Elliot = Bold
Isabella = Italics
"Damn. I feel like such a coward."
"..."
"Hanging up on you was a really, really cowardly move. Kind of hypocritical, actually, don't you think? I called you up in order to tell you that it was okay to confide in someone and yet, when I tried to confide you, I walked away like the dumb coward I am. I would say I'm sorry, because I am, but not for the reason you're probably thinking."
"..."
"I...I'm not sorry for hanging up on you. That was my decision and I'm not going to apologise for what I felt was right in the moment. I wanted, no, needed to hang up because I'm not mentally ready to confide in someone yet. I thought I was, hence the whole calling up this helpline thing, but I'm not."
"..."
"I'm really not ready. Like...like you said in your voicemail. Forcing ourselves to confess just because we feel that we have to isn't going to work because...because we don't have to confess, Isabella. I'm sorry for making it feel like we did. We can choose to bottle it all up inside and keep our secrets until the day we die. But we don't. Do you..do you know why that is?"
"..."
"I don't. But...I do have a hunch. Maybe it's because we're human. Because...in one way or another, we have to pass the pain on. Because we can't keep it all inside. The pain is too much to bear alone. The pain of others is too much to bear alone. Some people write in diaries to get it out. Some people watch sad movies and read sad books in order to cry and pretend that it's the movie making them sad. To make themselves believe that it's the movie that's making them sad."
"..."
"Some...some people take the pain out on others. They can't bear the pain so they...they inflict it on other people. Some people keep it bottled up inside not realising that...that the bottle can never be securely screwed tight that...it will leak out one way or another whether it be into their pillow at night or...or a slight crack in the voice. But...but the pain always finds it's way out. Because...because I think, humans need to share their pain so that it becomes easier to bear. They need to pass the pain on so that a little part of it can leave them."
"..."
"Not that everyone does this, of course. Some people do keep things bottled up, forcing themselves to take the weight of all their problems. But...I think that's dangerous. I...the pain is too much for a single person to take."
"..."
"I decided to pass on the pain by talking. To you. To this helpline. I...I called you because I wanted to be okay. I...I'd seen my mother. She's a mess. She's inflicted self-harm upon herself three times in the past two months. She blames herself for what happened. And...and I can't help her. I don't know how to. Because I'm not...I'm not okay myself. So I...I decided that I was going to be okay for her, hence why I called up this helpline."
"..."
"You going to reply any time soon?"
"Not until you do what I said in the voicemail. We're taking this backwards, whether you like it or not. It'll be better that way, I promise. So, I'm going to pretend that this conversation never happened. I'm going to pretend that you called the wrong number and I have no idea what you're talking about. From now on, this is a friendship helpline because that's what we really need. Not confidence. A friend."
"You know what, Isabella? I think that's the first time you've spoken to me without stuttering even once."
"I...I don't know where that came from. I...I guess I'm getting a little more comfortable with you."
"How can you be, I don't even know you. I did call the wrong number, remember? Come to think of it, this is rather embarrassing then. Calling up a random person and spilling out my heart and soul. Oh, what am I to do? Woe is me. I'll have to go and cry and contemplate that a complete stranger knows some of my greatest secrets. Oh, woe. Complete and utter woe. My entire life is over."
"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, stranger."
"Well, why don't we change that, then? What is your name, fair lady?"
"Isabella, good sir."
"Ah, there it is, I knew she had a sarcastic streak in her somewhere."
"Good sir, I'm afraid we cannot court until I know your name."
"..."
"Oh for Christ's sake, stop laughing. I'm just testing out this whole sarcastic thing. This is new to me. You're supposed to support me and guide me along the way."
"..."
"And that just made you laugh harder...great. Chivalry really is dead."
"Elliot. My name is Elliot."
"Uh-huh. Totally didn't know that already."
"I'm really regretting introducing you to this whole sarcasm thing."
"..."
"Great, now you're laughing...damn, is my sarcasm really that annoying?"
"Call it a taste of your own medicine, sarcasm boy."
"Sarcasm boy? Sarcasm boy? Really? Isabella, darling, we really need to get you a new set of nicknames."