Texts From Him || Timothée Chalamet

3

—
Winnie pondered over the information she had. A name starting with T, born in New York, male. She ruled out two of the top possibilities—both she was fairly certain were born out of state.

She was sat at her desk, staring at the pile of paperwork that had been dumped on her desk before she'd arrived. Figuring there were no more advancements to be made about the unknown texter, she started on the work.

Winnie felt particularly numb today. Perhaps she hadn't slept enough. But she'd slept well.

While mindlessly revising the contracts before her, she realised she'd been in an eat-sleep-work-repeat cycle. Numb. And only hyperaware of the fact now, now that she'd been jolted from the cycle. In a way, she felt more herself than she had in a while, despite her downing mood.

On the bus ride home she opened her phone. He hadn't texted her today and she found herself feeling sad because of it. Winnie dismissed the emotion. She'd been overly sensitive today—usually something small like this wouldn't affect her.
—

Winnie:
Busy day?

Unknown number:
Somewhat. Did you miss me?

Winnie:
No.

Unknown number:
I missed your cheeriness :p

Winnie:
Haha there's not much of it for you to miss.

Unknown number:
Why are you sad?

—
The question is deep and direct.

A rush of suppressed emotion breezed through Winnie. There were many answers to his query, none of which she felt like sharing with a stranger. She dwelled a little in her thoughts, careful not to disrupt anything too deep. She could answer with partial truth, she could lie.

Winnie went to respond but the bus came to her stop. She excused her thoughts, ditched her phone in her bag, and hopped off the bus.

Later, after the sky had grown dark, Winnie received another text.
—

Unknown number:
Could I interest you in a lighter question?

—
She considered declining out of stubbornness. But she quickly concluded it was probably best to avoid the topic. Especially at this time day, when negative thoughts could trigger a sleepless night. She needed her sleep.
—

Winnie:
Yes please.

Unknown number:
Are you a movie person?

Winnie:
Everyone is a movie person.

Unknown number:
How would you know?

Winnie:
I know everything.

Unknown number:
You don't know who I am.

Winnie:
Except for that then. So are you a movie person?

Unknown number:
Yeah, very much. Watched anything recently?

Winnie:
I've not had the time.

Unknown number:
Watch something. Maybe it'll even cheer you up.

—
Winnie knew it would. But films also had the power of drawing out emotions that she didn't really want to feel.
—

Winnie:
I doubt that. For a move to have a happy ending, there has to be a sad part.

Unknown number:
You're waiting for your sad part to end.