Inklingo
Solo un signo
A2 chat story

Demasiado

Part 5: Solo un signo

Valeria sends Daniela the full screenshot with a single question mark — and in real time, the typing indicator appears, disappears, and comes back before Daniela finally sends the honest, painful reply that changes the rest of the day.

24 messages1 min read5 part series!
1Un número sin nombre2¿Estás bien?3El borde de la imagen4Casi todo5Solo un signo
4:18 PM. Second floor bathroom.

Valeria opened the complete screenshot that Lucía sent her. She forwarded it to Daniela. She didn't write anything else. Just a sign.

Valeria
ValeriaA phone screen showing a forwarded WhatsApp group chat screenshot. The group name reads 'clase 2B chicas 🌸'. The first visible bubble is from a contact named 'Sara' reading: 'perdón pero canta muy fuerte para lo poco que canta jaja'. Then bubbles from 'Daniela 💙' reading: 'o sea tampoco la ataquen tanto', followed by 'pero sí, es DEMASIADO intensa con el show de talentos. a veces es vergonzosa de verdad', and 'como que relájate un poco no?'. At the very bottom a final Daniela bubble showing a shrug emoji. The image has the word REENVIADO visible at the top in small grey letters.
Valeria
Valeria

?

4:18 PM — 4:21 PM.

The two checkmarks turned blue. Daniela had read the message. The typing indicator appeared. It disappeared. It appeared again. It disappeared once more. Valeria watched the screen without moving.

The indicator appeared for a third time. This time it didn't disappear.

Daniela
Daniela

Daniela
Daniela

yes. i wrote it. i can't deny it.

Daniela
Daniela

sara started saying very ugly things about you and i wanted to stop that. i said 'don't attack her so much either'. that was real, val. i really felt it.

Daniela
Daniela

but then... the group continued. and i didn't leave. i stayed there. and i wrote those other things. 'too intense'. 'embarrassing'.

Daniela
Daniela

i don't know why i wrote it. i think i wanted the girls to see me differently. or maybe it was easier to laugh than to defend. i don't know. i don't have a good reason.

Daniela
Daniela

the context matters, yes. but my words also hurt you. both things are true.

Daniela
Daniela

and i'm sorry, val. seriously. not as an excuse. just... i'm sorry.

4:26 PM.

Valeria read the messages one by one. She read them twice. She didn't respond right away. She put the phone face down. She looked at the ceiling. She picked it up again.

Valeria
Valeria

i'm not going to tell you it's okay. because it's not okay.

Valeria
Valeria

let's talk after the show.

Daniela
Daniela

yes. after the show.

4:31 PM. Backstage.

Valeria came down from the second floor bathroom. She walked down the hallway, alone. She entered the dressing rooms. Daniela was there. The two of them looked at each other for a second. They didn't speak. Each one took her place.

5:00 PM. The show.

The talent show started at five. Daniela performed first. Valeria listened to her from the side of the stage. Daniela sang well. When she finished, the audience applauded a lot. Daniela went back to the side of the stage and looked at Valeria. Valeria nodded her head. Just that. But it was something.

5:22 PM.

Valeria went out on stage alone. She sang the Rosalía song. Her voice was a little nervous at first. Then it wasn't. She closed her eyes in the second verse and sang as if there was no one there. At the end there was silence for two seconds. Then, applause.

5:41 PM. End of the show.

At the end of the show, all the participants came out on stage together. Daniela and Valeria ended up side by side. In the audience, Lucía took out her phone.

Lucía
LucíaA photo taken from the audience looking up at a small school stage. Two teenage girls stand side by side under warm stage lights. The girl on the left has short dark hair and a denim jacket. The girl on the right has long dark hair in a braid and a yellow hoodie. They are both facing forward toward the audience. The lights are golden and slightly blurry at the edges. Other students stand around them on stage. The photo is a little shaky, taken quickly from the middle of the audience.
Lucía
Lucía

💛

the two of you 💛

Valeria saw the photo on stage. The lights were still on. The audience was still applauding. She looked at the image: the two of them, together, under the golden light. She wrote.

Valeria
Valeria

💛

thanks for being there, luci. really. today was a very difficult day and i still don't know everything i'm feeling. but i sang and that was good. that actually was good. 💛

Part 5 of 5
5 part series!

Finished the series

In the app, you would earn XP, unlock the next quest, and review the words you tapped.

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