Sally’s Phone

Chapter 1. Morning

It is Thursday morning. Sally is in bed. Suddenly – Ring, ring! Her phone is ringing - but where is it?

Sally gets out of bed and looks in her bag. No phone. She looks under the bed. No phone. Then she looks behind the door. There is her phone. Sally picks up her phone and answers it.

‘Hello Sally, it’s Andrew.’

Andrew is Sally’s boyfriend. He has got a lot of money and a beautiful and expensive car.

Andrew, it’s only seven o’clock—’

‘Don’t forget, Sally - we’re meeting Michael tonight. It’s an important evening, because Michael’s my new boss. Wear your blue skirt, Sally, I like that skirt. I must go now. See you at half past six. Bye.’

‘But Andrew... Bye.’

‘I can’t wear the blue skirt,’ Sally thinks. ‘It’s dirty. What can I wear?’

Sally is having breakfast with her mother and her brother Jack.

‘I’m going out tonight,’ Sally tells her mother. ‘Andrew and I are meeting his new boss.’

‘Andrew?’ Jack says. ‘Huh!’

‘Oh be quiet, Jack,’ Sally says. ‘Andrew is very nice to me.’

‘Nice?’ Jack says. ‘Huh! “Sally, I want a sandwich.” “Yes, Andrew.” “Sally, I don’t like your hair.” “No, Andrew, sorry Andrew.” “Sally—”’

But then Sally stands up, and Jack runs out of the room.

Sally gets on the train. There are a lot of people on the train. Most of them are talking on their phones.

‘John? John! Get up and go to work. It’s late!’

‘Have you got my money? I need it today. I must have it today.’

‘Remember - go to the supermarket tonight. Don’t forget!’

And Sally is listening to Andrew.

‘Sally, meet me at six o’clock, not at half past six. OK?’

‘OK Andrew - but my blue skirt — ’

‘I must go, Sally - bye.’

Then the train goes into a tunnel. The people on the train can not talk on their phones. They must talk to the other people on the train.

‘Hello, Max! How are you?’

‘Oh, hello Graham! I’m very well.’

‘Where are you working now, Lucy?’

‘I’m in a new office in Bank Street.’

‘Those are nice shoes, Jane.’

‘Thank you, Mary.’

After three minutes, the train comes out of the tunnel. Everyone talks on their phones again.

‘Hello? John? Are you out of bed now?’

Now Sally is at work. She is talking to her friend Claire, and she tells her about Andrew, Michael, and the blue skirt.

‘It’s OK, Sally,’ Claire says. ‘Let’s go out at lunchtime. We can find a new skirt. You can wear it tonight.’

Later, Claire and Sally are having coffee with Louise. She works with them.

Ring, ring! It is Andrew again.

‘Hi, Sally. Look, meet me at the Bar Bogart, not the Cosmo Bar - OK? The Bar Bogart is nearer. Bye.’

‘Bar Bogart,’ Claire says. ‘Mmm - that’s nice.’

‘Huh!’ Louise says. ‘Forget him, Sally. Who needs men? “Do this, do that, go there, don’t go there.” Huh!’

Chapter 2. Lunchtime

It is one o’clock. Sally and Claire are looking at skirts. ‘Do you like this one, Sally?’ Claire says.

‘Yes, it’s beautiful, but I never wear red.’

‘Do you like red?’ Claire asks.

‘Yes, I do — but Andrew doesn’t.’

‘Well,’ Claire says, ‘it’s a beautiful skirt. You like red. What do you want to do?’

Sally buys the skirt.

Claire goes back to work, but Sally wants a coffee. She goes into a cafe. She buys a coffee and sits down. Then she phones her mother.

‘Hi, Mum. I’ve got a new skirt - it’s beautiful! I want to wear it tonight.’

‘What colour is it?’

‘It’s red.’

‘That’s nice. Red is a good colour for you,’ says her mother.

Next to Sally, Paul is finishing his coffee. He phones his friend and talks to him. Then he stands up. The bag with the red skirt falls on the floor.

‘Oh! I’m sorry,’ Paul says. He puts down his phone and picks up the bag. ‘Here’s your bag.’

‘That’s OK,’ Sally says. ‘Thank you.’ She smiles.

‘What a nice smile!’ Paul thinks.

Paul picks up his phone and goes out of the cafe. Sally finishes her coffee. She picks up her bag and her phone, and goes back to work.

Chapter 3. Afternoon

Paul is in his office.

Ring, ring!

‘What’s that noise?’ Paul thinks. He answers the phone. It is Andrew.

‘Hello, Sally?’

‘It’s not Sally, it’s Paul.’

‘Paul? Paul who? Where’s Sally?’

‘Who’s Sally? There’s no Sally here.’

‘Huh!’

Andrew finishes the call.

Paul wants to phone his mother. He finds ‘Mum’ on the phone, and presses the button.

‘Hello, Mum. It’s Paul.’

‘Paul? Who’s Paul? I’m not Paul’s Mum. I’m Sally’s Mum and Jack’s Mum.’

‘What’s happening?’ Paul thinks.

‘What number is that?’ he asks.

‘It’s 0783 491839.’

‘I’m very sorry,’ Paul says. ‘It’s the wrong number.’ ‘That’s OK,’ Sally’s Mum says. ‘What a nice voice!’ she thinks.

