"You and I were fireworks that went off too soon".
A short story based on two boys whose relationship started off with a bang, crackle, pop, but slowly diminished to nothing but a fizzle.
No, don't tell me you're crying. Oh, honey, you don't have to lie.
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Jacob: I'm sorry.
I stared at my phone with my bottom lip pulled between my teeth. I picked up my phone and stared at the screen some more. I'd been waiting months for a text from him.
Me: who is this?
Jacob didn't have to know that though.
Jacob: You know who it is Chresanto, I know you do because you never did like to delete people's numbers.
Me: well maybe I decided to start with you.
Jacob: did you now?
Me: maybe.
Jacob: Listen, I'm sorry I walked away from us.
Me: I don't blame you, I would walk away from a relationship with me too.
Jacob: It wasn't you that made me walk away, it was just... Your depression, I thought I could handle it, I thought I could make you better.
Me: You shouldn't have thought that, you hurt yourself and you hurt me too. You and I should've known better. You thought you could cure me and I let you try.
Jacob: I wish things would have gone better.
I didn't respond, instead I stuffed my face into my pillow and wondered how long it would take for me to smother myself. My phone vibrated and I turned my head to the side, breathing in air that I didn't really want.
Jacob: Can we meet up somewhere one day and talk?
Me: I don't know. I don't really think that's such a great idea, you'd be pretty disappointed to see me.
Jacob: why do you say that?
Me: I haven't gotten any better without you.
Jacob: I haven't been doing that great either, Chresanto. I think about you and I cry a lot, I'm crying right now because it hurts.
Me: You know I always hated it when you lied to me.
I blinked and stared at my phone when it began to vibrate repeatedly, my thumb shakily slid across the screen. I brought the phone up to my ear and nibbled on my bottom lip again.
"I'm not lying to you".
Jacob was right, he wasn't lying to me because, yes, he was actually crying. He was crying because of me.
I hung up the phone because I couldn't stand to hear him in tears over someone as unimportant as myself.
