Seven Thirty

chapter one

     Josie brushed out the last section of her hair and sighed. The past week has gone by slower than it usually does. It was also raining a lot more. California never rained in the summer, this was new to her.

     So were a lot of other things. Her brother left for college a week before school ended. Her brother was always there for her. It's always quiet without him around. He calls every now and then, asking how she is and telling crazy college stories. Always bragging about the parties and complaining about the hard work.

     Her father recently got a new job. He was on business trips every weekend, and always worked late on the weekdays. He would leave notes on the refrigerator, reminding her to go get some milk and how there are either leftovers or frozen meals for her dinner. And sometimes how he misses spending time with her.

     When she was younger, her mother was sent to a mental institution. Josie had always wanted to see her, but the doctors would tell her she was not allowed because her mother was in critical condition. She didn't know any better, but her mother was crazy.

     The hardest adjustment had happened just six months ago, but she still wasn't used to it. Her best friend, Walker, went missing, and she always blamed herself. She always beat herself up over something she knew she couldn't stop. She had convinced everyone she was the reason he went missing and how she did nothing to stop it.

She lost her other friends. She lost her good grades and positive attitude. She lost all respect she ever had. She lost herself.

Everybody now thinks differently about her. 'She's gone mad,' everyone would say as she walked past them. She would receive confused looks and dirty glares.

She pulled her sweatshirt over her head and put on her knee-length pajama shirt. She removed the necklace Walker gave her for Valentines day. She would always complain to him about how she never had a Valentine, and he fulfilled that position for her before he went missing.

It had a small heart on it, about the size of her pinkie nail. It was outlined with purple specks of diamonds. Of course she knew they were fake, but she never let him know.

After laying down and covering herself in blankets, her phone went off. She opened her eyes and turned over to take her phone off the night stand. She squinted her eyes at the brightness of her phone and slid it open.

She clicked on the message and didn't recognize the number. What confused her more was the message that was sent.

7:30
Unknown:
I love you.

She furrowed her eyebrows together and typed.

Josie
Who is this?

Her phone showed that the person read it. She waited a few minutes to see if she would get another text back. After waiting for a response and not getting one, she finally set her phone back down and closed her eyes as a state of sleep took over her body.

can't wait for this story and for this collab account to take off! be sure to vote and comment, and also to follow our main accounts!

-kals