She watches him deteriorate
through the screen of her phone,
his words tearing himself down
because he believes he isn’t worth anything.
He constantly repeats his signature phrase,
“If I die, I die,”
and her worry exponentially grows
as his use of the phrase becomes more aggressive.
She tries with all of her might
to calm him down,
to reassure him that he means the world to her
and that she would be lost without their friendship.
Friendship.
As soon as the word leaves her lips,
his face crumbles.
She realizes her mistake
and begins apologizing profusely,
knowing he always wanted something more
than friendship,
but he swiftly hangs up,
leaving her sitting there in silence.
With her heart pounding,
she hits call.
She hits call seven more times.
To no avail,
no answer.
Months later,
she stares into the mirror,
watching herself deteriorate
as she whispers to herself,
“If I die, I die.”
Writer To Writer Literary Journal 