Phantom Texts

One

August fourteenth.
I remember the day well. It was my one year anniversary with my boyfriend, and he had broke up with me over our anniversary dinner.
Charming, right?
I was so mad I told the waiter to put all the remaining food-not just mine, his, too-into takeout boxes and I took it all home and left him with the bill. It wasn't so much that I was upset that he broke up with me (because honestly I wasn't feeling anything anymore, but it seemed like he was and I didn't want to hurt him), I was just upset about the way he did it, and the fact that he was my first real boyfriend. I would've tried to work something out with him, but he said he "still had feelings for me, but didn't know how it was going to work with him going to college and me taking a leap year". I needed a year to get things stable, alright? I wanted a year to live on my own, learn exactly what I need to do, and maybe even just take a road trip. Well, the road trip was supposed to be with him, but things change.
I took off my small amount of makeup, washed my face, let my hair down, and then decided I just wanted to lay in bed for the rest of the day and watch Netflix or something. The air was hot in my little house, so I opened the windows, turned all the ceiling fans on, threw on a black tank top and some shorts, and laid on top of my covers. I checked my watch and realized it was only 7:00. What does a nineteen year old single girl do at 7:00 at night on a Saturday night?
Well, I can tell you what she does. She grabs her phone, puts on some good ol' Fall Out Boy, and reads her old journal. I kept a little cardboard box under my bed full of stuff from my earlier times. I liked to remember. I had random doodles in a Taylor Swift notebook from when I was 8; a copy of The Lightning Thief from when I was obsessed with Percy Jackson in middle school; a journal that I kept from when I was 14-16; and some to her random stuff. I pulled it out to see my ok'd danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil shirt right on top, as well as my Official Fandom Member bracelet. I smiled at them and got warm feelings of the two needs I used to be obsessed with. Dan with his jokes and memes and Phil with his sweetness and smiles-it just made me happy to remember. I didn't watch them as much now. I'd watch their videos occasionally here and there, but nothing like it used to be. I missed how it used to be with them. It felt special. It felt like they were taking right to me and not to an emotionless camera. I hugged the shirt and put on the bracelet for old times' sake, then got on my phone to find something to mess around with. I was on my phone for a while looking at all the people I used to go to school with-some were getting engaged, some were getting new jobs, some had went on a first date with someone and some had reached the next level of Candy Crush (why was that game still popular?)-when my phone buzzed and notified me that I had a text message from a number that wasn't in my contacts.
It read:
"Hey guys! I started this group chat so we could think of an idea for a new video! :)"
I opened the message, and sure enough there were two unknown numbers in the chat. The second number responded:
"Tbh as long as I get to smash a pie in your face I'm game"
I laughed a little to myself. These two sounded funny. The first number texted again:
"What do you think Cat?"
Oops. I guess that was supposed to me and they had a wrong number. I guessed I should reply.
I replied with:
"Uh, this isn't Cat...but if you want my opinion on something I'd be happy to help. I have nothing to do and I used to watch videos on YouTube a lot."
A few minutes passed, and they didn't reply, which made me kind of upset because I was hoping they'd let me help. I needed someone new to talk to, especially after losing my boyfriend. Finally, after about three minutes, I got a response from the first number:
"Yeah, that'd be great if you don't mind! Sorry we got the wrong number. Our friend got a new phone and I think I copied it down wrong. Silly me."
I replied:
"Yeah it's not a problem!"
Second number:
"Okay so I really want to smash a pie in someone's face. How do we get to pie smashing, though?"
First number:
"Idk, what about a challenge of some sort?"
Me:
"Depends on what kind. It's got to be fun and funny, but something that your fans can do at home, too."
Second:
"Yeah I agree."
First:
"Me too."
Me:
"And maybe do it for charity or something, but make sure people know what it's for. A lot of people didn't know what the ALS ice bucket challenge was about, but they did it anyway for an excuse to show off their bikinis (for the girls, anyway). And No Shave November is actually for prostate cancer, but everyone focuses on October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month."
Second:
"Wait November really is prostate cancer awareness month?"
Me:
"My point exactly."
First:
"Yeah, I see what you mean. We'll have to think of something..."
But what? What hasn't already been done?
Then it came to me.
My freshman year in high school, there was a girl on the color guard that had hearing aids. She didn't advertise it or draw attention to herself for it, and the only reason I knew was because I sat behind her in concert band and every once in a while these little red lights would blink on the back of her hearing aids so you knew they were working. I loved the way she didn't draw attention to it and she kept on going like anyone else. It was kind of inspiring.
