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Subject: Hey!

From: Elliot Rowe

Date: Sat, May 24 at 4:45 PM

To: Madeline Whittaker

hiiiiiii,

feeling slightly human again. thank god I quarantined myself and limited the number of people I potentially got sick to the Thai delivery guy (don't worry I tipped extra). What are you up to tonight?

 

Subject: Re: Hey!

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:06 PM

To: Elliot Rowe

Glad you're back in fighting form. What am I doing tonight? Umm . . . something fun with you? We can do whatever but also maybe meet up with Emily and some of my friends at some point?

Madeline

 

Subject: Re: Hey!

From: Elliot Rowe

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:15 PM

To: Madeline Whittaker

Sounds good. Don't think Imma be staying out too late tonight, but maybe something low-key like drinks and a movie? Can check what's playing and get back to ya.

Maybe can meet up with Emily and friends after, or leave you chicks to it . . .

 

Subject: Re: Hey!

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:24 PM

To: Elliot Rowe

“Chicks.” We don't speak in clucks and leave feathers everywhere.

Anyway, don't want to drag you out of the house if you're still sick. Especially out of the house and into a public movie theater (you've seen “Outbreak,” yeah?). So whatever is fine w/ me.

 

 

 

--------Forwarded Message-------

Subject: Re: Hey!

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:06 PM

To: Elliot Rowe

Glad you're back in fighting form. What am I doing tonight? Umm . . .

 

Subject: Hey!

From: Elliot Rowe

Date: Sat, May 24 at 4:45 PM

To: Madeline Whittaker

hiiiiiiii,

feeling slightly human again. thank god I quarantined myself . . .

 

Subject: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:29 PM

To: Emily Roberts

Note the “hiiiiii.” So. Many. Vowels.

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Emily Roberts

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:40 PM

To: Madeline Whittaker

Aww, see? Everything's fine. He's a human! Humans need rest.

See you both soon. I guess.

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:52 PM

To: Emily Roberts

I know. I just feel weirdly vulnerable all of a sudden. Case in point: He says he'll look up show times for a movie and it's as if he just sent me flowers.

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Emily Roberts

Date: Sat, May 24 at 5:59 PM

To: Madeline Whittaker

Madeline, you are the biggest book geek I know. Are you really getting this bent out of shape over someone who unironically employs the phrase “Imma be”? I know, I know, Elliot is soooo funny and sooo smart and has street sense coming out his ears. But you know what's on the street? The Strand. Go read a book, dude.

Sorry, I'm PMSing, hate everyone today and come bearing an emotional wiffle ball bat.

xo

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sat, May 24 at 6:15 PM

To: Emily Roberts

A) I love you. B) Imma c u l8r.

 

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Emily Roberts

Date: Sun, May 25 at 10:04 AM

To: Madeline Whittaker

How are you doing? Sorry we didn't meet up last night. All good with Elliot, though? x

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Madeline Whittaker

Date: Sun, May 25 at 10:15 AM

To: Emily Roberts

Morning,

I am good. I'm fine. More importantly: How are you?

Oh hey, guess what? Turns out Elliot will be away in a couple of weeks. For work, you ask? For a funeral? For a frontal lobotomy? Nope: for a wedding on a sprawling romantic goat farm in Vermont. One of his bffs from college. Never even occurred to him to invite me. He just announced it like you might announce a dentist appt.

To play devil's advocate: it's a wedding. Kind of unfair to ask people who you've never even met to pay an extra hundred bucks to cover their old pal's new girlfriend. Still . . .

 

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Hey!]

From: Emily Roberts

Date: Sun, May 25 at 10:45 AM

To: Madeline Whittaker

I'm sure that's it. Believe me, there's plenty of things I think you should take personally. But this isn't one of them.

And I am good! A 3rd-grader threw up on my shoes this week. x