Dysarthria | Dialogue Story ✔

Chapter 33: I Really Like You

Chapter 33: 𝓘 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾

Wednesday, August 10th

After Gracie saw Cory at the store, she froze. She stood there for five minutes before her co-worker brought her out of her trance and told her to finish up. She hadn't texted him for almost a week. She was too insecure for him and she had too many imperfections. She couldn't keep talking to him because she knew she'd get her heart broken.

Gracie put her phone on silent when she started getting ready for work.

Cory Walker:
Sent 6:59am

I really like you.

Cory Walker:
Sent 7:36am

Are you there?

Cory Walker:
Sent 7:45am

Oh fuck! I messed this up, didn't I?

Gracie Summers:
Sent 4:56pm

No you don't.

Cory Walker:
Sent 4:57pm

What do you mean?

Of course I do.

Why else would I surprise you at work the other day?

Gracie Summers:
Sent 5:00pm

There's no way that someone like you could possibly like an insecure girl like me.

Cory Walker:
Sent 5:00pm

What's that supposed to mean?

Gracie Summers:
Sent 5:01pm

You're rich and handsome and I'm 5'3, I have zits on my forehead, I'm not the skinniest person and to top it all off, I have this stupid ass speech condition that just won't go away. You may think you like me, but you don't.

It's not just that. My parents have guardianship over me. I'm a grown woman who has never done taxes on her own. My mom still makes my appointments because I'm too socially awkward to talk on the phone. The point is, you can't like an ugly, dumbass loser like me.

Cory Walker:
Sent 5:05pm

Yeah so? If you thought any of that was gonna push me away, you are so fucking wrong. I don't give a shit about any of that. You need extra help? I got you. I mean, I'm not gonna do all of that for you forever, but I'll teach you.

All the frustration that Gracie had kept in since elementary school was starting to bubble to the surface. Her cheeks were moist and her vision was unclear as tears were racing down her cheeks. Her fingers were furiously typing out her anger, backspacing or adding a space twenty times in the process.

Gracie Summers:
Sent 5:16pm

Ugh! I wish I was never born with this fucking brain injury! I wish the idiot doctors knew what they were doing, that the cord wasn't around my neck, that I never attended speech therapy, that speech therapists didn't pull me out of class reminding me everyday how fucking stupid I am.

I watch other people my age talk normally. They know how to drive, swim, ride a bike, anything else kids my age can do that I can't. And I wish I was born normal like them.

Cory Walker:
Sent 5:21pm

Shit, I wish I could hold you in my arms.

And tell you that if you never had a brain injury, if you never had this speech condition, you wouldn't be the brilliant writer you are now. I don't know if you believe in God, but he gave you this condition for a reason. To use this gift to spread awareness about important topics like abusive relationships, sexual harassment.

If none of that happened, you wouldn't be who you are today.

Cory Walker:
Sent 5:27pm

Hello?

Gracie?

Cory Walker:
Sent 7:16pm

Please don't call yourself an ugly dumbass again.