A Dialogue

“So what’s up?”

“What’ up with what?”

“With you. You’ve been ignoring me and Julia since Tuesday. Wanna give me a reason for ignoring your boyfriend and your best friend.”

“I haven’t been ignoring you guys.”

“Yeah, you kinda have. I walk into a room, you walk out. I start a conversation, you claim you have somewhere to be. I call, you don’t answer. I-”

“Okay I get it. Yes, I guess I have been avoiding you a little.”

“Good. So what is it? Is something wrong?”

“The reason I’ve been avoiding you and Julia is that… you are the two people that know me the best. But not only that, you read me the best. I knew that as soon as we were together for even a little while, you would be able to tell that I wasn’t, you know, my usual self. For the past few days, I’ve just been… I don’t know.”

“Hey, you can tell me anything. You know that. What have you been feeling the past couple days?”

“I’ve been feeling, well awful. And I knew that if you saw that-”

“That what I’d make you talk about it, about something you clearly don’t want to talk about? Do you think I know you at all?”

“No, of course that’s not what I thought I just...”

“You just what?”

“I just needed to be with people who wouldn’t look at me and treat me like I was about to break or shatter with a touch. I needed to be with people who wouldn’t see what was going on inside and therefore just treat me normally.”

“So you’re ignoring me because I care too much?”

“No, I love that you care. It warms me up inside how much you care I just needed time to let myself be sad without anyone knowing.”

“...”

“I’m sorry, I know I probably should have given you something but I just, I couldn’t.”

“I think I understand, I just wish you could trust me enough to let me be with you when you’re sad. Not to comfort you just to know that I’m there, with you, whether you need me or not, so that I know I’m doing all I can.”

“I know, but I needed you to not be there, not because I don’t care about you or want you, but because I needed to be with just me.”

“So you still need some alone time?”

“...”

“I’ll completely understand.”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to talk about what’s been bothering you?”

“No. Is that okay?”

“Of course, I just… are you going to be okay?”

“I promise, no matter what I’m feeling now or have been feeling, I will be okay. Especially now that I don’t have to avoid you.”

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is amazing! Not only is it a well-executed snippet of conversation, but it's also a great example of conflict resolution -- talking things out peacefully with understanding, instead of being accusatory & taking things personally like it often happens. It takes HUGE TALENT to convey a complete & memorable message thru ONLY dialogue. Most writers shy away from dialogue becuz it's hard to get good at it. This is very well done.

[mae23]

Thank you so much for this amazing review!

[bluessadmood]

Yes I like this,this is witty and nice..
Times come we want to be alone with our thoughts
Even peopled loved and friends want to step away
For theyou read me well..right now I don't like what's written on my face to reveal..times I I want to handle it with myself..somehow the thoughts are mature..I like this