You’ve got three stops to do this. Three stops to explain and get out. She’ll be up. You could catch her off guard. That might help. Ruin her morning, yes. Better that than a ruined evening. That would be bad. Make her late for choir. She’d turn up and people would know. They’d ask what’s wrong. Then they’ll all know. No. Give her time to digest. Yes. She’ll have the day. Call her now. Call …
Email would be easier.
Email.
You should … text. Yep, text. She’ll get that. She’ll be boiling the kettle … she’ll get it … she’ll call Dad … he’ll say it can wait … she’ll say it can’t … she’ll call … and it will begin.
Put your phone on silent … you’ve got an excuse … she knows about the meeting
Fuck!
The meeting …
I can’t do this …
Yes, you can … you’ve just got to get through it
What if they dial him in?
They won’t
They might … he might ask something … he might ask me something …
He wouldn’t
He might
What if he’s told them?
He wouldn’t … he’d be too embarrassed
You should call in sick
Look suss if he does too
They’ll ask me if he does
No they won’t
Yes they will
She’ll ask … she’ll want to know …. is he okay? Said he felt off … yesterday it was … when we were having coffee … like we normally do … just me and him … not you … just me and my boss … just me and your boyfriend … all alone …
Bitch … I bet he’s told her. If she smiles in the meeting then he’s definitely told her. Fuck I hate her smile. The one she’s got for him the most. Should have said yes just to rid her of it.
Yeah … but then she’d invite herself … imagine her at the wedding. Mum would hate her more than …
Shit! Mum!
It’s okay … it’s okay … you can do this … you just need to text and turn off.
Text and turn off
Text …
Hi Mum. I don’t know how to begin this. I just need you to understand and not be angry. I might not be around for a couple of days. You don’t need to worry. I’m fine, I just need space. Tim proposed to me last night. There’s no easy way to say this, but …
“Amanda … “
That voice.
That horrible, bitchy voice, carrying all the way down to the back, and to me.
“It’s our stop next.”
“Yes … yeah … coming …”
“Telling Tim to go back to bed?”
“What do you mean?”
“Him being sick.”
“Oh … yeah … no … it’s just my Mum.”
“What a daughter.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Better send it then.”
“I will … there … it’s sent. All done.”
This fictional short story was written for a 50 Day Project organised by the artist Amanda Billing. I get 45 minutes to an hour (not the project’s rules, it’s just about the time I have right now) to write a story, sometime between 4.30am and 5.30am. After that, the day is no longer mine.
N.B. The sketch image for this short story was created using AI (at best, I can draw a half-decent stick man). The words are all mine.
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