Teenage Helpline

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LEGEND:
Leigh - italics
Colton - bold

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"Hello, this is the Teenage Helpline. Please feel free to confess anything you want. We will always stay by your side and do our best to support you!"

"..."

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Oh, it's you."

"Yeah."

"Uh... what's wrong? You sound... broken."

"[shaky laugh] How can a human sound broken?"

"Like that shaky laugh right there."

"..."

"..."

"... 'Msorry."

"Are you, um, crying?"

"... Just a bad cold."

"You know how to treat a cold, right?"

"Aspirin?"

"Good enough."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Colt?"

"[sniffs] What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Define okay."

"Feeling fine mentally and physically."

"No."

"Um... is there anything I can do for you?"

"Probably not."

"Seriously, are you still okay?"

"Why do you keep asking that? I am not okay!"

"... Spill, then. At least it'll make you feel better."

"[shaky breath] It's just... too much. Too-fucking-much. My mom's gone. My dad's left. My sister is going. She'll soon be gone, too. And... and then there's my girlfriend. Of all the times she could have ditched me, she chose now. She knew I needed her. She had to. But there she was, with who-fucking-ever, sucking each other's faces off, while knowing full well how much it hurt me to watch them. And don't start on how she doesn't mean it. She came to me, with him, hand-in-hand, and just start... just start..."

"Colton, calm down. Breathe. Just..."

"No. Stop it. Don't tell me to breathe. It doesn't do shit. It just fucking hurts. Do you know how painful it is to get a wound from the ones you love? [hoarse laugh] Getting hurt suck enough. But getting hurt by someone who you simply cannot bring yourself to hurt back suck even more. [short pause] And that's why people choose to suicide. That's exactly why. When I was still clueless, I used to think people who'd end their lives just because of heartbreaks were stupid. But it wasn't because of the love. It was because of the emotional conflict afterwards. And that hurts. It hurts like hell, but of course, how could you understand if you haven't experienced it? [breathless laughter and sobs]. They say people who commit suicide are stupid. There's a reason behind that decision. We are all scared of the pain before death. But some are less fazed by it when they are ready to welcome death like a friend. I wish... I wish I could."

"Colton."

"..."

"Colton."

"..."

"Colton."

"WHAT?"

"Sometimes in life you just have to do the things you hate."

"Then I hate life. I don't want life. Fuck my life. Fuc..."

"Stop it. Please [sighs]. You should try to get some sleep. Helps you avoid it for a while."

"How many times have I got to tell you? I can't sleep. [pauses] I've got insomnia."

"Oh. Have you had any treatment?"

"No. It's... I constantly have it, so... it doesn't bother me too much now that, well..."

"You're tired, right?"

"... Yeah?"

"Try clearing your thoughts and lie still. Maybe have some music on like you did the other day. You'll fall asleep eventually."

"Just to wake up to tiredness again?"

"Colton, listen. If you aren't going to take my advice, you aren't going to get any rest. So just shut up, lie down still, close your eyes and clear your head."

"What are you doing then?"

"I'll, uh... would you like me to stay?"

"... Yes, if that doesn't bother you."

" 'K. Goodnight, Colton."

"... Goodnight, Leigh."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Leigh?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm... Just checking."

"Hades, you can't sleep unless you stop talking! I swear by the river Styx I'll be here until you fall asleep, okay?"

"... Okay."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"[whispers] Colt?"

"..."

" 'Night, Hades."

[Click.]