One-Shot Book (a side of... extra)

Message Failed to Send | One-Sided Danvis Angst

Today

╭─────────╮
   hey dude! hope ur
                                         ok! ily and miss you 🥺
                                       ╰─────────╯

Dante painfully sighed and hid his phone under his pillow. Maybe if he sighed long enough the sinking feeling would leave his chest. That's how it's been for the whole summer. He'd message Travis and get nothing in return. At first, he didn't have a single worry. His best friend was safe and sound with fluctuating service, but his messages always reached him. Travis was always quick to reply, he's been that way since he first got a phone in high school.

A little 'flump' noise filled Dante's ears as he fell back into his pillow. Another sigh came from Dante as he realized the routine he was falling into...again. Dejectedly, Dante held his phone to his face. He opened his messaging app. A dreary smile pulled at the corners of his face. 'Travilicious 😘' was the contact name Travis gave himself in Dante's phone. After seven years, Dante has no intention of changing it. It was hilarious to see the name pop up when he got a call or text from him. The explanation Travis gave the screen name was even worse.

"It's a mix between Travis and delicious," he told him, giving Dante back his phone from captivity. He crossed his arms with a very triumphant face. "Genius, right?"

"Oh god, seriously?" Dante raised a suspecting brow. "It's got nothing to do with the song 'Fergalicious'?"

Travis' demeanor turned huffy, then dropped. He groaned and nodded. "I didn't think you'd catch on."

"You calling me dumb? I'm older than you, who wouldn't know about Fergalicious?"

"You're only a year older, shut it!"

Dante's smile at the fond memory gave way when he started scrolling through the past messages. The scrolling always stopped at the right place.

                        Sᴀᴛ, Jᴜɴ 17, 7:54 AM

╭─────────╮
  𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 😘
  im going on a plane!!
  big metal bird is gonna
  take me away!!
╰─────────╯

                                       ╭─────────╮
                                          nooo.. be safe bro 🥺
                                          txt me when u land!
                                       ╰─────────╯

╭────────────╮
  𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 😘
  aww are you gonna miss
  wittle ol me? dont cry dantay
╰────────────╯

                                       ╭─────────╮
                                         im not crying go get
                                       on the plane! love
                       you bro
                                       ╰─────────╯

╭───────╮
  𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 😘
  I love me too ;)
╰───────╯

If anyone were to look at Dante's face, they wouldn't know what he was feeling in this moment. They wouldn't know about the fluttering in his stomach. No, they'd think he ate a Littmus Lozenge*, a strawberry and root beer candy with a secret ingredient: melancholy. Dante didn't understand how something sweet could be so sad. He scrolled down from where he was. The play button on a video tempted him to push it.