A prisoner from Oswald State Correctional Facility is attempting to contact you.
"So impatient," Alonzo says in lieu of a greeting. "Don’t worry, baby, only half an hour to go," or so they say, he thinks, glaring at the back of the bus driver's head.
"Turn around."
"Turn around?" Alonzo gets a sinking feeling in his stomach, laughs it off. "Why, are you behind me?"
"I don’t want to see you."
"Well, I find that a little hard to believe. A ray of sunshine like moi."
"I’m not kidding. Go back home."
Alonzo tuts. "Enrique, sweetheart, comedy is not your strong suit. Stick to what you’re good at."
"What’d I just say?"
"Listen, sugar, even if I wanted to –"
"You’re gonna have to."
"Even if I wanted to," Alonzo repeats, "I’m on this horrible little bus, and I don’t think the rest of the lovely people here would appreciate a U-turn right now. Would you, darling?" he asks a woman beside him, who ignores him. Bitch.
Silence on the line. "You took the bus?"
"My car broke down," Alonzo lies. He’ll tell Enrique about the DWI in person. Maybe.
"Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But you still aren’t coming in."
"Oh, I am. You can’t stop me, Enrique, I’m on the list."
"Not anymore."
"What do you mean, not anymore?" Alonzo snaps. Did something happen? The DWI?
"I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’s best we go our separate ways."
Alonzo scoffs. "Oh, do you now."
"I’m here for another 14 years, at least. And –"
"I know that. You think I forgot?" Alonzo bites his lip, waiting for the tightness in his throat to subside. "I told you I don’t care," he says finally. "I meant it."
"Well, I do. You wanna try and get in anyway, be my guest. Make whatever scene you want, I know you love to."
"Cruelty," Alonzo says. "How cute. It isn’t going to work."
Silence on the line.
"Enrique. I took the bus. You can’t imagine how ugly it is. The smell. I’m going to have to shower for a week."
More silence.
"Don’t do this," he pleads, hating that it's come to this again - more fucking grovelling, begging for the one thing he can never seem to have.
"I’m sorry," is all Enrique says, and Alonzo breathes a sigh of relief.
"Wonderful, darling. I accept your apology. See you in half an hour?" No response, and he can feel the dread return, stronger than ever. "Enrique?"
Silence.