Sorry, I Love You.

3.01

*one week later*

Come home
Please
Please Zoe
I can't sleep. I am physically incapable of it.
Please come home
I need you Zo
Bailey misses you

Don't try to guilt me like that.

She misses you! She keeps drawing you pictures and leaving them in your room! You have to come home! We're your family Zoe!
Zoe please!
I miss you too!
I am dying without you here!
Zoe!!
Come home! Come back to me!

With no response, Teddy dialed Carmen's number as he continued towards his dreadful school at the bottom of the hill. He fixed his hood over his head since his phone against his ear let in an unwanted draft and returned his hand to his hoodie pocket.

"Yeah?" Carmen asked through the phone.

"If Zoe calls you today, I need you to tell me. Better yet, if she calls, call me and then we can do a three-way call. Okay? Don't forget!" Teddy panicked.

"Is she going to call me? Did you talk to her?" Carmen asked, sounding a bit confused and taken aback.

"I told her Bailey misses her and it's the first time she's actually said anything to me so just... if she calls to talk to Bailey or something..." Teddy sighed as he trailed off, rubbing his chest when his heart began to pound so quickly that it hurt.

"I told you to give her time, Teddy. You can't keep blowing up her phone like that. You're going to drive her crazy." Carmen calmly warned. He was always on edge so she didn't want to push him but she had to say something before he ruined any opportunity to talk to her every again.

"I need to talk to her!" Teddy shouted as his feet halted but his heart raced impossibly faster.

Teddy glanced around when he realized how loud his voice seemed so early in the morning. There were a few Hudson students across the street, waiting to cross to get to school. They were staring, scrutinizing him through the dim, grey atmosphere of the morning. Teddy fixed his hood over his head again, trying his best to hide away in his shell as he returned to his phone call.

"Please, Carmen. Just let me know if she calls. I miss her." Teddy begged.

"I know. I know you do." Carmen sighed. "Don't worry. I'll let you know if she calls."

"Thank you." Teddy said before he hung up.

Reflexively, Teddy returned to his messages with Zoe as he crossed the street to get to school. For a week straight, he opened his messages and either stared at them or sent a million of them every chance he got. At this point, it was habitual. Instead of opening social media and wasting his time that way, he scrolled through his messages and even sent some when he couldn't help himself. It didn't matter. Zoe refused to respond.

I'll go to New York myself if you won't talk to me like this.
New York L.A. Japan I don't care
I just need to see you
I need to talk to you and hear your voice
I need to hear you say you love me again

Leave me alone Teddy

Zoe please!
Answer your phone for once and let me hear you say it!
I'll say it a million times just to hear you say it once!
I love you Zoe!
I am in love with you!
I need you!