Don't Take Yourself So Seriously

Derek sat atop a broken piece of wood. It was most likely part of the roof. He held up his phone again to his ear, head resting in his hand.

A low voice starts in on the phone, calming and rushed all at once. “You probably shouldn't have this number. But if you happen to be one of the few who should, leave your number after the beep.” A rustling noise was in the background, like someone coming through the door. Then a beep sounded off.

“I don't know what I'm doing,” Derek said into the silence, shoulders slumped forward. He waited a second. “You made it look so easy. You took everything in stride. I thought I could, too.”

He was greeted by more silence. “I'm not handling things all right. I just want you back here, Laura. You could do this; I can't.”

Another beep and a computerized voice said, “Call ended. Press 2 to replay the message. Press 3 to record a new message.”

Derek gripped the phone tight, seconds away from throwing it at the wall. He stopped himself and hit redial.

“You probably shouldn't have this number. But if you happen to be one of the few who should, leave your number after the beep.” Then Derek could hear himself in the background walking in to Laura's apartment.