Episode 5
907 Words
The campus was quiet, and Karla’s bags were already packed. The two-week mid-semester break had finally arrived, and she was back in her childhood bedroom, surrounded by pale pink walls and dusty textbooks from her pre-med days .
But one thing hadn’t changed, no matter where she was: her phone .
Every morning started the same—Karla scrolling to Christopher’s name, rereading old DMs , and waiting for that little green circle to pop up beside his name .
It usually did . Eventually .
Day 2 of break – 10:04 PM
Karla :
“ Missed your coffee rants today. The hospital must be quieter without me . ”
She snapped a mirror selfie in a hoodie, captioned : No scrubs , no sleep , still obsessed with cortisol .
A minute later :
Christopher Hale :
You do bring the chaos . My coffee even tasted more bitter today . Like it was grieving .
Karla :
“ Good . It should . ”
Christopher Hale :
Need you to come back and sass the residents . They’re getting cocky without you .
The teasing was effortless. But under the playful tone, something hung unsaid .
Day 4 of break – 1:12 AM
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The chats got deeper at night. After both of them had scrolled past the world and landed back in each other’s inbox .
Karla :
“Can I ask you something real ? ”
Christopher Hale :
That sounds dangerous . But shoot .
Karla :
“ What do you think about relationships ? Like ... real ones. Not just hookups . ”
There was a pause . Three dots blinked . Then vanished. Then blinked again .
Christopher Hale :
“ Honestly ? I’m not great at them . I like the idea more than the reality . ”
Karla :
“ Why ? ”
Christopher Hale :
“ Too many expectations . Too much pressure. Everyone wants forever, and I barely trust myself to plan a weekend . ”
Karla stared at the message for a long moment .
Karla :
“I’m not everyone .”
Christopher Hale :
“I know . That’s what makes this harder. ”
Karla:
“ I want something real. Eventually . Not perfect . Just real . ”
Christopher Hale :
“ I figured . ”
There it was . Quiet. Final .
But she wasn’t ready to close it yet .
Karla :
“ So what is this then ? Us ? ”
Christopher Hale :
“ This is ... nice . Comfortable . But you know I’m not good for the kind of serious you want . ”
Karla :
“ Then why talk to me every night ? ”
Christopher Hale :
“ Because I like you . Because you’re funny . Smart . You get me . But I can’t promise you something I know I’ll mess up . ”
Day 6 of break – 9:03 PM
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He sent a photo from a bar . Dim lighting , a beer glass half full , and some guy doing karaoke in the background .
Christopher Hale :
This is tragic . I need a wingwoman .
Karla :
“ Are you seriously asking me to help you find someone else ? ”
Christopher Hale :
You have the best judgment . And you’re emotionally stable enough to know what this is , right ?
Her chest ached . But she played along . That was the unspoken deal : if she wanted to stay, she had to smile through it .
Karla :
“ Only if I get final say. She has to have decent music taste and not fall for OB-GYN jokes . ”
Christopher Hale :
Tough crowd. Alright , tell me if brunette karaoke girl is a yes or no .
Karla :
“ No . She looks like she’d cry after three texts . ”
Christopher Hale :
You’re ruthless . I love it .
She snapped herself back — hair tied up , no makeup , blanket to her chin .
Caption : Diagnosing myself with poor decision - making in 3... 2...
He reacted with a laughing emoji. But not a word more.
Day 9 of break – 1:43 AM
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They had stopped joking .
Karla :
“ I keep thinking about what you said . That you’ll mess it up . That you’re not serious . ”
Christopher Hale :
“ I’m being honest . You deserve that . ”
Karla :
“ You don’t have to protect me from the truth , Christopher . Just stop leading me into it like it’s a dance . ”
There was a longer pause than usual .
Christopher Hale :
“ Have you ever wanted to want something , but knew you couldn’t do it right ? That’s me . With you . ”
Karla :
“ What about love ? Do you even believe in it ? ”
Christopher Hale :
“ I think it exists . I just don’t think it’s made for people like me . ”
Karla :
“ And I do . That’s the difference between us . ”
The next day , she didn’t message him first .
For the first time in weeks .
And her phone stayed silent.......
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- Writer
