It all starts in a restroom, a public restroom. At first she’ll ask if a stall is a good spot. As his face turns blood red, at which point, having won, she’ll reveal the ruse. Right I was just playing along, you know to see your reaction, he’ll say. She’ll ask him if he remembers, he’ll say like it was yesterday, making a full recovery from a just a moment earlier. His actions almost always confused her, so why does she ask? Maybe this time will be different? She’s no fool.

Maybe she’ll call him out on it this time. He’s trying to put something into words, he doesn’t fear her, although she is a force to be reckoned with he’ll joke to himself. If only it were love he could explain that even justify it, he wishes it could be that easy. Others have thrown that word around before, surely she’d heard at least some of the chatter and it would come as no shock.

Of the many things he was, a liar was not one of them. She’ll say something to lighten the air, it won’t work but it won’t stop her from saying it. He’ll force a chuckle, might sound a little like a cough, pretending to laugh isn’t breaking my rule, is it? Certainly not, otherwise that’d be confusing.

This A Little Past Hello, or ALPH for short. An audioplay by Stephen Mobilio