Number 50.

Welcome to Anonymous Friends. I am Anonymous Friend 22 and I’ll be your host for the evening. You have been invited here for a chance to meet other people, get to know them, and express yourself in a way you might not otherwise have the chance. Here at Anonymous Friends, we do not share our names or personal information, like phone numbers or e-mail addresses. We are only interested in getting to know each other on a level deeper than first names and being able to help one another through encouraging words and support. So please refrain from using your real name here and refer to your Anonymous Friend Number only. If you have not been given a number yet, please come see me during Socialization and I will happily give you one. Food and drinks are available on the back table, be sure to help yourself, it’s all free. But before we start Socialization, and I know you’re all hungry, I’d like to give some of our new faces a chance to introduce themselves to you. There was a very nice young man who came in earlier tonight who I am very interested in getting to know. You, sir, in the third row. Would you mind coming up to the podium and telling us a bit of who you are and what you’re life is like?

...I don’t have a number.

As you shouldn’t, because after all, this is your first time to Anonymous Friends, am I correct?

Yeah.

Well then, allow me to introduce you. Everyone here at Anonymous Friends, I would like you all to meet Anonymous Friend 50. This is his first time here, so please give him a warm welcome. Fifty, feel free to come up and speak however much you like. Afterwards, we will all enjoy a nice meal. I look forward to having the chance to catch up with each other’s lives in the outside world.

Thanks... I was asked to come here, I'm not sure why. Now, I’ve been asked to talk about myself, I'm not sure why about that either. There isn't much about me that's very interesting. As you can plainly see, I'm not much to look at. At least, that's what I've always been told. People have encouraged me to get a hair cut and spend a little money getting a new wardrobe, but I feel the shaggy brown hair and vintage jacket seem to suit me best.

Excuse me if my voice is a little dry this evening. It's raining out and unless I wear a scarf, the rain always seems to leave my throat feeling a bit parched. I'm weird in that way, I guess.

Anyway... I go to school at Wexton University, about twenty minutes from here. I'm not sure what I want to major in yet and my mom is pushing me to figure that out. Because ever since my dad died, something in her changed and she just hasn't been the same since then. And I have no idea why I'm telling you about my mother.

Could I get a glass of water, maybe? Thanks.

I also work as a waiter at "The Lucky Nine", maybe you've heard of it? I've been working there almost six months now. I don't get paid a lot, but the tips seem to take up the slack. I'm not very good at being overtly friendly, but I try to remember to smile and whenever I do, that seems to make the difference in how much tips I get.

Wow, I'm so nervous right now. I thought coming here would be a little change of pace, perhaps a chance to have a bit of fun. I don't really get out much, you know? Most of the guys in school belong to frats or they're trying to get into a frat and I'm not into that. And the people I work with at "The Lucky Nine" are into stuff I've never been interested in.

Maybe I should explain how I got here... I was in class when I got a call from someone I work with. He said he couldn't make it into work that night and asked if I could cover his shift. Mostly, I didn't want to because I was pretty tired already, but I knew I could use the extra money, so I agreed to go in for him.

That night, I was waiting on this table where a girl was sitting with a group of older people. I figured she was with coworkers because they were all dressed really professionally and the way she behaved around them made me think they definitely weren’t family. I didn’t say anything to her, but I remember making eye contact with her several times throughout the night. That hardly ever happens to me. Girls don’t look at me, and if they do, I can never tell. So when I noticed that she was, it made me nervous and excited and scared, all at once.

Well, I wanted to talk to her because the opportunity had never raised itself in the past. I figured if I ever wanted to start a relationship in my lifetime, I’d better take hold of whatever chance became presented. I’m not a daring guy, I’m not outgoing. The truth about me is that I’m extremely reserved and I enjoy being a private person. Something you might not believe at the moment, as I seem to be pouring out my soul here. But I suppose there is something in all people that longs to be touched or inspired by someone else and I am no exception to that.

Anyway... I’d finally built up the nerve to go ask her out when I saw that everyone at her table was getting ready to leave. Feeling awkward, I stopped halfway to her table and battled with whether or not I should still ask for her number. By the time I’d made my decision, I realized that she and her party had paid and left. I felt like the biggest jerk that ever lived.

I went back to the kitchen to pick up any orders I needed to take out. I was back there with two arm’s full of plates when Jedd, another waiter, came to me with the receipt from that girl’s table. Apparently, before she left, she wrote “46, building 500, Gilman Street, 7pm tomorrow,” and told Jedd to give the receipt to me. Of course, I was thrilled that she would have anything sent to me personally, but the information she gave left me feeling intrigued, which is a hard thing to do. My curiosity is not stricken easily.

The note she gave me lead me here, to building 500 on Gilman Street. Of course, she’s not here this evening, so I’m at a bit of a loss. However, everyone here seems quite nice and I wouldn’t mind eating some free food. So I hope it’s still okay if I stick around and have a drink. And that’s all I really have to say.

Thank you, Fifty. That was wonderful. Everyone here can see you have a beautiful heart and we are all very glad to have you here. And we are grateful to the special girl who shared Anonymous Friends with you. Whoever she is, if you come by her again, please thank her from all of us.

I doubt I will ever see her again, unless she really did mean for me to come here. But if I do, I’ll tell her.

Now that everyone’s stomachs have started eating themselves, I suggest we make our way to the back table and share in some deliciousness! Once again, I remind everyone to refer to each other by their number and if you have any questions, feel free to come to me during Socialization. You are now excused.

Number Fifty, can I speak with you?

Oh... Yeah, that’s fine. Sorry, did I speak too much? I wasn’t sure if I was talking for too long. I don’t usually have that problem.

No, no, you were perfect. I just thought you might be interested in some of the guidelines that Anonymous Friends requires its members to follow.

Oh, okay. I’m not sure if I want to be a member, but I am certainly willing to follow the rules while I’m here.

Wonderful. Firstly, I wanted to say that despite how you arrived here, I am glad you have come.

What do you mean, despite how I got here?

Allow me to explain. You came here under the impression that you may have a romantic interest. Unfortunately, one of the guidelines set in Anonymous Friends is that no Anonymous Friend will become involved intimately (or romantically) with another Anonymous Friend. There is no set rule on how often you come or a requirement that you continue to come here, but since you have a number, you will not date another number.

If she was romantically interested in me, why would she have me come here, knowing that no two Anonymous Friends are allowed to date?

I’m not sure. The woman you talked about was Forty-six and we have not seen her here for many months.

This is very confusing.

I can understand how you must feel. But believe me when I say that we are all very glad you are here and we are very interested in being your Anonymous Friends.

Why do you all go by numbers? I understand wanting to know each other on a deeper level, but no names? I don’t completely understand.

Without names, it is impossible to go into the outside world and discuss the lives of someone you know here. At least, if you do mention something of a number’s life to someone outside Anonymous Friends, they would never know who you are talking about and they could never identify that number on the street. And that is our goal.

Okay. Are there very many rules to Anonymous Friends?

No, there are not. We only ask that you refer to our numbers at all times, refrain from any intimate relationship with another Anonymous Friend, and please do not seek to find an Anonymous Friend outside this building. If you run into another number outside of here, other than a quick glance, you are to act as though they are a stranger. The people you know here are people you only know here. This way, everyone’s privacy is protected, including yours.

You said you haven’t seen her for many months?

Who?

The girl. Number 46. She hasn’t been here?

Not for many months.


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