11:02AM
“Wes?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm tired.”
“Well go to sleep, man. You've been up for hours.”
“Days, actually.”
“Fine, then. Days. So go to sleep.”
“How come you never have to go to sleep?”
“I'm kind of used to being awake at weird times of the day.”
“Is that why you always called?”
“Well sor-ry for disturbing your sleep.”
“I didn't mean it that way.”
“Didn't you?”
“...'Msorry.”
“What for?”
“...”
“We don't have to talk about this you know. Go to sleep.”
“I can't. I want to, but I'm scared I won't wake up.”
“You'll wake up, man. I need you to, so you will.”
“What makes you think I'll wake up just because of that?”
“I dunno, I guess you've just always been the stronger one between the two of us. I believe in you. You'll wake up, because you won't let anything keep you from doing so.”
“I'm not sure things work that way. When people decide to sleep forever, they just do. They don't just magically wake up.”
“You'll wake up. You will. Because you won't leave me behind.”
“Hahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...”
“That must be the saddest laugh I have ever head.”
“It's just that my thoughts have this annoying tendency to be a bitch and bring up the irony in everything at the worst moments.”
“Look, Gil, I'm trying to help you, okay? But you also gotta start helping yourself.”
“That's what the doctors said.”
“And they're right.”
“But how do I do that?”
“Well you can start by putting the phone down.”
“...No.”
“I know you'll miss me, man, but you gotta go sleep.”
“Do you promise you'll answer when I wake up and call again?”
“I promise.”
“...Good morning, Wes.”
“Good morning, Gil.”
“...”
“...”
“Liar. You fucking liar.”
YOU ARE READING
Ante Meridiem
Teen FictionA dialogue short story about the things we wake up to that remind us there are still things in this life worth waking up for. ante meridiem - [adv. & adj.] "before noon;" Abbr: A.M. Or a.m. [credit to owner of image (not me)]
