Payton Klaer

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t move too much. Be careful. You had to get a lot of stitches.”

“Oh… yeah, okay. I can feel them.”

“…”

“So, you look like hot trash.”

“Shut up. You’re not funny.”

“Yes, I am – you know it.”

“…”

“Say I’m funny.”

“You’re funny-“

“Don’t say it because I told you to. Say it because you want to say it.”

“Sorry-“

“No, don’t… I’m sorry. How long have I been out?”

“A few days.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“…”

“I missed you.”

“What?”

“I missed you? It’s been unusually quiet. You always know how to fill the silence.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Mmhm.”

“Ah, okay.”

“…”

“I always miss you.”

“What? You always miss me?”

“Yeah. When you go to your competitions. Though, you probably won’t be doing that for a while, huh?”

“…”

“But I always miss you.”

“You’re allowed to text me-“

“No, that’s not it. I miss you. I miss having you around. I miss watching movies and going outside to see the sunset because that’s so you. No one else does that, did you know? Every night I go outside now to watch the sunset and if you’re not there it’s just… depressing.”

“So, you miss doing stuff with me?”

“No.”

“…”

“…”

“Explain it to me. Like I’m a child and I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“You do have no idea what I’m saying-“

“Please.”

“Uh, okay. It’s like… god this is awful… it’s like my life changed when I met you and I haven’t been the same since. So, now, I see the sunset alone and I think: ‘I miss them’ because you aren’t there to enjoy it with me. Or, I go buy a coffee and I always want to ask for oat milk because that’s what you introduced me to and I don’t think I could ever go back to almond milk.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, you want to get into poetry-“

“You’re not funny.”

“Yes, I am.”