“You have four new messages.”
“First message. January 13th, 2007, 10:57 pm”
“Hey Sam. Mom said you and dad got into a disagreement and you walked out?”
“(Scoff) A disagreement?”
“A-are you okay?”
“…No.”
“I’ll, uh, make sure your window is unlocked. Be careful if you climb in. You can wake me up whenever if you want to talk.”
“Don’t bother. I’m not coming back.”
“Okay well, night.”
“Message end.”
“Message deleted. You have three new messages.”
“First message. January 14th, 2007, 8:45 am.”
“Hey Sam. Did you not come in last night? It didn’t look like you’d been in your room? May have been a good call though, Dad was still pretty mad. I know you’re probably still asleep but call me when you get up, okay?”
“Oh boy.”
Message end.”
Message deleted. You have two new messages.”
“First message. January 15th, 2007, 4:32 pm.”
“What the heck Sam?! Mom said you came and got all your stuff while I was at school? She’s freaking out! Dad came home early from work. This is a little far for one of your dramatic stunts. And why haven’t you called me!?”
“Because you’re going to yell at me and try to talk me out of leaving.”
“You can’t really just runaway like some Ghibli movie!”
“See?”
“(sigh) Look, I know you’re mad, but it was just a fight, right? You and Dad get into it all the time. It’s nothing new, and it was just clothes, you can handle that.”
“It’s not about the clothes! It’s everything!”
“Just please call me before this gets out of hand? Mom and Dad are freaking out. They keep asking me if I’ve heard from you.”
“Another reason not to call you back.”
“I don’t think they believe me when I say I haven’t.”
“Is this going to be another guilt trip? I don’t think I can take another guilt trip.”
“Sam I-”
“Message deleted. You have one new message.”
“First message. January 15th, 2007, 11:58 pm.”
“This isn’t a stunt, is it?”
“No, not this time Alex.”
“I looked around your room. I figured if you only took basics, you might be hiding out a friend’s house for a few days, to, ya know, give Mom and Dad a scare? Maybe get them to ease up on you? But you grabbed the stuff that matters. Mom wouldn’t notice the difference, but I did.”
“Of course, you would.”
“Will you at least let me know where you are? We’re all really worried. Please tell me you’re not staying with that guy? Chris? He’s the worst, okay?”
“Awe, come on, Alex he’s not that bad.”
“I know you’re mad at Mom and Dad but don’t avoid me too.”
“(Sigh)”
“Bye Sam.”
“Message end.”
“Message deleted. You have no new messages.”
“You have one new message.”
“First message. January 20th, 2007, 9:16 pm.”
“Hey. It’s uh, it’s been a week and I still haven’t heard from you.”
“Take a hint kid, I’m not calling you.”
“Mom gives me that look every time I try to tell her that I haven’t talked to you.”
“She wants to use you like some CIA informant.”
“Things have been really tense around here. All the aunts and uncles have been by. I’m trying to stay away from them, but you know how they are. So, yeah, come back and save me from them. You’re supposed to be my wall.”
“They love you; you’ll be fine.”
“Message end.”
“Message deleted. You have no new messages.”
“You have one new message.”
“First message. January 29th, 2007, 10:11 pm.”
“This is gonna suck.”
“Tell me it’s not true.”
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“I can’t believe you! We had a plan!”
“I was never going to last that long.”
“I can’t believe you left without me?!”
“You’re 16! I can’t kidnap you!”
“All you had to do was wait for me to finish school. We were going to move together! They won’t let me go to a collage out of state by myself and if we’d gone together, you could have left on at least speaking terms with our parents! Gosh Sam, what did you even say to Mom?”
“Ah, yeah, probably more than necessary?”
“She’s been on a rampage! When I got home from school half of your room was already packed up. And Florida? Really?”
“Chris has friends here.”
“Of all the places you could go, you wind up in Florida?”
“Look, it wasn’t my first choice, okay?”
“I was counting on you! We’re sisters! We’re supposed to stick together. But for some reason, you are hell bent on destroying our family. Everything is always about you and your drama and your messes! I know you just don’t mesh with Mom and Dad, I get it, but what about me?! I need you too! And now you won’t even answer my calls? Well, well, well fuck you too Sam.”
“Message end. Press one to replay the message. Press two-”
“(sigh)”
“Message deleted. You have no new messages.”
Comments (1)
See all