Chapter 6 - Do Lemons Feel?

I don't even know what's going in this chapter.

Chapter Six:
January 8:
(MA) "Do you think lemons have feelings?"
(NR) "... Yes, although I think they're a bit sour."
(MA) "Alright then. Do you think... Feet hates shoes because they like to be free?"
(NR) "Do feet like to be free?"
(MA) "What do feet even do?"
(NR) "I'm shrugging. I don't know. How high do you think evolution was when it created platypuses?"
(MA) "So high... What time is it?"
(NR) "Like... 2 in the morningish."
(MA) "I'm tired."
(NR) "NO sleep FOR you."
(MA) "Fine... Uh. Want to play a game?"
(NR) "Yeah..."
(MA) "We don't have many other options. This game is called 'The Weirdest Thing I Can ComeupwithAthon'. I'll go first. What's up with spiders? They're so cool... Sometimes I wish I was a spider."
(MA) "We sound so high right now. Have you ever been high?"
(NR) "Hell yeah! I've been in a plane �""
(MA) "Homegirl, that is not what I meant. I meant, like, tripping on whatever."
(NR) "Does anti-anxiety medication count?"
(MA) "I dunno, does it?"
(NR) "It like, yeah. It makes you all super mellow, and it also makes your forget stuff..."
(MA) "What kind if stuff?"
(NR) "Sad stuff, worrying stuff, problematic stuff. All your troubles just kind of melt away... You just forget..."
(MA) "Sounds nice."
(NR) "NO. It isn't. It's weird; like getting yanked out of your body by a comet and then being towed along at a billion miles per-hour through space in slow-motion. Not a nice feeling."
(MA) "I like it... I like being high. It makes me feel so... not me."
(NR) "But I like you..."
(MA) "Only you. Not even me."
(NR) "Aw, friend. You mean the world to me."
(MA) "Thanks."
(NA) "No, honestly. You should've seen the fuss I made about going down to visit you when I thought you were at the hospital. I was causing a lot of a problem with the nurses. It didn't look very good towards getting me released anytime soon."
(MA) "Forgive me for saying this, but that doesn't sound like a hospital; it sounds like a prison."
(NR) "No, I kind of like it in a weird way. Long, quiet, kind of relaxing days. I can't go outside, of course, but that's fine. I spend most of my time writing, sleeping, texting, pretending... I've been in isolation for the longest time, and that's just because being around other people makes me so damned nervous."
(MA) "Yeah, people suck. Well, some people. Others... Fantastic."
(NR) "You're amazing, you know that?"
(MA) "I'm starting to get it, yeah. I'm so tired!"
(NR) "NO SLEEP! We can think of something else to talk about, right?"
(MA) "It's funny, 'cause before we never seemed to shut up. I think we've said everything that could ever be said."
(NR) "Not everything."
(MA) "No. Not everything."
(NR) "..."
(MA) "..."
(NR) "I've said it a thousand times already. I've said it about songs, celebrities I've never met, flowers, colors, TV shows, books, boring relatives �" but it's so hard to say it when it really matters, you know."
(MA) "The sweetest words you can never say. Like poison on the tip of your tongue. You either swallow it and poison yourself, or kiss someone and make them swallow it."
(NR) "Does it really even need to be said?"
(MA) "We both know."
(NR) "Yeah, we do. We're intelligent messed up people. We know better than to fall..."
(MA) "Yeah. We know better. The years and years of training that our hearts went through, and for what? For three little words to come along and ruin it all?"
(NR) "I've said them 1,000 times already, just in different ways."
(MA) "Does it really matter if you say it as long as you know it?"
(NR) "..."
(MA) "..."
(NR) "I mean, I like elephants. But I don't love them. Not yet, anyways."
(MA) "Yeah, I like butterflies. But I can't really love them. Ever."
(NR) "..."
(MA) "I need to call someone..."
(NR) "Okay? Be right back..."
(MA) "... Bye..."
Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring.
(DA) "Hi. You've reached the voicemail of Devi Aybar. Please leave a message after the beep."
BBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP.
(MA) "Hey, mom... it's Moth, you know, your daughter. Just thought I'd call to tell you... I'm fine. Yeah. I'm fine. I got beat up a little, but the main point is that I'm okay. Just �" just call me back when you get this so we can talk about... about things... Bye. Love you."
Ring ring.
(MA) "I'm back."
(NR) "Okay. That's good."
(MA) "Yeah... Good..."
(NR) "Hmmmmmmm..."
(MA) "I should find a new place to live."
(NR) "Yeah, probably. How are things with your family? I don't want to, like, intrude, but even if they're bad, they can't be worse than living on your own... But I don't know, I mean, my family's always been good to me... when they notice I exist."
