Tangled

WhatsApp – 4:12 PM

[New Message from 🎩]

🎩: You there?

(Alex stares at the screen. Her thumb hovers over the screen. After everything, he has the nerve to text her?)

(She exhales sharply, then finally types back.)

🦊: Wasn’t expecting to hear from you.

🎩: Missed you today.

(Alex frowns. That’s not how this is supposed to go. He ended it. He was the one who freaked out.)

🦊: I’m sure you did.

🎩: Could barely focus at work.

(Alex rolls her eyes. What is this? Nostalgia hour? Does he think they can just slip back into this like nothing happened?)

🦊: What do you want, B?

🎩: Tell me something… what exactly do you love about me?

(Now she pauses. That’s… odd. Out of nowhere. A little too sentimental. A little too rehearsed.)

🦊: Ha! Where’s this coming from? Now you’re feeling sentimental? 🥱

🎩: Just humor me.

(Alex hesitates, then opens another chat.)

WhatsApp – 4:13 PM

[New Message from 🍷]

🍷: Girl, did you see my message?

🦊: One sec, talking to B. He’s being weird, messaging me today.

🍷: Yikes. Maybe he's finally feeling guilty?

🦊: I thought we were past that. I thought we were past it all.

(Alex switches back to 🎩’s chat.)

4:15 PM

🦊: Humor you? After everything, you think the next conversation between us is gonna be me humoring you? It would be funny if it wasn’t… I don’t know, stupid? Insulting?

🎩: Why does it have to be all that? You’re angry? You always knew what the situation was, now we can’t even have a chat?

🦊: Whatever, I think I’ve spent too much time humoring you, that’s all over now.

6:37 PM

🎩: Do you want to know what I love about you?

🦊: Why are you trying to have this conversation? I thought you were the one freaking out about getting caught?

🎩: I just like knowing what you think about when you’re alone. I never stop thinking about you, especially when I can’t see you.

(Alex switches back to 🍷’s chat.)

6:38 PM

🦊: Something’s off.

🍷: What do you mean?

🦊: He’s being… idk. Almost desperate? Asking random questions.

🍷: Like what?

🦊: What I think about when I’m alone. Where I imagine us.

🍷: Uhhh, okay. That’s weird. You think he knows?

🦊: I don’t think so…?

🍷: Be careful. Just in case.

(Alex hesitates before switching back to 🎩’s chat.)

9:22 PM

🎩: I need to see you. Tomorrow night?

🦊: Wait, what? Thought you were worried someone would see us.

🎩: I was. But I can't stop thinking about you.

🦊: Oh, so suddenly it’s fine? Thought you were busy making your wife feel wanted right now?

🎩: She went away with her sister for the weekend. No interruptions.

🦊: That’s convenient.

🎩: Meet me. One last time.

(Alex, frowning, switches back to 🍷’s chat.)

9:23 PM

🦊: Okay, I think something’s up.

🍷: Tell me.

🦊: He just asked me to meet. He was so panicked about getting caught before, now suddenly he’s fine?

🍷: You think it’s a trap?

🦊: Maybe. I don’t know.

🍷: Maybe he just missed you. Maybe he’s willing to risk more now.

🦊: Or maybe I’m about to walk into something stupid.

🍷: What are you gonna do?

🦊: I think I’m gonna say no.

(Alex starts typing a reply to 🎩… then stops.)

11:48 PM

🎩: What was the first thing I ever said to you?

🦊: You don’t remember?

🎩: Of course I do. I just want you to remember what we had in the beginning.

🦊: Oh, is that what this is? A fun stroll down memory lane?

(Long pause.)

🎩: Answer me.

🦊: You said… "I should buy you a drink so we can make bad decisions together."

🎩: Yeah. That was a good night.

🦊: Too bad he told me he doesn’t drink.

(Alex flips back to 🍷’s chat.)

11:49 PM

🦊: Something is REALLY wrong.

🍷: What happened?

🦊: I just caught him in a lie.

🍷: B?

🦊: Not B. That’s the thing. It’s not him.

🍷: What are you talking about?

🦊: He asked me what the first thing he ever said to me was. Like he was testing me. I played along. I told him what he supposedly said.

🦊: But here’s the thing… it was the wrong answer.

🍷: Wait. What?

🦊: Bertram doesn’t drink. He told me that the first night we met.

🦊: So why would he say the first thing he ever told me was offering to buy me a drink?

(A long pause.)

🍷: Maybe he can’t keep his story straight. You know how much he lies.

(Alex stops typing. Her mind is racing.)

12:27 AM 

[You have been added to a group chat: "Let’s talk."]

🎩: Glad you could join us.

🦊: Are you f***ing kidding me? Ensley, what kind of sick game is this?

🎩: Ensley?

🦊: Don’t act stupid. I know it’s you. You’ve been texting me this whole time, haven’t you?

🎩: Interesting theory.

???: Took you long enough.

🍷: Alex. Don’t freak out.

🦊: …You’re in here?

🍷: This has never been what you thought it was.

🦊: What the f*** does that mean?

🦊: How long have you been lying to me?

🍷: That’s the wrong question, Alex.

(A chill settles in Alex’s chest. Her thumbs hover over the screen, hesitant now.)

🦊: Fine. Then what’s the right question?

(A pause. A long one.)

🎩 is typing…

(Finally—one message appears.)

🎩: How much do you actually know?

12:30 AM 

🦊: What?

🎩: About him. About me. About any of this.

🦊: I know Bertram lied to me.

🦊: I know this isn’t him.

🦊: And I know that means I’ve been talking to YOU this whole time, Ensley.

🎩: Oh, sweetie.

(The hairs on the back of Alex’s neck rise.)

🎩: You still don’t get it, do you?

🎩: It was never just you and Bertram.

(Alex’s breath catches.)

🦊: What do you mean?

(No reply.)

(The typing bubble appears… disappears… appears again… then stops.)

🍷: Alex, don’t make this difficult.

(Alex’s stomach drops.)

🦊: Difficult?!

(Her mind is screaming at her now, trying to make sense of this.)

🦊: Why are YOU saying that?!!!

(The pause lasts too long. Then—another message from 🎩.)

🎩: Tell her.

(Alex stares at 🍷’s name, waiting, waiting, waiting.)

🍷: You weren’t the first.

12:33 AM 

(Alex’s throat goes dry.)

🦊: What?

🍷: This has never been what you thought it was.

(Her breathing is uneven. Her fingers go numb.)

🦊: What the hell is it then?

(No response. The group chat is silent.)

(Then—a new message appears.)

???: You’re about to find out.

(The typing bubble appears… disappears… appears again… then stops.)

[Group Chat Deleted.]

Alex stares at her screen. It’s empty. Like it never existed.

Her phone vibrates. A new message—an image.

She opens it. It’s her front door. Taken from outside.

[Message Read. No Reply.]

12:34 AM: Alex switches to the chat with 🍷

🦊:  Whatever this is, it’s not funny, stop f***in messing with me!

🍷: Oh, yeah, this is the part that’s not funny.  What about everything you’ve done?  Did you think there were no consequences for you?

Alex hears footsteps coming up the stairs.