"Want to go for a walk?"
Ethan, still groggy, glanced at the small alarm clock in his hand. It was only 8 AM—the sun had just risen. He thought about stepping outside, getting some fresh air, and soaking in the morning sunlight.
Once the idea popped into his head, he acted on it immediately.
Get up, wash up! Shampoo, blow-dry!
Ten minutes later, Ethan picked up his phone—something he hadn't touched in what felt like forever.
And that's when he noticed, to his shock, that he had hundreds of missed calls and unread messages.
—
"Hey, Ethan, what's up? I heard you and Sophie broke up. You okay?"
"Why aren't you answering? Are you just sitting at home feeling down? Want to go for a walk? I'll keep you company!"
"Why won't you pick up? You're not even replying to my texts..."
"You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?!"
"Ethan, pick up the phone! You're scaring me!"
—