Belladonna | 18 +

Eighteen | Talks & coffee houses

I hadn't opened Reynolds's text. It's been almost four hours since then and I'm still nervous about opening it.

"Come on B, open it and see what she has to say," Ava urged me as she helped me stick up the shelves on my bare wall.

"I can't, I mean I want to but I'm scared of what she said," I said placing the command strips on the back of the shelf before placing it on the wall.

"And you'll never know until you open it," Ava said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I can't,"

Ava lowered her arms to her side and sighed. "You do know this isn't a form of communicating with her right? We reached out so you could communicate like you wanted to." She pointed out.

"I know it just feels too real now," I shook the feeling away and continued.

"Open the message and talk to her otherwise we did all this for nothing, like absolutely nothing," Ava said sternly.

"Maybe later," I said wearily.

"Birdie, if you don't I'll do it for you. It's been almost five hours since she sent the text." She pointed out.

"And she went all week without talking to me about it. Maybe she can wait a day." I said putting up the last shelf.

"B, I say this with the utmost love in my heart for you," she placed a hand on my shoulder. "If you continue to wait, you're no better than her. And that's petty." She said offering me the hard truth.

I sighed. She was right. At this point, I was no better than her for ignoring me because I was doing the same thing.

And what are the chances she has something good to say about it all—at least I hope? But knowing her she's probably blocked me and brushed it off already like she'd been doing all week.

"What if she just says that there's no need to talk? Again?" I pointed out.

"And what if she says she wants to talk? Then what?" Ava said.

I was quiet for a minute and contemplated even more. I could open it and find out or I could let myself keep wondering.

"Open it B," Ava said noticing my silence.

I sighed and nodded. I reached over and grabbed my phone while I bit down on my thumb relentlessly from how nervous I was.

Kira Reynolds
Hi Aberdeen, I think you're right. Please contact me on this number instead to discuss the matter further.
+1 (101) 234-5678

I stayed there stunned for a moment. She'd actually agreed to talk further? And not just sweep it under the rug like she'd done earlier?

"What now?" I asked Ava who was also looking over my shoulder at the text.

"Text her duh," she said obviously. "She wouldn't have given you a number if she didn't want you to text her," Ava said.

I felt a swirl in my stomach at Ava's words. She was right and the excitement surged through me at the slight thought of talking to her. "I should shouldn't I?" I smiled.

"Yes!" Ava exclaimed. "God, it took you so long to get to this point,"

I rolled my eyes and went to sit on my bed and Ava sat next to me. It took me a minute to decide what to send to her, a simple hi felt too insufficient but a full explanation felt too much.

After a little more debating I thought a simple hi and my name would be enough.

Me
hi, it's Birdie.