Page 4 of The Puck Secret

I’m mildly intoxicated by the time my phone vibrates on the table with a reply, and I laugh at whatever Hallie will have responded before I even move to pick it up. My best friend is the moon to my sun. She has been there for every meltdown I’ve ever had, every boy I’ve ever kissed, and every fight with my parents. I know she can talk me back from almost any ledge, but I’m honestly not sure how even she will be able to come up with a solution for my current predicament.

Sighing loudly, as I continue to sing along to Taylor Swift like every other basic bitch out there, I blindly reach for my phone to read her message. When I swipe up on the home screen I make a mental note to restore my phone from backup in the morning, because I still don’t have her number saved, but when I open her message I frown.

Unknown: That’s a little grim. Who is this? I think you have the wrong number.

I scoff, wrong number my ass, she should know it’s me, but when I read back over the number I realize whoever sent the message is right. That isn’t Hallie’s number, I put two of the digits the wrong way around and sent the message to a total stranger.Fuck.

Pushing up into a seated position I start to panic. I just sent my innermost secret thoughts and manic meltdown to a complete stranger, hell they could be a serial killer for all I know. They could be watching me right now and waiting for an in so they can sneak into my house and murder me. Wait, no, that’s ridiculous, I have just been listening to too many murder podcasts and I’m letting my drunken mind run away with itself. It’s fine, this is fine. It’s just a simple case of a wrong number.

I quickly type out a reply and hit send.

Maddie: OMG! I’m sorry, you’re right, wrong number!

And because I am a people pleaser and can’t help but be riddled with panic and anxiety, I quickly fire off another.

Maddie: Sorry again! Enjoy your night.

I watch the text bubbles pop up and disappear a few times before they stop completely, and I breathe a sigh of relief. See, totally fine. I place my phone back on the table and grab another drink from the kitchen, starting my personal Swifty karaoke session all over again, as I head back to the sofa. When I see the phone light up again I freeze.They responded.

Telling myself it’s still fine, I get comfy back on the sofa with my phone and drink, and open the message expecting just a simple ‘no worries’ or ‘not a problem’, but the words lift from the phone as if they are being spoken directly into my soul.

Unknown: Some days I feel so lonely that even in a crowd of people I feel like nobody truly knows me

I know that feeling, it’s how I feel pretty much every second of every day. Yes, I’m surrounded by people constantly, but how many of them really know me? The real me, and not just the one I am forced to portray because of my family name. This person might be a stranger, but it’s like they understand me better than any person I do know. So, I ask them the question I ask myself daily.

Maddie: Are you worth truly knowing?

When I hit send I get a sinking feeling in my chest, because I know they probably won’t respond and this little moment of shared understanding will pass, but then my phone lights up in my hand and I almost laugh out loud at the response.

Unknown: Definitely not

The smile on my face is so genuine I doubt my father would even recognize it, just like the honesty this stranger just shared. It’s something I can admire.

Maddie: At least you're honest, that’s a rare trait these days

Thoughts about my cheating father and my now cheating future fiancé enter my mind and I shake my head. If only they knew what honesty was.

When the phone lights up again, I smile.

Unknown: Ain’t that the truth. Some people wouldn’t know honesty if it bit them in the ass!

I think I like this stranger. They are dark and twisty just like the me underneath the mask, and I want them to know how much I appreciate their candor right now.

Maddie: Have you got room for another truth?

It’s probably ridiculous to want to share secrets with someone I don’t even know, but sometimes that’s easier than the people who think they know us most, right? Their reply only cements that feeling.

Unknown: For you Grim? Sure, why not.

I smile at the nickname they have given me. It suits me, not that anyone other than them would know that. I hope they know how true my next message to them really is.

Maddie: I just smiled my first real smile in weeks because of you, so thank you

They will probably find that a weird thing to say, and might not even respond, but I just feel like they had to know that in a world full of gray, today they added a little bit of color.

When my phone lights up again, I feel a warm feeling spread through me. At least someone is listening to me today.

Unknown: Who are you?

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