Chapter Text
Chapter 1: A Mistake at Midnight
Your phone buzzed against your nightstand, the screen lighting up the dark of your room.
You groaned, rolled over, and squinted at the text from your best friend.
> [Maya]: look at this absolute masterpiece.
Attached was a blurry meme of a raccoon in a party hat, holding an entire cake while fleeing into the night like a criminal.
You snorted, half-asleep and running on autopilot as you hit the share button, clicked the first contact on your list, and typed back:
> You: I feel like this is what my funeral will look like.
Satisfied, you tossed your phone aside and flopped onto your pillow.
It buzzed again.
> Unknown Number: Who is this?
You frowned. Maya never asked that.
Picking up your phone again, you blinked at the contact info. No name. No profile picture. Just a random number.
Oh.
Oh no.
> You: Wrong number! Sorry, ignore me lol
You expected that to be the end of it.
Instead, three dots appeared.
> Unknown Number: What exactly am I looking at?
You bit your lip, smiling despite yourself. Okay… clearly this stranger wasn’t offended.
> You: A raccoon stealing cake. It’s a metaphor for my life choices.
It took a minute for a reply to come through.
> Unknown Number: For… your death?
You laughed so hard you had to shove your face into your pillow.
> You: Exactly. You get it.
Another pause.
> Unknown Number: Most people who text the wrong number simply apologize and stop messaging.
That was… weirdly formal. You sat up, intrigued.
> You: Most people don’t meet cool strangers by accident.
You: What’s your name, mystery man?
Another long pause.
> Unknown Number: No.
Your grin widened.
> You: Fine. I’ll call you “M” until you tell me otherwise.
The reply came faster this time.
> M: Fine.
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You spent the next hour texting back and forth with this mystery person, laughing quietly in the dark. Whoever they were, they were sharp-tongued, dryly funny, and just sarcastic enough to keep up with you.
By the time you finally set your phone down, it was past 2 a.m.
You fell asleep smiling.