After being told I’m disgusting for a decision I felt was the best to take, I expected that to be the end of us talking.
No more messages, calls, or even random conversations.
Which is why that notification is changing all sorts of expectations and giving me weird ideas.
“Please pick up, I need you”
“Mio?” I answered immediately.
“Hello?” I asked again, with no reply.
I sat there in silence, starting to sweat with anxiousness.
“...My power went out-”
“Eh-?” I sat there in confusion, like she put me in a stun-lock.
“...What?”
“My power went out...” She replied with the same response.
I moved my phone in front of my face, confirming I’m in a call with Mio.
“Okay?... Okay.” Bewildered by the reasoning, surely she thought she called someone else.
“You call me because your power went out? At this time?” I asked, trying to hint to her that I may not be who she assumes I am.
“Yes.” She replied sternly.
“I’m hanging up.” I said, whilst moving my phone away from my ear.
“Please don’t.”
I paused, as that was probably the first time I had ever heard Mio sound genuinely vulnerable.
I sighed loudly, “Where are your friends?”
“Asleep.”
“What about the others?”
“Not answering.”
I sighed again, “And somehow, I became your last resort?”
Silence followed.
“I WAS YOUR LAST CHOICE?!?” I yelled.
“You answered, didn’t you?”
I wanted to argue, but she was right, “Unfortunately.”
I rolled over in bed.
“I hear you shuffling in your sheets.”
“I can hang up now.”
“WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT PLEASE” She yelled, with a desperate tone.
“Ugh... so what exactly do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Just stay on call... and talk.”
I laughed, “...You’re scared of the dark huh?”
“Yes.” She quickly replied, catching me off guard.
“At least you’re honest.” I said, snickering to myself.
“I’m terrified of it.”
I laughed out loud, “A little ghost is going to get you.”
“STOP.”
“Maybe it’s already in your room~”
“REN!”
“Maybe it’s behind you-”
“REN STOP.”
“Don’t turn around-”
“I SWEAR REN I’LL HANG UP”
“That’ll do me a favor, but are you sure you’d want to?”
“I- I don’t want to...” She replied.
I couldn’t help laughing. Hearing her panic was way too funny, especially this late into the night.
“You’re the worst...” She said.
“Yet you called me.”
“Unfortunately.” She said in a slightly pouting tone.
“Stealing my lines now are we?”
A soft giggle echoed through the phone, “It’s deserved hehe!”
The conversation somehow continued from there. We talked about food, movies, music, and weird things we’ve seen online.
Somehow we even ended up arguing over ice cream flavors.
“You can NOT convince me that mint chocolate chip is good, it tastes like toothpaste.”
“Mio maybe you’ve never had good ice cream before.”
“It tastes like mint flavored toothpaste but cold.”
“You have warm toothpaste?”
“IT’S ALWAYS WARM!”
“You’re a weird one Mio, maybe you should get normal toothpaste.”
“Maybe you just like weird tasting things-”
“You seem like you got the taste buds of a raccoon.”
“Raccoons have excellent taste.”
“No they don’t.”
“Have you ever met one?”
“I see them all the time in my work’s trash bins outside.”
“Wait, that's so cool.”
“I sometimes think about bringing one home as a pet.”
“WAIT GIVE ME ONE THEY’RE SO CUTE AND PLUMP.”
“Maybe when I catch another one lurking out back.”
“I’ll name it Rascal... or Tom.”
“Tom is too basic, name it something cool like King Rascal III”
“...”
“Just anything but Tom please...”
“It’s going to be Tom.”
“Then... I’ll name mine Ratatoskr”
“Ugh, so boring”
“HUH”
At some point, I forgot why she called.
Then suddenly-
“Oh!” She yelled.
“What?” I asked.
“My power is back!”
“Time for you to go?” I asked, looking at the time.
“Mhm.” She replied.
“Dang, we called for nearly 2 hours.”
“Mhm.”
I stared at my phone.
“Goodbye.” She said, leaving the call right after.
I looked at our conversation’s log, “What just happened?”
~~~
A couple days passed, then my phone rang again.
I looked at the caller ID.
“Mio.”
I answered, “You ghost me and then call me when you need something huh?”
“Well...” She responded
I could practically hear her smile widening on the other side of the call.
“At least you have a use~”
I looked at the decline button, which seemed much more enticing than ever before.
“One day, I’ll actually hang up and leave you.”
“No you won’t.” She said with a stern voice.
“I might.”
“You won’t-” She replied.
“I absolutely will at this rate.”
“Nope.”
We both paused then giggled over the call.
“So what’s wrong now?” I asked.
“My power went out again.”
I stared at the ceiling, “Are you cursed or something?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“It’s five in the afternoon, go do something while you wait.”
“I know.”
That answer slightly angered me, “The sun is literally still out.”
“I know.” She replied again.
“Then what’s the issue?”
“I couldn’t take a bath...”
I sat up in my bed, “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It’ll be dark later.”
“Then use a flashlight, like the one on your phone...” I said with a flabbergasted tone.
“No.”
“Use a candle or two.”
“No.”
“Mio.”
“No.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, “You are unbelievably stubborn and dramatic, you know that?”
“I’m scared of the dark.”
“Yeah yeah, I know, I forgot you’re a coward.”
“Okay mister depresso.”
“Hey now, that’s different.”
