Left on Read by Hope
September 15, 2025
Me [10:50PM] : Hey. I need you. Deadlines are piling up, so many college essays to write. where are you?
[Read by Hope 10:52PM]
Me [11:04PM] : Hellooo?
Me [11:30PM] : Please answer me. I really need you right now…
September 16, 2025
Hope [9:15AM] : hey whats up i didn’t see your texts
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Hope is my toxic best friend. She is the shiny promise that everything is going to work out in my favor, a stunning reflection of everything I aspire to be. She expertly keeps me in her orbit by making me feel on top of the world whenever she’s around. But her promises can be misleading and set up unrealistic expectations that make me imagine precariously beyond reality.
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August 6, 2025
Me [7:49PM] : Omg! I had such a great summer. I can't believe I'm going to be a senior!!
Hope [7:50PM] : yesss!! you’re going to do so great. you’re going to ace all of your classes girl i can see you as valedictorian without a doubt 🙌
Me [7:50PM] : Yesss
Hope [7:51PM] : your college apps are going to be such a breeze. i swearrr it’s not as bad as what people say 😭
Me [7:52PM] : I literally don’t know what I would do without you
Hope [7:52PM] : yes im always here if you need me. you’re going to be just fine. i literally promise you 100%
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When the going is easy, her presence is abundant. Her company drives me forward, whispering that I can do anything I want and that nothing is ever out of reach. Hope is charming and irresistible, but also deceptively poisonous.
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August 13, 2025
Me [3:20PM] : Ugh! I just got home from school and we did so much on the first day… I don’t have the energy to work on my essays..😩
Me [3:20PM] : [sticker]
Hope [3:23PM] : chilllll out!! you literally have nothing to worry about. ur so smart the essays will basically write themselves 😜
Me [3:30PM] : Yeah you’re right… I'm going to take a nap!! Talk to you later!
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Enchanting as she is, she remains enigmatic. When the world is crumbling, poof–she disappears as if she was never there at all. When I need her the most, she ghosts me, and the confidence she gives me slips through my fingers like sand. She lulls me into a false sense of security, only to leave me in the dark. Confusion and emptiness consume me as I question the universe: why does she always leave, and where the heck did she go?
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September 16, 2025
Hope [9:15AM] : hey whats up i didn’t see your texts
Me [9:40AM] : Last night was so rough. I'm so scared and overwhelmed. I’m struggling to keep track of everything right now. I have so many tests coming soon.
Hope [12:00PM] : omg. that’s crazy.
Me [12:01PM] : I'm glad you’re here now though. There's so much going on right now.
[Read by Hope 4:00AM]
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After a while, she texts me back. And, of course, I always answer, even when I know it’s probably not a good idea. I let myself believe her again. She finds her way back no matter what. And despite my best efforts, she manages to convince me each time that this time will be different. This time, she won’t leave me out in the cold again. This time, she won’t fall back on her promises.
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October 25, 2025
Hope [9:36PM] : hi im so so sorry. things have just been crazy lately. I know you didn’t end up liking the final draft of your college essay, but i’m sure you will be just fine. i pinky promise that i won’t disappear like that again. I swear this time 🤞🤞🤞
Me [9:37PM] : Okay..
[Read by Hope 9:38PM]
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But as time passes, I approach Hope with greater caution and skepticism. Not one of her promises has ever materialized the way she insisted they would. I’ve wasted enough time waiting around only to be buried alive in disappointment. I’m done with falling for her sweet nothings. Enough is enough.
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October 26, 2025
Me [9:45PM] : Wait. How do I know that you’re not going to ghost me again? It’s not the first time you’ve done this when I needed you the most. You always say things are going to work out, but you never actually help me get there. How about the time you told me I was going to win that dance competition.
Me [10:00PM} : You set me up for these crazy and unrealistic expectations. Why do you do that?
Hope [10:00PM] : because that’s what i’m good at!! hyping you up! i’m helping you stay positive. look, you’re going to do fine in senior year. you’re going to get into a great college with a full scholarship. like it’s written in the stars. trust me on this
Me [10:02PM] : That’s the problem though. You always act like I’m destined for greatness, like everything is already lined up. But you’re never there when I’m drowning in test prep and edits of my essays. I always have to wait weeks for you to answer me. You just hand me fantasies and then leave.
Hope [10:05PM] : omg chill girl. it’s really not that deep. you just need good vibes. You’re manifesting too much negativity right now…
Me [10:06PM] : No! I need to be practical. What I need is someone who tells me like it is and holds me accountable. When times are tough for me, that’s when I need you to keep me positive. Not when I’m already feeling better.
Hope [10:08PM] : wow okay rude. don’t act like you wouldn’t be lost without me..i’m the reason that you can even imagine yourself on those campuses in the first place. you’d never dream big without me.
Me [10:10PM] : Look, I don’t hate you. You’re super fun to have around. You’ve given me the spark and Pinterest worthy moodboards for what my future could look like. But I’m realizing I can’t rely on you to actually make these things happen. I do still need you, but just in a different way.
[Read by Hope 10:30PM]
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She may be of little use in an emergency, but I can’t deny that she allows me to imagine a world bigger than the one I currently inhabit, painting a picture of a future that is more colorful than I can imagine. She gives me a blueprint. She can spark the first flame to remind me that change is possible, but I can’t expect her to stay up all night tending to the fire. Hope has good intentions, but any friendship rooted in dependency is doomed for disaster. I must not mistake her words for guarantees, nor confuse her charm with reliability. Sometimes, Hope is best enjoyed in small doses.