"Hi, you've reached Hector and Connie Traugh. We are unable to take your phone call at the moment, but please leave a message at the tone of the beep."
Beep.
"This is Dew Valley High School, home of the Trojans. Your child, Connor Traugh, was marked absent in his fourth-period class. His absence was unexcused and will result in a-"
Click.
"If you would like to delete this voicemail, press three," Connor mumbles along with the recording, repeating the rest of its monologue.
He presses one to save it. It's the only evidence he has that the last two weeks actually happened because honestly, he's been pretty confused. Has he actually been taking the long way to his classes and eating lunch in the auditorium behind the dusty, blood red curtain of the stage just to avoid seeing them? And did he really make himself late to class because while he was in the bathroom, Toby and Michael walked in and talked about the latest basketball game and girlfriends and things that don't involve him as he hid in the bathroom stall? It all seemed too surreal.
But judging by the fact that the only people that text him now are unknown numbers making random death threats and his mom telling him about how "absolutely wonderful" it is to be on tour for their musical, his life most likely did fall apart four days ago.
And it wouldn't be so bad if this happened before he met her. Being lonely wasn't new to him. He was so lonely all the time that he was practically an expert on it. For crying out loud, he could write a book on the subject: How to be Lonely for Dummies.
However, that was before he met Sabrina. She showed him how to be lonely without feeling lonely. Connor could be alone in his bedroom in complete silence and he wouldn't feel lonely. As long as he had his phone, Sabrina was always a quick phone call away.
But now she was gone, along with Lisa and Toby, and all Connor had were the memories.
He remembers the night of the bonfire after his nap on Friday afternoon.
Sabrina arriving at the party.
Sabrina shaking hands with a girl between the couch and the wall in the living room.
Sabrina smiling at him, hugging him, laughing with him.
Sabrina taking LSD in his bathroom.
"Please don't tell anyone, Connor. I promise this is the last time. It's a party, right? I want to have fun."
Never letting Sabrina out of his sight because she was high and she couldn't control herself and he wouldn't let anything happen to her in this state.
Sitting around the campfire with his friends.
Drinking a little more than he should have because alcohol makes him feel a little less sad.
"Kiss me. I know you've always wanted to, Connor."
"Sabrina, that's crazy. I-"
"Make me forget how shitty reality is."
"...Okay."
YOU ARE READING
The Taste of Yellow Paint Chips
Teen Fiction"No!" She wags her finger in Connor's face, her body tense with an immense amount of anger, "Don't 'Sabrina' me, asshole. This is all your fault! You just had to throw that goddamn party!" In which a friendship between four friends falls apart...
