ok i havw to go now this veronicas friend got to go now bi
from a 415 phone number, Tuesday, November 27, 9:58 PM

hi this is veronicas friend sydney from yesterday remember me lol
from a 415 phone number, Wednesday, November 28, 9:03 PM

leila you rock
from a 415 phone number, Friday, November 30, 7:00 PM

I think Sydney has a little bit of a crush on Leila. How else can you explain these first two texts, that are basically just like, "Hi, it's me. You met me, remember? We have a friend in common. Remember when you met me?" And then the third text, which is a surprisingly adoring comment to send to someone you've known for only three days. Not that I've never texted people to say "you rock," because obviously I have. But usually I've had crushes on them.

where r u gonna b 2day
from a 412 phone number, Friday, November 30, 12:59 PM

Oh, gosh, all over the place, really. Mostly on Friday I was in my cubicle, but occasionally I was in my boss's office, and once or twice I was even in the bathroom. After that, I was in my bedroom, interspersed with my kitchen. So you can see, it's a complicated answer, but really it's sweet of you to care, 412 person.

Whres ava leashes
from an 831 phone number, Wednesday, November 28, 12:35 PM

You named your dog Ava? Isn't that Hebrew for something, like "spring"? No, wait, that's Aviva. And love is Ahava. I don't know what just plain Ava is. Maybe it was supposed to be Hebrew but Leila just forgot some letters.

Congrats to ingrid on her conf last nite sorry i missed it fondly kelly
from a 703 phone number, Saturday, December 1, 4:49 AM

We all had a conference two weeks ago, at my work. My co-worker Leslie helped organize it. She got a bouquet of flowers at the end of it, which I guess shows some gratitude, but not as much gratitude as a TEXT MESSAGE.

FWD:FWD: I Luv u. No matter where life takes us pinkyswear we'll always be tight. Send 2 10 great friends including me or lose 1 2nite
from a 412 phone number, November 26, 9:00 PM

I had no idea that kids nowadays still use pinkyswears. Nor had I realized that "pinkyswear" is one word. The Leila Texts are infinitely enlightening.

I havnt heard the new song. I wish he chose someone else to be cushion. not a big deal dont think i like him just having hard time with feeling rejected
from a 937 phone number, Monday, November 26, 4:24 PM

Long text messages always give me so much fodder for thought. (Yet another reason why I hate the texts that say only "hi." Too short!) This one intrigues me. I don't know what it means to say "I wish he chose someone else to be cushion." Is cushion a mis-type?

When she says she hasn't heard the new song, I wonder if the guy in question is a musician? Did he write a new song? Not about 937 girl?

While I can't claim to understand the context, really, I do like the sentence "not a big deal dont think i like him just having hard time with feeling rejected." Clearly this guy broke up with her, or didn't pay attention to her, or didn't return her phone call, or something, and I think it's a wise woman who can realize: it's not that he broke her heart, don't think she likes him-- she just has a hard time with feeling rejected, that's all.

I'm glad Leila is 937's confidante. I like to think Leilas the world over make excellent confidantes.

Zerbz #2
from a 585 phone number, Monday, November 26, 2:38 PM

This is an incredible text. I have no idea what it means.

What's up? gurl i am so bored
from a 214 phone number, Monday, November 26, 9:16 AM

214 girl, how early do you wake up that you're "so bored" by 9:16 in the morning? I'm telling you, I am easily bored, but at 9:16 I'm generally running into work. Which can be sucky in many regards, but is still not classifiable as boring. I'm generally not bored until 10 AM at the earliest.

Does someomne live bove your garage??
from an 814 phone number, Sunday, November 25, 10:24 PM

I'm wondering why 814 guy was asking this, and I'm hoping that, had this text reached the intended Leila, their conversation would have gone as follows:

814 GUY: "Does someomne live bove your garage??"
LEILA: "no. why?"
814 GUY: "Then WHO WAS BANGING AROUND UP THERE LAST NIGHT??"
LEILA: "oh my god it must have been A GHOST."

Don't you think?

hey baby your watching spongebob right nezt to me

you probaly think im texting winston
from a 215 phone number, Friday, November 23, 3:23 PM

So this one goes as follows...

LEILA: "Who are you texting?"
215 GUY: (teasingly) "You'll see."
LEILA: "Is it Winston?"
215 GUY: (shrugs noncommittally) "Maybe."

(Ten minutes pass. LEILA receives no text messages.)

LEILA: "So, who were you texting, then? Winston?"
215 GUY: (confused) "Uh, I don't know... just shut up and watch SpongeBob."


P.S. This entry was all for Jeremy, by the way, who loves SpongeBob and would totally watch it with a girl named Leila, if this girl named Leila were ever willing to do so.

