(This story coincides with “Great Day For It.”)

“Yes?”

“Hi. Um, I thought the computer lab was closed today, but I wasn’t sure and then I saw you in here.”

“It is, but sort of not for me. Did you need to use one?”

“Yeah! I mean, if I could. It’s an emergency, but not really, ya know?”

“Ok, come on in.”

“Thanks, um...”

“Troy.”

“Troy. I’m Susan. Er ... Sue. I’m not going to get you in trouble if they catch me in here, am I?”

“Oh, no. Brenda at the front desk and I are good friends; that’s why I’m in here. She’ll be ok with it.”

“Ok, cool.”

“So, an emergency, but not really an emergency?”

“Yeah, my phone got shut off. I need to email and Facebook everyone before they start worrying.”

“Oh. Yeah, that qualifies. Tell ya what, let me go clear it with Brenda. I know she’ll be cool with it, but still, I should ask. Be right back.”

...

“Ok, she’s cool with it. She’s gonna lock up for lunch, but says we’re all right in here.”

“Locked in a library with a strange man. My boyfriend wouldn’t like that.”

“Well, if he’s got a problem, he can take it up with my girlfriend. Don’t worry, I’m with someone, I’m not going to creep on you.”

“Heh, ok, good. Just ... tell him that if he shows up, ok?”

“Yeah, all right. Do you think he might?”

“I don’t know ... I don’t think so. He gets ... jealous.”

“Speaking of relationships and phones ... sorry, I’ve gotta take this, she’s hiking in the woods today, could be important. I’ll just step out in the hall a moment ... Hey, Girl. You make it up ok? ... Anything wrong? ... I know that tone. Are you taking her back to the house already? ... Well, there’s someone here too, but I’ve got a feeling she might need help ... Yeah, ‘sunglasses indoors, long sleeves, super-jealous boyfriend, ‘ kind of help. I’ll talk to her ... You’ve said ‘nice’ twice in a row now, that means she says that and you’re using it, keep it up ... Well, if you pick up dinner, get something for four people ... Maybe we can show them how to play ‘How Was Your Day, Hon?’ ... Ok, this might be delicate, so I’m shutting mine off too and going back in there ... Enjoy the woods, Sunflower. I love you ... Hey, get Chinese, bye! Sorry about that.”

“Sunflower?”

“You’d have to know her. I’ve called her that since we were kids.”

“You’ve been together that long?”

“Always. Well, not together like we are now. She really WAS the proverbial ‘girl next door’ and my best friend from the beginning. We went our separate ways for college, then I went home for this past summer and we ... had a long talk about it and realized what was missing from our lives was each other, so when it was time for me to come back for grad school and her to find a big city for her career, she came with me and we just got a house together.”

“Oh, that’s sweet. What does she...”

“Julie. Sorry, we’ve been talking about her and I haven’t even told you her name.”

“Right, Julie. What’s she do?”

“Graphic Design. Got her BA in Fine Arts.”

“And you said you were in grad school? For what ... The ... Far-Reaching Geo-Political Effects of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff?”

“Screen peeker! Yeah, going for my doctorate in Economics. Didn’t say because I figured it’d be boring. Bur, you know, money is what turns the world.”

“Oh, tell me about it! I just got my phone shut off because Chad decided he needed beer money more than I needed a phone.”

“Well, that’s certainly not right. I’m guessing he’s the one flashing his abs in every pic?”

“What?”

“Hey, you looked at my screen first.”

“That’s fair. At least it’s just his abs, and not those pics he sends to other ... sorry, I’ve said too much. You’re just kind of easy to talk to.”

“It’s ok, Susan. I get that a lot. And I’m ok with it. People need to talk sometimes. I’m here to listen. Well, and get this assignment done which, give me a moment ... save and send ... Ok, done. All yours.”

“It’s Sue. And thanks, but ... I’ve said so much already and I don’t even know you.”

“And yet, I feel like I already know Chad. You called yourself Susan before you went with Sue. You used to go by Susan, but he calls you Sue, doesn’t he? ... I thought so. And what’s the other name he calls you? The one he humiliates you with so his friends will think he’s cool?”

“Suzy-Q. Sometimes, Suzy-Ho. Not sure why I’m telling you that.”

“You’re free to talk here, Susan. And he knows you don’t like it, and he keeps doing it, right?”

“Yes. He knows it bothers me.”

“And your feelings don’t matter to him as long as he gets high-fives from his dudebros, do they?”

“Yes. All that matters to him.”

“He’s trying to put you in your place because he’s afraid of you, Susan. That’s why he calls you Sue and those other things. Because a Sue might take his crap, and Suzy-Q and Suzy-Ho are practically made to take his crap. That’s not something a Susan would stand for. Susan is a classic, beautiful name, like Julie. It has history. It has strength. Susan wouldn’t take Chad’s crap, would she?”

“No. Susan wouldn’t take Chad’s crap.”

“I love Julie, and I love showing her every day how much she deserves to be loved. And I know that Susan deserves that kind of love too. Susan deserves to be shown love every day.”

“Yes. Susan deserves to be shown love every day. Troy and Julie show their love for each other every day. Susan deserves no less.