(MA) "Funny... It's the opposite for me. I'm everything to my mom, and that just hurts me. Like, if I'm her whole world, how is she going to live without me? I don't know. I guess I just like to distance myself from people, just in case."
(NR) "Yeah. I personally favor the tactic of driving people away from me so they won't miss me when... Yeah, you get the point. I try to drive people away and make them hate me so when I... I want them to say good riddance when I'm gone, I guess."
(MA) "Oh, that's sad. Please tell me you're not going to do that."
(NR) "I'm not. I tried already �" it never would have worked �" and thank god it didn't work. So now I kind of figure, 'Hey, there must be a reason I didn't die. There has to be a reason I'm still here. Whatever that reason is, I have to mean something', you know?"
(MA) "You mean everything. To me, to everyone."
(NR) "Thanks. I can never really say thanks enough for you. Yeah, I'll never stop saying thank you."
(MA) "Now you're making me blush."
Beep. Beep.
(NR) "Hang on; I'm getting another call."
(MA) "Okay. Call me right back."
(NR) "Yeah. I'm smiling. Bye."
(NR) "Hey, Blue. What's up?"
(BC) "What were you yelling about earlier?"
(NR) "Oh, one of my friends did something stupid and... yeah... Nothing to worry about."
(BC) "Good. I was worried about you."
(NR) "Yeah. I'm fine. She's fine too."
(BC) "Who's this friend you speak of?"
(NR) "Oh. It's Moth, the girl I was telling you about that I..."
(BC) "Yeah, I remember her. You too seem cute together. Like, all the texts you showed me Christmas morning that you two sent to each other were so sweet! I long for a kind of romance like that! I ship it!"
(NR) "I ship it too."
(BC) "I'm going to go back to sleep now. You go back to your wild teen romance. You kids today with your texting and your romance and your heart-wrenching tragedy. It's so cute. Bye."
(NR) "Thanks? Bye."
Click. Ring ring. Ring ring.
(MA) "Meh."
(NR) "Meh to you too. How's your head?"
(MA) "Mmmmmmmmm..."
(NR) "Hey, you there?"
(MA) "I have a really bad headache."
(NR) "Please let me call an actual ambulance to where you for real this time!"
(MA) "K... 719 Ashland Street. Tell them I'll bee siting outside."
(NR) "Be careful. I'll call right back."
(MA) "Okay..."
Click.
(NR) "They'll be there in a few minutes. Are you there?"
(MA) "Crap. This doesn't look... good..."
(NR) "Please stay with me! Please! They'll be there soon!"
(MA) "I can't feel anything but a headache."
(NR) "S**t, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. They'll be there any minute! Please tell me you gave me the right address?"
(MA) "Mumhuh. I actually hear sirens... I hear footsteps... Oh, look a paramedic.
(NR) "Can you hand me over to them?"
(MA) "Yeah."
(NR) "Hey, paramedic person?"
(Paramedic) "Hi... Who are you?"
(NR) "I'm a friend... Uh, how does she look?"
(Paramedic) "Pretty banged up. My team's working on her. Should I I can call you back later to tell you how she's doing?"
(NR) "Yeah! That'd be great. I'd really appreciate knowing that..."
(Paramedic) "Okay, miss. Thank you. She'll be fine."
(NR) "Thanks. Thanks so much."
Later.
Ring ring. Ring ring.
(NR) "Hey. Is Moth okay?"
(MA) "Yeah, this is Moth."
(NR) "Oh, wow, you're good enough to talk on the phone. I didn't except you to be doing that good �" NOT that I underestimated your power of survival or anything but �" I'll shut up now."
(MA) "No, it's good, keep talking. I like it."
(NR) "Um... So how ya doing?"
(MA) "Aside from the cup or so of blood I lost and the inch long gash on my head, I'm fine. Hospital food sucks."
(NR) "Yeah. It's terrible. Get someone to bring you a smoothie or something. When do you think you're getting out?"
(MA) "Well... Uh. My mom's coming to get me later today, so that should be... fun... yay. You can imagine what the holidays are like... And yeah, before you ask, I did lie earlier about happy family engagements."
(NR) "That's okay, don't worry. I lie a lot too; especially when the lie is preferable to the truth. Most lies are, actually. Some lies are so convincing that they only differ from the truth in a little detail... I'm rambling."
(MA) "Yes you are. I like it."
(NR) "Thanks. What hospital are you at?"
(MA) "The one that looks like a 5-star hotel. It's really white, um... Everything is monogrammed with a giant squiggly symbol thingie."
(NR) "Ah, same hospital as me! That's nice."
(MA) "My mom works here, I think. She does, like, art stuff. Have you seen her?"
(NR) "No."
(MA) "Are you sure? Tall, lanky, ghost-like, she always looks like she's ready to ruin someone's life by bankrupting them? Her name's Devi."
(NR) "No, I haven't seen her."
(MA) "Okay, just wondering. Ah, speak of the devil. I have to go; I'm about to get yelled at."
(NR) "Good luck."