Can you send those pictures to me?
from a 512 phone number, Friday, November 23, 3:17 PM

Uh, no. No I can't.

Oh, but allow me to mention, off-topic, that I'm writing this post on my BRAND-NEW MACBOOK! It is beautiful. But not cheap. If only I made a living off of the Leila Texts, I could write off this laptop as a business expense.

Happy Thanksgiving!
from a 301 phone number, Thursday, November 22, 9:07 AM

Happy Turkey Day! Have a great day.
from a 917 phone number, Thursday, November 22, 9:09 AM

Happy turkey day
from a 678 phone number, Thursday, November 22, 9:14 AM

Im thankful for our friendship...Happy thanksgiving breeze...have a great day with the fam...and eat lots...smooches...xoxo
from a 562 phone number, Thursday, November 22, 2:59 PM

FWD:Fwd: From: +1706xxxxxxx Msg: Its thanksgiving. Send thus to everyone you are thankful for.
from a 404 phone number, Thursday, November 22, 6:06 PM

Thank you all. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

My dad wont lwt me
from an 814 phone number, Saturday, November 10, 6:39 {M

God, Dad, you don't understand anything!

Hi do u hv spring regist today? lv mum
from a 718 phone number, Monday, November 12, 3:21 PM

I have recently decided to teach my mother to text message. I doubt that she'll be any good at it, but if this other Leila can receive texts signed "lv mum," well, I should be able to, too.

Once u read this DNT BREAK THE CHAIN! Right now think of 1 person u want to be with.. now send 2 10 people and c wat they say.
from a 360 phone number, Tuesday, November 13, 11:37 PM

Since "Leila" is a girl's name, all these chain texts that I receive are from girls, directed to other girls. I've started wondering what sort of chain texts there are for boys. Do boys even do the chain text thing? And, if so, are they like, "Once u read this DNT BREAK THE CHAIN! Right now think of 1 video game u want to win.. now send 2 10 people and c wat happens"? Are there chain texts about fantasy baseball?

I obviously know zero things about boys.

let me know when u have time today
from an 805 phone number, Wednesday, November 14, 12:35 PM

Okay, I will. No... wait. I won't.

Omg it sucks that we have to wake up at like 5 to go to the beta convention
frm a 404 phone number, Wednesday, November 14, 6:05 PM

Don't worry, I've done some research here. 404 is for Atlanta and suburbs, which makes sense, because the Georgia Junior Beta Convention happened in Macon on November 15-16. It's amazing what you can find with a little googling, isn't it?

But that still doesn't tell me what happens at a Beta convention. On their website, the description of the Beta Club is as follows:

"The National Beta Club recognizes, academic achievement, promotes character, develops leadership skills, encourages service involvement, and provides technological advantages to students in grades 5 - 12."

This leaves me wondering, first, why you would want your academic achievement recognized by an organization that puts a comma between "recognizes" and "academic achievement," and, second, what these teenagers actually DO as part of this club. Role-playing games, perhaps? Buzz words confuse me.

Send this message to the ten prettiest girls you know, or you will turn ugly for 7 years. Ur one of mine:,)luv u
from an 805 phone number, Wednesday, November 14, 8:13 PM

I don't want to turn ugly for seven years. I would miss out on all of my 20s, which I think is prime time for being pretty. That said, I also don't want to send this message to the ten prettiest girls I know. I mean, really, what would my friends do if they started receiving texts like this from me? Wouldn't they get VERY creeped out? Particularly because some of the prettiest girls I know are not actually my friends. They're, like, random girls in my office, or friends of friends. Wouldn't it be even WEIRDER if I sent this to, say, some pretty assistant editor whom I've only met like twice?

heits me katrina i dont want to bother u but my hair is almost brown do u think we should do it?
from an 805 phone number, Thursday, November 15, 12:47 PM

Hmm. Okay. I think Leila is some very popular girl in the middle school, and she has a plan for all the cool girls to do something involving their hair (No, I don't know what). Katrina is only marginally popular, and she's having second thoughts about this whole hair-dying plan (whatever the plan may entail). She's asking Leila for reassurance that, no, she really should go through with it. That would explain why Katrina has to identify herself-- "heits me katrina"-- because Leila is SO COOL that she doesn't even bother to learn the phone numbers of those less cool than herself.

I have to say, though, I'm not entirely satisfied with this explanation. "my hair is almost brown"? Meaning it's like a dirty blonde? I don't get it.

Hi its tyler
from a 763 phone number, Wednesday, November 21, 6:40 PM

This conceivably could have been for me, as I vaguely know a Tyler who doesn't have my phone number and who might have wanted to try out the Leila Texts for himself. But really I have no way of knowing. Let this be a reminder to you all: You're welcome to send me a Leila Text, but for goodness' sake, identify it as such or I just won't text you back.