Missed Call

By Sienna Stritter

My foot started to tap. Beads of sweat rolled off my forehead to my nose, dripping off slowly, one by one. I wanted to scream. I was waiting for the phone call.

My cell phone vibrated suddenly. I picked it up instantly.

“Hello?” I said in a weak whisper. Silence. “Helloooo? Is anybody there? Hello?” I repeated. Silence. I froze with fear. The beads of sweat that were dripping seemed to turn to ice. I turned slowly and quietly closed my phone.

My sweat “ice” melted back into perspiration. My heart started to beat again. It was pounding a million times a second. I was scared again. I needed that phone call.

The doorbell rang. I jumped up. I stepped towards the door. I stepped back. I stepped forward again. “No,” I said, “No, I can’t leave the phone!” Was that smart or dumb? Now that I look back, maybe I should have gone to the door.

My cell phone vibrated again. Immediately, I snatched it of the counter. I paused, silently praying. Please let this be the call. Please, please, please!

Those few seconds were like my execution day. A message flashed across my screen. Low Battery.

Now let me explain a bit. My phone is so old that sometimes I can't trust it to make anything happen. And that was one of those times. Seconds after I answered the phone, the screen fell black, like a curtain closing.

I screamed.

“That was my call! I know it was,” I hollered, “How could I miss it? That meant my life to me!”

“Gosh, kid. Chill,” my older brother said as he walked by my room.

And after that, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I chucked that phone out the window and never saw it again.