"You better have the ingredients to make dinner." Astra was standing in her kitchen with the phone pressed against her ears. She had some potatoes ready to make mashed potatoes.
She was going to make him eat tonight. If he refused, she wouldn't let him get away with it. He needed to eat, she knew what it was like not eating. She knew how it felt.
It hurts.
"There's no food here." Orson's voice said.
"Bear Cub." Astra shook her head as she let out a long sigh. "That means you haven't eaten in a while, that's not healthy. Please go buy some ingredients to make food."
"I don't-"
"Actually, better yet, meet me at Walmart."
Before he could say anything else, Astra hung up with a smile. She knew he'd go. She knew if she hung up, it'd make him go. It always worked with everyone else, and even if it was kind of mean, sometimes that was the only way they'd listen.
"Where are you going?" Carly sat up from the couch when Astra rushed past and towards the door after grabbing her keys.
"I'm going to the store real quick."
"Oooh can I go with you?"
"Not this time Carly, next time I promise." Astra shut the door and ran to her car. By the time she got to Walmart, she called Orson and he picked up after a couple rings.
"Yo, you here?"
"I can't drive Star."
Astra's heart dropped for a moment and she pursed her lips. "I'm so sorry, I forgot. Um, why don't I buy some food and then we can make something at your house."
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come here."
"Come on Bear Cub, it can't be as bad as my place. It's a huge mess, Carly does not know what the word 'clean' is. It's horrible." Astra laughed. "What do you want me to make for you? I can make anything. I don't want to brag, but, I'm a pretty good chef."
Astra smiled at her joke - she was nowhere near good at cooking - but when Orson didn't say anything, her smile disappeared.
"Are you still there?"
"I have to go. I'll call you later and tell you my address." Orson sounded urgent, and then he hung up.
Astra stared down at her phone.
Something was definitely up with him.
YOU ARE READING
The love letter and the suicide note
Short StoryWhen Astra accidentally calls the wrong number when she tries to call her uncle, what she expected to only be a one night phone call, ends up being nightly phone calls with the broken boy on the other side of the line. After finding out his plan to...
