The Payphone (Camren)

Chapter 1: Camila Picks Up

I would start with a, 'Dear Diary' but why make it cliché and boring when you could make the story of your life so much more interesting?

You know that Payphone on the dead end shady alley that branched off Cameron Street? The typical, red box, English one with an old fashioned payphone inside. Yeah, the one I passed every day that changed my life forever. It's funny how something that used to scare me became such an integral part of my life.

This is my story:

"Kaki, wake up!" Someone yelled in my ear. I got up groggily and reached out with my right hand to swat the person away. It connected with a face but I cringed when I felt something wet and slimy against my palm.

"Ewww!" I exclaimed. "That's so not cool Sofi. You don't lick people!" I opened my eyes in time to see my little sister running out of my bedroom.

"Chancho we have to get to school. You fell asleep writing in that beat up notebook of yours. What do you even write about?" My best friend Dinah asked, intrigued. She tried to grab the notebook, but my half-asleep body still was able to defend it. I shooed her out of my room and ignored her protests while checking my phone. How on earth was I able to sleep through 3 alarms? I never sleep through alarms. Oh... wait that's right. I woke up every time and turned it off and told myself I'd just get another 10 minutes of sleep before I'd actually get ready for the day.

I glanced at my window and my tired eyes immediately regretted it. I had forgot to shut the blinds so I was blinded by the creeping rays of the early sunlight. I grunted and closed my blinds. I would reopen them when I didn't feel like the living dead.

'Sleep deprivation is very powerful.' I quickly scribbled the thought into the back of my 'beat up notebook' as Dinah so nicely put it. My notebook is my baby; it was given to me by someone very important long ago. A loud banging on the door disturbed my thoughts and jarred my body into motion.

"Yeah, yeah just let me take a shower!" I yelled while rushing around, trying to get everything organised.

When I was done, Dinah was super grumpy.

"I never thought you'd actually get out of there on time." Dinah grumbled like usual when I stumbled out my front door. How ironic. "It's so uncharacteristic of you to actually sleep through your alarms."

"I told you," I groaned, "I did not sleep through the alarms, I just-"

"Hey," a new voice interrupted our conversation, "do any of you have-" Dinah and I gave each other a generous amount of eye rolls and ignored the voice. "Wait! Why are you ignoring me?"

"Stop your whining, we're nearly at school and I can't deal with your shit right now." I slapped Shawn the interrupting idiot on the back of his head.

"Well I'm hungry!" He huffed indignantly.

"Why didn't you eat breakfast?" I raised an eyebrow. Shawn just shrugged sheepishly.

"Why can't you just give me food?!" He whined.

"You've asked this question like, a million times Shawn." Dinah scowled. "And, we're at school and our first period is English with my mum, so if you annoy me even more I'll get her to give you a Polybeatdown, okay?"

"I still want food." Shawn sighed.

"You can always ask for food from Louis you know." I smirked.

"What the fuck? Do you have any idea how hard it is to avoid him? He's like a leech..." The rest of the day dragged on forever.

The only thing that kept me going through the day was my notebook. The only real constant in my life.

After school, like usual, I was the first one out the doors. I was nearly bursting with excitement to go home. I awkwardly shuffled around the entrance until Dinah and Shawn appeared.

"Guys, let's go!" I whine, trying to drag their arms but my weak ass couldn't move them even if I tried.

"Look, Mila, we can't go home with you today, you're just going to have to go home by yourself." Shawn sighed. I gave them my best puppy dog pout but Dinah just gave me an unimpressed look while Shawn covered his eyes.

"Look, Chanch we know the Payphone scares you, but don't worry. Just walk past it and listen to your music or whatever. Taylor Swift usually keeps you calm." Dinah shrugged. But I forgot my earphones, I want to say.

"But Cheeeeech!" I whined and pouted even more. Dinah just rolled her eyes and walked back into school. Shawn gave me a sympathetic smile and a quick one-armed hug and followed Dinah.

I was frowning by the time I reached Cameron Street. I kept my head down, and kicked at stones. Suddenly, a shrill ringing echoed around me and out of surprise, I tripped over a particularly large rock. I cursed and got up, facing the Payphone. A feeling of apprehension took over me as I eyed the darkness of the alley, the graffiti filled walls and the bright red Payphone. Dinah always told me that I should face my fears right? Like, when I tried salmon to get over my fear of trying new, strange food. It didn't work but that's not the point.

Why the hell was a typical English, bright red Payphone box doing in an alley in Australia anyway?

It was a normal day, but today... today I felt different. To this day I'll never know what possessed me to actually listen to the Payphone ring. Maybe it was the melancholy. Maybe it was because that day was the anniversary. Whatever the reason for me walking towards Payphone, I know don't regret it; I'll never regret it.

I looked around and saw no one so I tip toed into the dodgy alley feeling like a Spy and giggled out loud. I slapped my hands over my mouth as I neared the still ringing Payphone.

007 Camila Cabello on a mission. She turns 27 degrees to the ri-

My internal monologue was interrupted as my head bashed on the door of the Payphone which opened because of the wind. I clutched my head, groaning and stumbled inside, resting my body on one of the walls and closed the door. The phone was still ringing and I felt like the vibrant red colour of the Payphone box was adding to the terrifying atmosphere of the unknown. But everything is temporary right? And with that, I took my fleeting sense of courage and picked up the phone.

I held my breath and let out a shaky, "Hello?"

<~><~><~>

Yeah, so that was the first chapter. Let me know what you think (feedback would be awesome).