Lost Boy

2. Knowing

"Sometimes you got to bleed to know that you're alive and have a soul."
twenty one pilots, Tear In My Heart

°°°°°°°°

Alex got home from school, plopping down on his old, rough, creaky bed, throwing his bag somewhere in the room.

The apartment he's in is decent to live in. Even with the bland, fading cream color of the room, it was better for him than his own home.

The room was dark. The wall clock was a proof that it was already midnight. It was also quiet. An indication that the other tenants of the apartment are already asleep.

Somehow, he's the only one awake. Tired of working to keep living in the room he's living in since last year.

With the silence engulfing the room, this gave his mind a room to think  and remember things.

Like... a certain caller promised to call him back.

He quickly sat down on his bed, pulling out his phone, placing it beside him.

Even though he didn't want to think about it, his curiosity led him to wait for his phone to ring.

Would she call? Is she lying?

Is Cassandra like the other girls he met?

Just then, his phone rang shrilly, and a black unknown sillhoute of a man appeared on the screen. Without hesitation, he tapped on the green call icon.

Alexander || Cassandra

"H-Hello?"

"I thought you wouldn't call anymore…"

"I told you I would. It's you who didn't believe me that I would.."

"Why would I believe you? A girl already lied to me yesterday, and I'm sure, you will too."

"Roses are red, violets are blue, I may be clumsy and stupid, but I won't lie to you."

A chuckle escaped from Alex's lips.

"So now, your going Shakespeare on me?"

"Yeah, so don't even go Sherlock on me."

"How?"

"Judging my trust, that is."

"Of course, I've just met you on the phone. You're really crazy are you?"

"Nah, I'm insane…and clumsy."

". . ."

"So, tell me why you have trust issues on girls?"

". . ."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Heartbroken…"

"And with that, you just won 1,000,000 dollars!"

"Oh my god! I thought Alex here doesn't have sarcasticitis."

"A what?"

"Sarcasticitis, a severe disorder where people put sarcasm first before life, 'cause we all know the only joke here is life."

"I may give you a standing ovation at that one."

"You may, my good sir. "

"You have got to be kidding me…"

There was a disbelief from his tone, yet the laugh of the girl was contagious enough to make him laugh too.

"So, Alex, where do you study?"

"At Preston High, how about you?"

"Boy, would you look at that! We're in the same boat!"

Both laugh over the line, knowing they are on the same place where they study. For once, Alexander felt happiness that he never felt like before. Like lifting that weight that was pulling him under the ground.

"Can I ask for your name? Your full name? "

"... John Alexander Collins. "

"Oh, since I asked, I'll tell mine. My name's Cassandra Grace Montgomery."

"Woah, that's... a long name. "

"I know right, longer than captions from twitter, and that's from a girl who doesn't even use that! I mean, I don't want to waste my time reading drama."

"You sure have a lot of things in your mind..."

Somehow, the lines became quiet. The girl abruptly hemmed before continuing.

"How about this, let's see each other in school and maybe hangout and be idiots."

"So, what do you look like then?"

"Um… beautiful, flawless, gorgeous, and attractive."

"You've just picked out synonyms of beautiful, honey. "

"Yeah I did, 'cause I'm the freaking definition of beautiful!"

This earned her another chuckle from the boy.

"C' mon, be serious! I mean, are you a blonde? Long haired? What?"

"Alright. Brown haired with red ends, long haired definitely, blue eyed, petite and average at height. Now, tell me yours! I've been dying to know 'cause for me you have this 'bad boy' vibe."

"I have a black hair, shaved for an undercut, blue eyes, a stubble, a piercing on my bottom lip and skin inked with colorful tattoos on my arms."

"I told you, you have that vibe."

"I guess, but I'm different actually."

"I'll know that when we meet, Sherlock. "

"Sure, Shakespeare."

"Ooh, he thy dare to call me such names! I'll see you on Monday, pretty boy... And oh yeah, don't kill yourself. Pretty sure you'll change your mind after looking at me. "

She hangs up, leaving Alexander breathless, desperately wanting to hear more of her jokes, her soft laugh over the phone. He wasn't thinking death anymore, it's a little hope from a quirky girl who he just met.

After the call, he immediately saved her number to his contacts.