(NR 3:27 pm) "I have a problem."
(BC 3:35 pm) "You need help burying a dead body?"
(NR 3:37 pm) "I'll put you down for future partners in crime, but right now I have a bigger problem. Moth is the art therapist lady's daughter."
(BC 3:39 pm) "WHAT the SHIFT change."
(NR 3:41 pm) "Yes. What the hellllllll is going on?"
(BC 3:43 pm) "Satan."
(NR 3:45 pm) "Satan and I are bros. He'd never do this to me."
(BC 3:48 pm) "You scare me sometimes."
(NR 3:51 pm) "Yeah, well I scare me all the time, but after awhile you just get used to it. God? Am I really so self-absorbed to think that God takes personal time out of his busy life to make my life s**t?"
(BC 3:53 pm) "Yes."
(NR 3:55 pm) "You ARE so HELPFUL."
(BC 3:58 pm) "Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie."
(BC 3:59 pm) "LLLLL.LLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE."
(NR 4:02 pm) "I don't know. Maybe Moth isn't mad at me about middle school anymore?"
(BC 4:05 pm) "Are you still mad at the people who bullied you?"
(NR 4:07 pm) "Yes. But my anger at them inspired me to live, to spit them."
(BC 4:09 pm) "Then she's probably still mad at you. Lie."
(NR 4:12 pm) "I don't think I can."
(BC 4:14 pm) "No offense, but I don't have time for your moral crisis. I have a baby on the way, high school to graduate, medical bills to pay, and people to sue the asses off of."
(NR 4:17 pm) "I understand that you have your own problems, sorry. And I'm not trying to guilt trip you when I say that you're just about the only person I trust for advice anymore. Do you need any help with anything you're working on?"
(BC 4:19 pm) "No, thanks. I just wished that I'd focused in Algebra 1 a little more."
(NR 4:21 pm) "I can teach you?"
(BC 4:24 pm) "Honey, no offense, but a professional with a college degree and years of experience tried for 3-years to drill this s**t into my head and the only thing that ever happened was that I got knocked up, so I don't think you can help over texts."
(NR 4:27 pm) "That was literally the best thing I've ever heard; I think I can go home now. I have seen the world. Bye. :)"

January 9:
(NR 9:09 am) "How'd everything go yesterday with your mom?"
(NR 9:20 am) "Are you discharged?"
(NR 9:30 am) "Are you okay?"
(NR 1:03 pm) "I'm worried about you."
(NR 3:46 pm) "Did you get your phone taken away?"
(NR 5:27 pm) "I'm reading "The Prophet", by that guy with the name spell-check won't accept, and the philosophy and poetry of it reminds me if you."
(NR 5:30 pm) "“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.” I like that. It reminds me of you."
(NR 7:13 pm) "I'm just going to bombard you with texts until you reply."
(NR 7:15 pm) "'Say something I'm giving up on you.'"
(NR 7:16 pm) "'I'll be the one if you want me to.'"
(NR 7:18 pm) "'Anywhere I would have followed you.'"
(NR 7:19 pm) "'Say something I'm giving up on you.'"
(NR 7:21 pm) "'And I... Am feeling so small...'"
(NR 7:23 pm) "'It was over my head. I know nothing at all.'"
(NR 7:24 pm) "'And I... Will stumble and fall...'"
(NR 7:26 pm) "'I'm still learning to love. Just starting to crawl.'"
(NR 7:34 pm) "Remember when you texted me those really sad lyrics from "Say Something" because I wasn't responding and I finally responded? Now it's your turn to respond."
(NR 7:40 pm) "Not trying to guilt trip you or anything but you told me once that "Everyone's messed up. People's minds are like headphones in pockets: always getting tangled and occasionally doing something useful.""
(NR 7:43 pm) "I haven't been reading our old texts again what are you talking about?"
(NR 7:46 pm) "Okay, I have. It gives me a pick me up."
(NR 7:50 pm) "I need a pick me up right now."
(NR 7:53 pm) "Stay safe, okay?"

Author's Note

Cliffhanger???