Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting! by Tommy Greenwald Read Free Book Online Page B

back to her pizza, Charlie Joe and I walked back to our table. “See?” he said. “We make fun of each other all the time. That’s what people do. You’re overreacting. Having a phone is an essential part of the middle school experience.”
    I rolled my eyes, mainly because I knew he liked it when I did. We ate quietly for another minute, then I whispered, “Nareem and I broke up.”
    Charlie Joe dropped his fork. “Huh? When?”
    â€œOver the weekend.”
    â€œThat’s crazy,” Charlie Joe said. “What about the concert? And the backstage passes and meeting Jane?”
    I lowered my voice even further. “I sent Nareem a text that I meant to send to you. It was awful. He forgave me, because he’s an amazing person. But we’re not going out anymore.”
    â€œOh, wow.” Charlie Joe whistled. “Holy moly. Now I get the whole text thing.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m really sorry.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said. “It had to happen. Just not this way.” I pointed at his phone. “So you go ahead and send all the texts you want. I’m taking a break.”
    â€œGot it,” Charlie Joe said. Then, after a second, he asked, “Do you mind if I ask you what was in the text you sent to Nareem that you were supposed to send to me?”
    â€œGo put on a pair of matching socks,” I answered.

 
    19
    HALLWAY CONVERSATION
    I needed to tell two other people about my plan.
    Nareem was first. I found him after lunch, walking to Social Studies alone. I slid up alongside him.
    â€œCan I talk to you for a second?”
    He didn’t look up. “Yes.”
    â€œI wanted you to know something. I am giving up texting. I am giving up all that stuff. It’s horrible. It’s scary. People write things they don’t mean and would never say. I need to change—it took hurting you like this to realize that. I wanted to tell you face-to-face.”
    Nareem nodded. “Good for you. You are following Jane’s advice. Connect.” Then he started walking a little faster, just to get away from me, I think. “I hope you will connect very well with your next boyfriend.”
    I hurried to catch up to him. “Nareem, stop.”
    He stopped.
    â€œThe last thing I would ever want to do was to make you unhappy,” I told him. “You’re seriously the best person I know.”
    â€œIt is not necessarily always a good thing, being such a good person,” Nareem said. “People don’t necessarily want good people as their boyfriends. Perhaps I should try to be a bit less good.”
    â€œNo!”
    He finally looked at me. I suddenly felt embarrassed, and had to turn away.
    â€œSo, is this real?” he asked me. “You are giving up texting?”
    â€œAnd everything else,” I said. “I’m giving up my whole phone for a week.”
    â€œWell, I will be curious to see how it works out,” Nareem said. “There are many times during the day we need our phones for important things, like getting in touch with our parents.”
    I’d already thought of that, before deciding not to think about that. “I’ll figure out another way,” I said.
    â€œWell, good luck.”
    We arrived at his classroom. “Oh, one other thing,” Nareem said. “I think it’s best if we don’t talk to each other for a while.”
    That felt like a punch to the stomach. A punch that I deserved. “Okay,” I said.
    He gave me a sad smile and walked into the room. I started to reach into my backpack to see if anyone had texted me, stopped myself, and went to class.

 
    20
    TO BAND OR NOT TO BAND
    I found Becca at recess, playing basketball with the boys as usual. I watched her play for about five minutes, then waved and got her attention.
    â€œI need to talk to you.”
    She ran by. “Can it wait?” she asked.