Catfish | Matthew Gray Gubler

Writing To The Show

Gianna Brinley

Another exhausting day of work, I'm so thankful that's its all done and over with. I just wanna lay in a hot bath and then go to bed. Working two jobs ain't easy, but no one is gonna pay my bills. Don't get me wrong, I love my jobs and helping people, but there's just those days where customers try to test you.

As I set my bag down on my couch, I hear my phone go off. I didn't bother checking out right away, because I'm exhausted. I head to the bathroom and fill the tub up with hot water and threw in a mixture of bath bomb and bath salts, also bubble bath.

I strip out of my clothes and slowly stepped in the tub. As I got comfortable, I laid my head back and closed my eyes. This is the only time that I have time to myself. I work constantly just to make a living, I'm not struggling, but I'm also not rich. I do come from a rich family though. But I chose not to live that life because I did not work or earn my parent's money.

I realized that I fell asleep in the tub, my fingers and toes looked like raisins. So I drained the tub and turned on the shower to wash myself off and head on out. As I walk out the bathroom, I hear my phone going off once again. Who keeps calling me?

I went to the living room and grabbed my phone out my bag and check the caller ID, Matt <3.

"Hello?" I said as I picked up the phone instantly.

"Hey, are you okay? I've been trying to reach you."

"Yeah I'm fine. I got home from work and took a bath and I didn't realize that I fell asleep, so I just got out. I'm sorry to worry you."

"It's fine, I'm glad you're okay."

"Watcha up to?" I asked him, walking in my closet trying to find clothes to wear.

"I just finished work, and now I'm packing up my things and gonna head home."

"How was work today?"

"Very long and tiring. Many hours of shoots, bouncing to different locations." He said to me. Matt told me when we first started talking that he's a model, but not for one of those big names. Just low budget, low tech kind of model. Kinda like an underground model.

"Are you ever going to show me your shots?" I asked him curiously.

"Someday." He said and I rolled my eyes at his response.

"Yeah, someday." I mumbled, but he heard me and sighed.

"G, don't be like that." He tries to sympathize with me.

"Well its hard not to. We've been talking for 3 years and I have no clue what you look like, I just know the sound of your voice. I'm curious to know. You could be an old man and I wouldn't know." I said to him and he laughed at me.

"And what if I am an old man?" He questioned.

"Then I wasted 3 years of my life on you." I said in a serious tone and he could sense it.

"Wow, harsh. But what are you trying to say?"

"I'm not using you as an excuse as to why I don't talk to other guys, but it's just something about you that makes me not want to talk to anyone else. But its been 3 years and we're basically going nowhere. We talk everyday or when we're not busy with work. We haven't shared a picture of ourselves with one another, we haven't video chatted, nothing at all. We only know each others voice. Now, I try and been trying to get you to meet me because maybe this bond we have could go further than just talking and being friends, but if you don't want to put in the effort as I, then maybe..." I stopped mid sentence, not wanting to continue because I don't want this to end.

"Then maybe what G?"

"Don't make me say it." I whispered through the phone.

I heard pure silence at the other end of the phone, and then the line cut off signaling that he hung up. I shut my phone off and wiped my single tear. I grabbed my laptop from the living room and head in my bedroom and laid in bed.

I decided to watch Catfish, one of my favorite TV shows, I'm behind on the new season so I gotta catch up, thank god I'm off for the next two days. As the show starts on my laptop I thought... what if I write into the show?

I put the show on the corner of my screen, then opened a new tab on google chrome and decided to email Nev Schulman.

Subject: Did I just waste three years of my life?

Dear Nev and Kamie,

My name is Gianna Brinley. I am 32 years old, from Santa Barbara, California and I need your help. I've been talking to this guy named Matt for three years now and lately I've been feeling like I'm wasting my time on him. We met on two beats, and in the beginning it felt like puppy love. We didn't put any label on us, so we're both technically single, but we don't talk to or date anyone else (or so he says). I'm not a confident person that puts herself out there and meets new people, I really don't have the time to do so because my main focus is work. I have two jobs that runs my life and barely have time to myself. The only reason why I was on two beats and met Matt was because my friend practically forced me into making a profile on there. Anyways, back to Matt. He says he's a model, I didn't question much about him because I didn't think we would still be talking till this day. We've never sent photos to each other nor have we video chatted, we only talk on the phone. I'm always the one to try in this 'friendship/relationship' that we're in. I tell him if he wants to see pictures of me, but he said no. I ask him to video chat, but he says that he has a busy schedule, I also ask him to meet up but he pulls some lame excuse every time. I had a lot of patience with him because in the back of my mind I hoped that he would change his mind and actually pull through with meeting or video chatting, but I don't think I can be hung up on someone who doesn't wanna put in the same effort as I do anymore. I think I have to move on from him, even if it hurts me to do. So, could you please help me out? I'm desperate.

Sincerely,

Gianna Brinley