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Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 9: 47 PM
Hey, you left your headphones at my place.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 9:52 PM
Oh, no, my favorite ones?
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 9:53 PM
The big over-ear ones, yeah. I can drop them off tomorrow if you want.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 9:55 PM
That would be great. Sorry for the trouble.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10:14 PM
I may have accidentally seen what you were listening to when I plugged them into my laptop.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10:15 PM
Oh god!
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10:16 PM
Songs that remind me of Ethan?”
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10:17 PM
I can explain
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10:18 PM
47 songs, Audrey
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10:23 PM
Ok, I can’t explain.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10:31 PM
I started listening to it.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10:32 PM
Ethan
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10: 40 PM
I’m on song 6
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10:41 PM
Please stop
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10: 42 PM
Not a chance
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10: 44 PM
Track 23, “The only exception.” How long have you felt like this?
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10: 46 PM
Since the night we watched the storm from your fire escape, and you gave me your jacket even though you were cold too.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10: 47 PM
That was two years ago
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10: 47 PM
I know
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Tuesday, 10: 48 PM
Come over
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 10: 52 PM
On my way
Voicemail
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Tuesday, 11: 15 PM
“Hey, I’m downstairs, but I’m kind of terrified to come up. What if this changes everything? What if—okay, I see you in the window. You’re waving. You look… you’re smiling. Okay. Okay, I’m coming up.”
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 6: 15 AM
You forgot your headphones again.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 6: 18 AM
Guess I will have to come back tonight.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 6: 24 AM
Guess so
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 6: 26 AM
Also, I’m finishing the playlist this morning.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 6: 28 AM
Oh no
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 6: 30 AM
Too late
From: Audrey Lang
To: Delia Contreras
Subject: I need to tell someone
Wednesday, 8: 15 AM
Delia,
I’m supposed to be finishing the Johnson mockups, but I can’t focus. Something happened last night, and I need to tell someone before I explode.
You know Ethan. My friend Ethan. The one you keep saying. I look at “like a golden retriever watching someone eat a cheeseburger” (Your words, not mine, and also rude!”
He found my playlist.
THE playlist. The one I’ve been adding to for two years. The one that’s basically a three-hour love letter to music.
I want to die. But also, I’ve never been happier. Is that a thing? Can a person feel both of those things at once?
I’ll tell you more at lunch if I survive until then.
Audrey
P.S. I left my headphones there again this morning. On purpose this time.
From: Delia Contreras
To: Audrey Lang
Subject: RE: I need to tell someone
Wednesday, 8: 22 AM
Audrey Lang,
You’re telling me that after TWO YEARS of pining, after every happy hour where you stared at him across the table while I tried not to scream, after you literally made me analyze the meaning of him saying “drive safe” to you last month—
IT FINALLY HAPPENED!
Lunch? No! Coffee! coming to your desk.
Delia
P.S. “On purpose this time” –you devious human being. I’m so proud of you.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 12:34 PM
Delia says hi. She also says, and I quote, Finally, I can stop watching you two circle each other like confused animals.”
Text Message
From” Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 12: 41 PM
Tell Delia I like her. Also, I finished the playlist this morning.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 12:43 PM
All three hours of it?
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 12: 44 PM
Twice
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 12: 45 PM
Ethan
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 12: 47 PM
I keep thinking about song 31
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 12:48 PM
Which one is that again?
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 12: 50 PM
Audrey, you made the playlist.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 12: 55 PM
Ok fine. “Make you feel my love.” By Adele
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 12:58 PM
That’s the one
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 00 PM
You put that right after “Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones. Those are very specific songs.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1:03 PM
I may have put too much thought into the song order
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 05 PM
I noticed
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 08 PM
The story is “I didn’t expect to feel this way about my best friend, and now I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1:10 PM
That’s… yeah, that’s the story.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1:15 PM
Why didn’t you say anything?
