2024-08-07 “I Asked For It” by Emma

I ASKED FOR IT—I ain’t got words to say how I feel, ‘cause I feel at least two ways at once.

You know me and Merritt ‘cided we had too much going on working out being time shifted, our bosses, an’ starting jobs to try out being romantic with each other. An’ I said it’d feel like we was just givin' in to being pushed together like a cow an’ a bull in a pen.

You pro’aly know ‘bout Merritt going out to dinner with Hannah on account he posted that today. He texted me an’ then called, and he said I oughta read his post even though we said we wasn’t gonna read each other’s posts no more.

Now, I’m sad and mad and I don’t know what. An’ I don’t know why, ‘cept for that part of my brain trying to get me to give in and try an’ make something with Merritt.

Now I listened to Merritt and read what he posted an’ if you asked me, Hannah tricked him into taking her to dinner. That’s not the mad part. Or maybe it is.

S

In 1880, courting wudn’t like it is now. A fella would come ‘round when there wasn’t any work and sit on the porch. Calling on a girl, you see. Maybe they’d go picnic down by the creek to be alone a little.

I never thought what it would be like to court Merritt, and maybe I’m sad about that. And sad he’s on a date, they call it, with Hannah and not me. And mad that I made that idea about cows and bulls in a pen. And why are we even here in the first place?

I said a long time back we was brung here for a reason and put together for a reason, and maybe I should have just stopped there. 

And maybe I’m right about the cows and bulls in a pen, after all, so I’m sad that I’m mad about something that might not be wrong.

So, I don’t know what to do or what to say, and to top it all, I got Addison coming over tomorrow to meet with me and Merritt and Will to tell her was born in 1861 and skipped over 144 years to end up here.

An’ far as I can tell, Merrit’s not home and it’s been over two hours since he was supposed to meet Hannah, so just how long does it take to get a meal ate?

Good thing is, with shower water running over me, you can’t tell I been crying.