to consider an official employee discharge. You know that we value you as a member of staff and would not like to even think of making you redundant, however, if you continue to be late to work without reason, it may become a possibility.
If you would like to continue working at Lanely High, then I will be expecting a very apologetic email including your particularly important circumstance that should explain why you are going to be so late.
Yours sincerely,
Sahrina Footlow
Principal of Lanely High
O4M PB6

I began vigorously typing, as much as one can with one hand. Still speed-walking to catch my bus, it was due in a minute, I was a 30s power-walk away. I finished my quick email and re-read it to ensure I had not made any mistakes.

From: Nathan Cole-Montgomery
To: Sahrina Footlow
Subject: My deepest apologies
Dear Sahrina Footlow,
I am incredibly sorry about my tardiness. There is no excuse other than the fact that I had left the house and was halfway there when I realised, I had left my laptop on my desk, so I had to turn back. I am currently about 20 minutes away, and I am scheduled to get there at approximately 7:40.
My sincerest apologies for any inconveniences caused,
Regards,
Nathan Cole-Montgomery
English Faculty Lead
Lanely High

Before I could hit send, I dropped the phone to the ground as a result of me trying to type and walk with my bad peripherals. I looked up at the woman I bumped into and could just about announce "Sorry about that! Are you OK? I would stay to make sure you are all right, but my bus has just pulled into the stop, and I am already late!" She looked at me, shocked as to what even happened. I crouched down retrieved both phones that had fallen, handed her one and rushed off before she could utter a word.

I sprinted to the bus, one arm in the air, one arm trying to pack my wet umbrella back into my bag.