(✔) 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙗𝙤𝙮 ↳ (𝔃.𝓭.𝓱)

one !

Everly Wilson squeezed her eyes firmly shut as she pulled the covers all the way up over her head. Her 90's rock music was blasting on full volume, pounding in her ears through her headphones, but even still she couldn't drown out the noise of her parents fighting.

She shut off her music, her ears ringing. She leaned back against the headboard. Screams were heard from the other room. Tonight was worse than the other nights.

Her mom was shrieking, her voice rising to an angry pitch as her dad yelled over her, sounding furious. What they were fighting about, Everly had no clue. Suddenly, there was a sound of a hand slamming against a desk and Everly jumped about a foot in the air.

There was silence for a few seconds, before her mom started screaming once more, a long string of curse words flowing from her mouth. Their voices only grew louder, the argument more heated then ever. Everly's eyes stung as she cowered beneath her blankets.

She yearned to run into the other room and shout for them to stop fighting. She shivered. But the last time she did that, she had gotten a bruise on her jaw and a black eye.

Quietly, Everly swung her legs off the bed and tiptoed across the floor to her desk, where her phone sat. Her grandmother had given it to her as a Christmas present.

She hurried back to her bed and climbed in. Her parents were still having a row in the opposite room. She brushed her tears away. Oh how she wished she had a sibling. Maybe then her parents fighting all the time wouldn't be too bad with some company.

But for now, the company she had was online. Adults everywhere, whether it be parents or teachers, always warned them not to talk to strangers online. But Everly's loneliness was killing her. All she needed was a friend to talk to.

She had recently moved from Pennsylvania to Texas, leaving all of the friends she ever had behind. She had nobody. She didn't even have a dog or a cat, or even a pet fish to keep her company. All she had was her overwhelming thoughts and screaming parents.

She went on her Instagram. She had two accounts; the first, she never used. She just had two photos of herself with her face half obscured by her sweater sleeve that she took with a friend back in Pennsylvania.

The second, she was always on. It was her anonymous account, where she posted rants on how she was feeling and stuff to make herself feel better. That was also the account she talked to her Internet friends on.

Logging on, she was pleasantly surprised to find a Direct Message request from a profile she had never seen before. The profile picture was of a cartoon skeleton and the username read: @notofflinee

Mildly curious, Everly clicked on the message. It read:

@notofflinee: hey! I came across your page and judging from your profile picture and your username, I think you're pretty cool

Everly suppressed a smile. Her profile picture was one of Tom Holland.

@panicatthebookstore: thank you, I'm flattered haha . what's your name?

@notofflinee: Tyler. And yours?

@panicatthebookstore: everly

@notofflinee: fan of tom holland huh?

@panicatthebookstore: of course who isn't lol he's so cute

@notofflinee: hahaha agree

@notofflinee: so, everly, where r u from?

@panicatthebookstore: stalker much?

@notofflinee: I'm not asking for your address

@notofflinee: if it makes you feel any better, I'm from Utah

@panicatthebookstore: well, I was from Pennsylvania but I recently moved to Texas

@notofflinee: ohh I see

@notofflinee: if you don't mind me asking, are you ok?

@panicatthebookstore: uhh what do you mean? that was really random, but I'm fine, thanks 😂

@notofflinee: well, I've seen some of your posts and it seems like you're going thru a tough time rn. with your parents and all...

Everly pursed her lips tightly. Her parents had stopped screaming but she could still hear their voices slightly raised as they argued.

@panicatthebookstore: well yea they fight all the time. I'm used to it tho

@notofflinee: oh. Good luck with them. I know it sucks having parents that fight all the time

@panicatthebookstore: thank you (: but I have to go now. I have to go to a new school tomorrow and should probs get some sleep 😫

@notofflinee: aw man going to a new school sucks. good luck and goodnite

@panicatthebookstore: thanks again (: and goodnight to you too