Message Received

2

"Hello? Demi?" I repeat, feeling a lump form in my throat. I can't hear her speaking, just muffled sobs instead. "Dems, please don't cry. Please just, just say something" I add as my stomach twists. I know she's mad and upset at everything that's happened. I'd have to be a moron to not realize that, but I didn't have any other choice.

"It's really you?" she whispers through the phone, and I find myself nodding my head as I start to cry. I didn't realize how much I missed her voice until now. I know I heard it through the voicemails she left me, but now we're actually talking. I've missed it.

"Yeah Dems, it's me" I finally say after noticing how quiet it is. "Talk to me, please."

"I--I need to be able to see you" she chokes out as I use one hand to wipe the tears from my eyes. "Kal, I need to know it's really you" she whimpers, and I swear I can feel my heart break.

"The signal here isn't great Dems, but I'll FaceTime you okay?" I suggest, immediately regretting it because I don't think I can even handle seeing how distraught she is, if her voice is anything to go by. Plus, I'm sure I look an absolute mess.

"Okay" she replies quietly, still sniffing. "I don't want to hang up" she adds, and I can hear in her voice that she's scared. Scared that she might not talk to me again.

"I don't want to either" I admit before trying to calm myself. I don't want to spend the conversation crying. I don't want her hearing how scared I really am about everything. I need to be strong for the both of us. "How about we talk now and then we can FaceTime? I don't wanna risk losing signal before we even make a plan to see each other.."

"Yeah, yeah okay that's a good idea" she says in a more steady voice before emitting a sigh, I'm hoping of relief. "So, where are you?"

I look at my surroundings: countless trees, mud, a pathetic excuse of a fire, bugs, the list goes on.

"I'm, uh, I'm in the woods."

"The woods?! Kalani, what are you doing in the woods?" she asks me frantically, and I bite my lip with nerves.

"Uh, it's a long story that I'd rather tell you in person. All you need to know right now is that I'm close by, can we meet somewhere?" I say, trying to divert the subject away from how I even got here. Part of me feels like I'll never be ready to say why, but Demi deserves to know. I have to say it face to face.

"I don't even know what to think, oh my god" she mutters, and I can practically hear the gears turning in her head trying to figure everything out. She won't. "Okay, yeah we can meet. But where? Kalani I'm confused, you've been here this whole time?" she adds, and I hear the tone in her voice changing to anger and upset.

"No, I haven't been here the whole time. Demi, I need you to just hold off on the questions for right now, please?" I ask, my voice trembling as I try and fight away the flashbacks. "I can't talk about it over the phone alright?"

"Okay, I'm sorry Kal. I'm sorry, just please don't cry" she pleads, and I take a deep breath to try and calm myself. "Where will we meet?"

Thankful that she's changing the subject, I let out a shaky breath. "Meet me at the little diner just outside of town, you know, the one we always went to after school?"

"Yeah, I know the place. Today?" she asks, and I swear I can hear a little excitement in her voice. I feel it too. Excited, but also nervous. I get to see my best friend again, I just wish the circumstances were different.

"Yeah, today. Drive there, park round the back and I'll meet you there so nobody sees."

"Why can't anyone see?" she asks me, and I stay silent, waiting for her to realize why. She doesn't.