“Not really.”
I clicked my tongue, “Just go take your bath, I got to go to work soon.”
“But what if a ghost gets me?!” She yelled in a panic.
“Then fight it, throw some hands.” I replied.
“What if I lose?”
“Skill issue.”
“REN!”
I laughed again, “If it’s really that much of a problem, just come use my shower next time.”
She didn’t respond.
“...”
“...”
“Oh my~”
Just based off that response, I immediately knew where this was going and regretted my recent offer.
“Mio.”
“Trying to lure a cute girl into your room~?”
“Is the cute girl in the room with us? And that’s not what I said.”
“How shameless~”
“I regret being nice.”
“Should I be worried, should I bring my taser?”
“You should be worried about your phone’s data.”
“You really are a virgin...”
I clicked my tongue, “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It has everything to do with this conversation?”
“I’m hanging up.”
“WAI-”
Click
Call ended.
~~~
Work ended around 11pm, and by the time I got home I was exhausted.
I took a shower, dried my hair, checked the time, and it was nearly midnight.
12:03 AM.
“Perfect.” I thought to myself, Zak was coming over tomorrow with cards, snacks, and maybe alcohol.
Finally, something eventful, yet normal for once.. I’ve been stuck in my room almost every day except during work.
I climbed into bed, closed my eyes, and covered up.
And immediately heard a knock.
I opened one eye.
“...”
“Maybe I imagined it.” I closed my eyes again.
Knock.
There it was again.
I sat up with my eyes half-open.
Knock Knock.
I groaned as I moved the covers off myself.
Another series of knocks followed.
I got out of bed, “OKAY HOLD ON!” I yelled, rubbing my eyes.
I walked to the door half asleep and completely annoyed.
I yanked it open.
“...”
I looked around into the darkness.
Then I looked down.
A girl in a hoodie was standing there with a travel bag.
“Are you a solicitor?” I asked confused.
“...”
“It’s midnight.” the girl said.
“Then are you a vampire?” I added.
“Are you stupid?” She responded.
I squinted my eyes and leaned down, “Are you lost?”
She fixed the bag’s straps on her shoulder, pushing them up higher, “I’m here to use your bath.”
“Mio!?” I yelled, with her foot being quickly placed on mine, stomping it.
“OW!”
She moved her foot as I bent down, holding onto my foot.
“Who else do you think it would be and don’t yell at this hour, you have neighbors you idiot.”
She brushed back her hoodie, revealing messy hair, “Are you going to let me use it?”
“I was joking.” I said, standing back up.
“I wasn’t.” She replied.
I stared at her.
She stared back.
She then pointed behind herself, “My power is still out.”
“...”
“So, are you going to let me in or am I sleeping against your door?” She said, slightly angered.
I looked at the bag then back at her.
I sighed, “You’re a pain.” I said, moving to the side and pointing inside.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment,” I said as she shuffled past me in a hurry.”
“I’ll take it anyways.” She said, walking to the back of my house towards the bathroom.
I shook my head lightly before closing the door and turning on the nearby light switch.
I sat back on my bed on the edge, looking at my phone.
So much for a peaceful weekend.
“WHERE’S THE LIGHTSWITCH I CAN’T SEE?!” A yell came from the bathroom.
I looked towards the shut bathroom door, “ON THE LEFT OF THE DOOR!” I yelled back, then exhaled heavily.
I lay in bed, and without noticing the time and forgetting what was happening, I dozed off.
“Ren, you won the lottery!” An older man said, standing beside a girl while holding a giant check.
“I can’t believe it!” I yelled, looking around at a crowd cheering me on.
The girl beside the older man walked up to me quickly, before slapping me across my face.
I held my face and looked at her, in which she slapped again.
I opened my eyes slightly, seeing Mio pulling her hand back.
I opened them fully, causing her to pause right before she slapped me.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?”
“You weren’t waking up when I called for you so I resorted to the best next method.” She said, putting her hands on her hips in a proud motion.
“I was having a good dream too... But anyways, what do you want, go home.”
“It’s 1 am and you’re sending a cute girl home by herself?”
I looked around, “Is the cute girl in the room with us again? Can I meet her?”
She looked at me, squinting her face, “You’re annoying.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
“Where am I sleeping?” She asked.
“Ugh, one moment.” I got up and opened my closet, grabbing a futon, pillow, and extra blanket, before laying it out on the opposite side of the room from the bed.
“Here-” I look back towards the bed, seeing her cozying herself up.
“Hey, that’s where I SLEEP.” I said, walking over while stomping my feet.
“You’ll let a girl sleep on the floor~?”
“You really want to sleep in a place with my scent huh.”
“Ew, when you put it like that.” She said, getting up and walking towards the futon, putting her bag on the ground beside her pillow.
I turned off the lights then lay in bed, closing my eyes like nothing happened.
“You...-”
I groaned.
“You better not do anything to me while I sleep-”
“SHUT UP!” I yelled, turning over in my bed.
“GOOD NIGHT MIO!” I yelled, before fixing my pillow and covering myself up.
After a few seconds, I felt like I was being stared at as I heard her giggling followed by her mumbling, “You’re-...”
“What did you say?” I asked, with no answer following.
“I see how it is.” I pulled the covers over my ears.
Looking back on it now…
Opening that door was probably my first mistake5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ePJSTsvfX
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