Sally is at work.

Ring, ring!

‘What’s that noise?’ Sally thinks. She answers the phone.

‘Hello, is Paul there?’

‘No, I’m sorry, this — ’

‘Can you give a message to him? This is his sister Katharine. There’s a party at my house tonight. It’s my birthday.’

‘But I —’

‘8 o’clock - OK? Bye.’

Sally talks to Claire and Louise.

‘I’ve got a message for Paul - but who’s Paul? Do you know a Paul, Claire?’ she asks.

‘No. What’s the message?’ Claire asks.

‘It’s his sister Katharine’s birthday, and she’s having a party tonight. Do you think it’s a wrong number?’

‘Yes, I think it is,’ Claire says.

‘Hey, Sally!’ Louise says. ‘Put on your red skirt and go to the party. Forget Andrew!’

Paul talks to a friend at work.

‘This is Sally’s phone — and Sally’s got my phone.’

‘But who is Sally?’

‘I don’t know,’ says Paul.

‘Why don’t you phone her?’

‘What’s my number?’ Paul asks. ‘I don’t know my number.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I never call my number!’

Paul phones his mother.

‘Mum, what’s the number of my phone?’

‘Why do you want your phone number, Paul?’

‘Because Sally’s got my phone.’

‘Who’s Sally?’ his mother asks.

‘I don’t know, but she’s got my phone, and I’ve got her phone.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘I know,’ says Paul. ‘It doesn’t matter. Have you got my number?’

‘Here it is. 0781 644834.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’

Paul phones Sally.

‘Hello, Sally - this is Paul.’

‘Paul - are you Katharine’s brother?’ Sally asks.

‘Yes, that’s right. And I’ve got your phone.’

‘My phone? Oh - wait a minute. The Cafe Cuba at lunchtime? The bag on the floor?’

‘Yes, that’s right. Well, we need to change phones.’

‘OK - where are you now, Paul?’

‘In College Road. I work there.’

‘I work in Manchester Street. Can we meet in Queen’s Square?’ Sally asks.

‘OK. What time do you finish work?’

‘At half past five.’

‘Let’s meet in Queen’s Square at a quarter to six,’ says Paul. ‘Phone me then.’

‘OK, Paul,’ says Sally.

Chapter 4. Evening

It is half past five. Sally puts on her new skirt.

‘Do you like it, Louise?’ she asks.

‘Oh yes. It’s very nice.’

It is twenty to six. Paul arrives in Queen’s Square. He looks for Sally. Is that Sally? He can not remember. He phones Sally.

‘Hello, Sally. It’s Paul. I’m in Queen’s Square.’

‘Hello, Paul. I’m coming.’

Sally’s Phone

There are lots of people in Queen’s Square, and many of them are talking on phones.

Which is Paul? Sally can not remember. She phones Paul.

‘Paul — have you got black hair?’

‘No, I haven’t.’

‘Good!’ Sally thinks.

‘Have you got a book in your hand?’ asks Sally.

‘No, I haven’t.’

‘Good!’ Sally thinks.

Sally’s Phone

Sally can not find Paul.

‘Where are you, Paul?’

‘I’m near the trees.’

Sally goes across the square to the trees.

‘Are you Paul?’ Sally says.

Paul looks at Sally. ‘She’s beautiful!’ he thinks. ‘Yes, I’m Paul.’

‘He’s nice!’ Sally thinks.

‘I’m Sally. So - we meet again.’

‘I’m sorry about your phone, Sally. Here it is.’

‘That’s OK. Here’s your phone, Paul.’

‘Sally - would you like a drink? I want to say sorry.’ ‘OK, but I haven’t got much time.’

Paul looks for a bar.

‘Let’s go to the Blue Moon. We can have a drink there.’

Paul and Sally are at the Blue Moon. Sally sits down at a table. Paul brings their drinks.

‘Here’s your drink, Sally. And I am sorry about your phone.’

‘Forget it, Paul - it doesn’t matter. Oh, I’ve got a message for you. It’s from your sister Katharine.’

‘From Katharine? What is it?’

‘She says that it’s her birthday today, and there’s a party at her house.’

‘Oh no!’ Paul says. ‘I always forget birthdays. What can I do?’

Sally looks across the square. Near the trees a woman is selling flowers.

‘Buy some flowers for your sister, and take them to the party,’ she says to Paul.

‘Of course! That’s the answer. Look, Sally - do you want to come to the party with me? Katharine always has good parties.’

‘Well, I...’ Sally says.

‘Oh, I must tell you,’ Paul says. ‘I’ve got a message for you from Andrew. He says—’

‘It doesn’t matter, Paul,’ says Sally. ‘I don’t want the message. I would like to go to the party with you. But I must do something before we go.’

Sally takes her phone out of her bag and turns it off. In the Bar Bogart, Andrew phones Sally. Sally does not answer. ‘Sally?’ says Andrew. ‘Sally? Answer me!’

Sally and Paul leave the Blue Moon.

‘That’s a nice skirt,’ says Paul. ‘I like red.’

Sally smiles at him.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Morning

Chapter 2. Lunchtime

Chapter 3. Afternoon

Chapter 4. Evening