Me:
"What if you did a challenge where the one person's wearing some kind of sound proof headphones or stick cotton balls in their ears, and then had to try and read the other person's lips. Whoever gets more sentences correct wins. It'd be raising awareness for deaf people and making people understand how hard it is for them to hear and/or read their lips."
First:
"That's brilliant! :)"
Second:
"Yeah, I'm down for that! And we could see if someone could sponsor us so every like on the video is a 1 pound donation for a charity."
Me:
"Yeah, that sounds great! I'll totally watch that & like it! :)"
Second:
"Yeah, I'm kind of glad we texted your number on accident now. You had a really great idea! Thank you!"
First:
"Yeah, speaking of which, I don't think we got your name? We'd like to give you credit for the idea since it was yours after all!"
Me:
"Oh, my name's Sylvia Derwin and my YouTube is awkwardragon. What's your names? I'll be sure to subscribe to you!"
First:
"Well thank you Sylvia! We'll be sure to give you credit! My name is Phil Lester, and my YouTube is AmazingPhil!"
Wait, AmazingPhil? Phil Lester?
The Phil Lester? AmazingPhil Phil Lester? There was no way I'd just had a conversation with Phil Lester. Someone  had to be pulling my leg. I was just about to point this out when the other number texted back:
"And I'm Dan Howell, aka danisnotonfire on YouTube."
Dan Howell?
Dan Howell?
There was just no way I'd had a conversation with both Daniel James Howell-my celebrity crush for years- and Philip Michael Lester-my literal sunshine-it was just impossible. I was never a lucky person and nothing this interesting had ever happened to me. This was just impossible.
Me:
"Wait, are you two being serious...? You're really Dan Howell and Phil Lester?"
Dan:
"Nope not at all. We're secretly aliens who want to eat your brain through the tele."
He said tele. Not 'cell phone', but 'tele'. Whoever this was was pretty smart on their British dialect. Not only that, but his sarcasm was like Dan's, too. It almost made me wonder if it was really them, but I knew not to get my hopes up.
Phil:
"Oh, he's being dramatic, as usual. :P Although zombies are the ones that are known to eat brains. Aliens like to leave weird markings in crops."
Dan:
"Crop circles. You mean crop circles."
Phil:
"Yeah! Those things!"
Dan:
".-."
I giggled a little to myself. These two really were portraying a good Dan and Phil act. I was obsessed with them for years. I watched all their videos and live shows, I had merchandise (which was in the box under my bed currently), and I used to write these little stories about me meeting them or them just being their usual goofy selves (but fanfiction is so unrealistic and tacky; I'd never read that stuff now.) I just smiled to myself a little...even if it wasn't them, I could still pretend it was.
Wait, I thought, if those really was them, then maybe they'd remember me...
When I was still obsessed with them, I had mailed them a board game that I had made for them. Maybe, just maybe, they'd remember...and I could tell if it really was them.
Me:
"Hey, I don't mean to be a bother, but I sent you guys something a few years back, and I was just wondering if you remembered what it was..."
Dan:
"No offense, but we get thousands of things from fans. Could you be a bit more specific?"
Me:
"Yeah, sorry. It was super glittery and you could play it...I'm just trying to make sure it's really you guys, you know? Not that I don't trust you, but everyone tries to be celebrities."
Dan:
"Well, that helps a lot .-."
Yeah, I know, Dan. Sorry.
Phil:
"Wait, was it on poster board and handmade, by chance?"
My heart fluttered.
Me:
"Yeah, it was!"
Dan:
"Ohhhhh yeah!! I remember now! It was a board game! I remembered that one well because it was the first one we'd ever received and it lost its glitter everywhere every time we played it! xD"
Wait, they actually...played it? Wow, I didn't actually think they would...
I smiled even bigger. They actually played it. And by the way Dan was explaining it, they played it more than once.
Phil:
"Oh yeah! I remember that! I got mad because PJ always beat me whenever he played as me. You made that, Sylvia?"
Me:
"Yeah, I did. I had my hopes up for weeks that you guys had played it, and now I'm content in knowing that you did :)"
Dan:
"Well, rest assured that it has been played by Dan, Phil, PJ, Cat, and Louise."
I smiled even bigger. Dan and Phil were having a text conversation with me and they played my board game with other YouTubers! My younger self was exploding with joy. Well, my current self was, too.
I looked over at my clock which read 5:00 AM, and suddenly I realized how tired I actually was.
Me:
"Well, I'm going to head off to bed. It's 5AM here. Talk to you guys later maybe?"
Dan:
"You can count on it. We'll need some more ideas."
Phil:
"Yeah, and we'll have to talk about that board game too! :P"
I shut off my phone and went to sleep, smiling warmly on the inside and out.