First message
The razor was where I left it, lined up neatly beside the folded towel like I was doing something ordinary—like this was just another routine. I’d cleaned the sink first. Dumb, right? I didn’t want to leave a mess. The note was already written, tucked under my pillow. It wasn’t poetic. Just short. Apologies, mostly. And silence. I felt numb. Like I’d finally gone far enough into the dark that it didn’t hurt anymore. I looked at myself in the mirror, but I didn’t recognize the boy staring back. Not the athlete. Not the drummer. Not the pastor’s son. Just someone broken and tired.
And then my phone buzzed. One vibration, sharp and sudden, slicing through the quiet like a voice I hadn’t heard in years. I thought about ignoring it. I almost did. But my eyes flicked over. Your name lit up the screen, soft and real. Just five words: “Are you okay, Zac?” It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t some grand speech. But it hit like lightning—like someone had noticed. Like someone finally cared.