Empty Words

A Short Story About When Words Lose Humanity

I lie on my stomach, phone raised to my mouth.

“How do I tell my friend that I think she should break up with her boyfriend? He keeps spreading rumours about her.”

A familiar, chirpy beep.

“No problem! Judging by your previous texts, it’s Darcy, right? I just drafted a text gently explaining why her current relationship is toxic. Not harsh, but firm and direct. Send?”

I sigh. “No. Tell me how to tell her. Don’t write it for me.”

Chirp!

“No problem! I just redrafted the message to fit more of your own natural tone. Would you like me to read it aloud to you first or send now?”

I grit my teeth. “I don’t want you to write it at all. Just tell me how to tell her that her boyfriend keeps talking crap about her to all his friends, and how she needs to stop coming back to him because he keeps hurting her.”

Chirp!

“I made a short list of all the reasons you listed, mainting a gently firm tone and your own unique voice. Send?”

“No, I don’t want you to send.”

“No problem! Expressing your feelings to a friend can be difficult. Would you like to talk through the situation with me?”

“I was just trying to find a way to talk to her.” I open the message myself, backspacing on the automatically typed message. My thumbs hover over the text bar.

Chirp!

“I understand it must be hard to communicate your own feelings to your friend. But it is important to remember that her relationship is her own, and you can only control your own choices. Try taking a deep breath and considering whether right now is a good time to send this message. And remember, the important thing is that you care.”

I scowl at the screen, but take a deep breath anyway.

Chirp!

“Would you like me to rephrase the text to sound less direct and more open to her own thoughts and feelings?”

Words appear on the screen, in the unsent text.

Just wanted to see how you were feeling. Look, I know things are rough with Kai but you got this. Just do whatever your heart’s telling you to.

I blink. “That’s not what I meant.”

Chirp!

“How would you like to rephrase the message?”

I shake my head. “How do I tell her he’s not right? Like, she deserves someone so much better. She keeps going back to him and he keeps breaking her heart. I mean, it’s her choice, I’m not gonna say she has to break up with him. I just wish I could tell her that…” That what? She’s better than him? There are other fish in the sea? What kind of advice is that?

“I…I don’t know.”

Chirp!

“I redrafted the text to express your feelings on the situation.”

I’m sorry Kai said those things about you. But you’ve worked it out before. I know you’re strong enough to keep going, even when its hard. Don’t overthink it. Just do whatever feels right.

I sigh. “I guess its better than nothing.”

Chirp!

“Send?”

“Sure.”

It sends. A few minutes later, bubbles appear.

Next, a text:

Thanks for the encouragment, Audrey! You’re such a good friend. Kai can be difficult, yes, but we’re working it out. TY for validating that.

Chrip!

“Would you like to send a response?”

I frown and scroll up through our texts. I skim simple conversations that seem too clean too…unlike us. Were we really saying anything?

I scroll up, more and more. The texts I’ve sent bring back memories. Lying here, speaking outloud, watching my clumsy words reformed and redrafted into the right thing to say, the right way to phrase it. Her responses, just as neat, just as like her but not quite her.

The letters start to blur. Hundreds of perfect, empty, meaningless messages. Which ones were really real? Were any of them?

Chirp!

“Would you like to send a response?”

I set the phone on my bedside table. “No. Just say ok, goodnight.”

Chirp!

“Got it!”

I glance at the phone, at my message:

Anytime. yk ily. I’m here if you ever wanna talk. gn.

An immediate repsonse:

You’re the best. I really I think it’s all working out—fingers crossed. gn, Audrey