Page 6 of Lonely Hearts Day

“Smack you on the forehead?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He shrugged then laughed. “No, of course not; it really was an accident. No subconscious agenda going on.” He took me by the cheeks and kissed my forehead, right on top of the sticky note. “Better?”

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. “Thanks, Dad.”

I wroteJack from Titanicon a sticky note and reached up to attach it.

He jerked back. “No retaliation.”

“Give me your forehead.”

He took a resigned breath and held still. I gently placed the name right in the center.

“Great, now I feel even worse.”

“I can’t get you back when you’re expecting it.”

He laughed.

“You’ll appreciate this one, by the way” I said, pointing to his forehead. And not just because he had the same name but because when he and I had watched the movie together, Jack had said something like,If he hadn’t been so worried about Rose, he could’ve found a door of his own.

“Am I real or fictional?” he asked.

“Fictional,” I said. “What about me?”

“Real,” he said, a smirk on his face.

I knew that smirk. “Did you write something stupid on mine? Is it someone only you’d know?”

“No, it’s a good one.”

We stared at each other, knowing we couldn’t ask another question without asking someone else first. I could tell we both wanted to break that rule.

Troy walked by and Jack grabbed him by the arm, “Am I a guy?”

“Yes,” Troy said. Then he pointed to his forehead. “Wait, am I a guy?”

“No,” Jack said.

“Good to know,” Troy said.

“What about me?” I asked Troy. His eyes went to my paper and then scrunched in confusion. “A girl?”

“You don’t know?” I asked.

“I don’t know that person.”

Back to Jack I asked, “Is this someoneI’llknow?”

“Yes,” he said. “Very well.”

“Do I know mine?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” I said. We stood, shoulder to shoulder, watching other people scurry around, asking questions about their mystery person.

“Are your parents going out tonight?” I asked.