As Jack placed the mini popsicles back in the freezer he noticed another freezer compartment below the one on top of the fridge. He pulled the door towards him to discover a brighter but empty space. Having found nothing of interest, he tried to close the door but found that it had somehow warped and it was too small to slide into the shallow grooves that would form an airtight seal. This wouldn't do; he'd have to call Nealsonic.
"Hello?" said Nealsonic over the phone.
"Hi, Nealsonic," replied Jack. "I'm calling because I tried to open this door, and now it won't close."
Nealsonic sighed in annoyance. "I told Saddy there was no problem."
"I know," said Jack, "I just wanted to make sure it would be okay."
"I already called her and told her it wouldn't leak, air can't get in through those small channels." Jack examined the compartment and found a trapezoidal pattern of tiny tunnels that might funnel warm air into the freezer, but they were blocked by a plastic membrane and so posed no problem. He understood Nealsonic's frustration; Saddy was no doubt fixated on these air channels.
"Yeah, I see the channels - "
"I already told Saddy about it."
"Yeah, Nealsonic, I know, I was - "
"They're blocked up, it can't raise the temperature in the compartment. She KNOWS that." Jack could feel anger creeping into Nealsonic's voice, mounting anger for which Jack might've inadvertently become a catalyst, but he knew it was directed primarily at Saddy and the general situation.
"Nealsonic, listen, I was the one who broke the door, not Saddy."
"Jack, Saddy already know's it not a problem. I ALREADY TOLD HER. I'm so sick of dealing with it, I"m sick of it!" yelled Nealsonic.
There was a brief silence on the line before Jack said, "Bye, Nealsonic." As he clicked off the phone he thought he might've heard Nealsonic say something, but he couldn't make it out. He sat down at the table in the dim kitchen and stared at the broken compartment where Nealsonic was teaching. He heard two loud, angry yells emanate from inside. Jack knew Nealsonic was just venting.
As Jack stared at the compartment, he saw Nealsonic calm down and begin the lesson again. His student, a strangely attractive but cartoonish ceramic girl, sat facing out. Jack's vision began slowly zooming in on her face. Her smile held a coy mixture of contentment and seduction, but it was clear she was putting on a front, that she was upset on the inside. She blinked and continued trying to smile as Jack zoomed in further, her face taut with conflicting emotion. Her brave expression wavered for a moment, and Jack thought he detected a tear glistening in her eye.