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1:20 PM
Because you’re my best friend, I was afraid that if I said something, I would lose you. I am still afraid of losing you. It was easier to put it in songs.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 22 PM
You know what I was doing while you were making that playlist?
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1:22 PM
What?
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 25 PM
I convinced myself I was imagining it when you looked at me a little too long, or laughed too hard at my jokes, or found excuses to touch me.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1: 26 PM
You weren’t imagining it.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1: 27 PM
I know that now
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1:30 PM
Dinner tonight?
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1:32 PM
Sure, I will actually take my headphones home this time.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Wednesday, 1:32 PM
No, you won’t
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Wednesday, 1: 33 PM
No, I won’t
Phone Call
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Thursday, 11: 15 PM
Ethan: Are you still awake?
Audrey: Yeah. I can’t sleep. I keep thinking I dreamed the last two days.
Ethan: You didn’t. This is real.
Audrey: I …just keep waiting for something to go wrong. That I am going to lose you.
Ethan: Audrey, we have been friends for four years. I have seen you at your worst.
Audrey: Oh, now I am really embarrassed.
Ethan: (laughing) The thing is …I have been wanting this to happen between us, too. You're not going to lose me.
Audrey: Really?
Ethan: Yeah.
Ethan: Song 12, “I’m yours.” Do you remember when you added that one?
Audrey: The morning after, we stayed up all night talking. I fell asleep on your shoulder.
Ethan: You were awake for part of that.
Audrey: What?
Ethan: I felt you wake up around six. But you stayed still.
Audrey: I didn’t want it to end.
Ethan: I didn’t want it to end either.
Pause…
Audrey: I should let you sleep.
Ethan: Yeah, probably
Audrey: Okay, Goodnight.
Ethan: goodnight
Pause…
Audrey: One more thing.
Ethan: Yeah?
Audrey: Song 47, Thinking out loud. I added that one three weeks ago.
Ethan: I know. I saw.
Audrey: None of the songs are random.
Ethan: I know. Goodnight, Audrey.
From: Ethan Calloway
To: Audrey Lang
Subject: Track 48
Friday, 7: 02 AM
Audrey,
I thought about calling, but I wanted you to have this in writing.
I added a song to your playlist. Well, our playlist now. Song 48, “Everything” by Michael Bublé.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself. It's only been two days. We should probably take this slowly.
But I also spent two years wanting you.
When I see your name on my phone, I smile before I even read your message. My apartment feels empty now that you are not in it.
I don’t know what happens next. But I know I want you.
Come over tonight. I will cook.
I’m yours,
Ethan
P.S. Song 49 is going to be “At Last” by Etta James. I’m putting it in now.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Friday, 8:15 AM
I just read your email at my desk, and now I’m crying in front of the whole office. I hope you're happy.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Friday, 8:16 AM
Very
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Friday, 8: 20 AM
I’ll be there at 7, and you’re right about the last song. That’s perfect.
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Friday, 8: 22 AM
I know.
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Friday, 8: 23 AM
Show off
Text Message
From: Ethan
To: Audrey
Friday, 8: 24 AM
Yours, though
Text Message
From: Audrey
To: Ethan
Friday, 8: 25 AM
Yeah. Mine.
-End-
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I was not sure how people could pull this prompt off, but this was a great read. Warm, cute, and the playlist was a cool idea to keep everything connected.
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Thank you! It was fun to write.
Reply
i love this story, I cant say my wife and husband will ever find my playlist for them. lets just say it'll take em a moment to realize where it is. but. I love this. its amazing and brings back memories, yes I am 15 but I was already more mature then other kids at the age of 7 so I couldn't exactly live the life I wanted, now I am and its amazing, I love my wife and husband, btw, not literally, we're saying we're already married cause well, by law we technically are, been dating my wife for 5 years, and my husband for technically 7 years, its a poly amorous relationship so I love this, I love music, I hope this story gets all the love and care it should. P.S. luck,
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Awww that's so cute! I love the friends to lovers story line you can never go wrong with it
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