[Cold Open]
[Heartbeat]
THUM.
...
THUM.
[Detuned acoustic guitar]
[Voice, almost whispering]
Don’t ask me twice.
If I say
“I’m okay”...
just look at me
for one more second.
[Verse 1]
I’ve gotten good
at answering fast.
“Yeah.”
“I’m good.”
“Just tired.”
Three little exits
I keep
in my pocket.
You ask:
“Did you sleep?”
I say:
“Enough.”
You ask:
“Did you eat?”
I say:
“Later.”
You ask:
“Do you wanna talk?”
[Small pause]
No.
Which usually means:
yes.
But not like this.
Not with the lights on.
Not while I’m looking
at your face.
Because if I see
you actually listening...
I might say
something real.
[Heartbeat]
THUM.
THUM.
[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t want
a lesson.
I don’t want
a fix.
I want one minute
where I can be
the worst version
of the sentence
and you don’t
clean it up.
[Verse 2 - flow slightly faster]
I hate mornings
after bad nights.
Everything looks
too normal.
Bus still comes.
Coffee still tastes
like coffee.
People still say:
“Morning.”
Like nothing happened
at three fifteen
when I was sitting
on the bathroom floor
trying to figure out
why my chest
felt louder
than the whole house.
And then daylight comes
like:
“Anyway.”
That’s rude.
[Small broken laugh]
I go outside.
Put headphones on.
No music.
Just so nobody talks to me.
That’s probably
not healthy.
But neither is
pretending every day
is just
another day.
[Acoustic guitar stops]
[Silence]
[Voice very low]
You ask me:
“Are you sure?”
[Long breath]
Don’t.
[Heartbeat speeds]
THUM-THUM.
THUM-THUM.
[Voice cracks]
Don’t ask me twice.
[Explosive scream]
DON’T ASK ME TWICE!
[Full distorted beat slams in]
[Chorus - screamo]
DON’T ASK ME TWICE!
I SAID I’M FINE!
BECAUSE IF I SAY
WHAT’S REALLY INSIDE—
I DON’T KNOW
WHAT COMES OUT!
DON’T ASK ME TWICE!
DON’T STAND TOO CLOSE!
I’VE BEEN HOLDING
THIS SHIT SO TIGHT
I FORGOT
HOW TO LET IT GO!
[808 distortion]
[Verse 3 - screamed rap]
I’M MAD!
I’M TIRED!
I’M JEALOUS!
I’M SCARED!
I’M SICK
OF MAKING EVERYTHING
SOUND FAIR!
I’M SICK
OF SAYING:
“IT’S COMPLICATED.”
NO!
SOMETIMES
I JUST HATED IT!
SOMETIMES
I WANTED TO LEAVE!
SOMETIMES
I WANTED YOU
TO NOTICE
WITHOUT ME
BEGGING YOU TO SEE!
[Drums cut]
[Voice still screaming a cappella]
AND THAT’S NOT FAIR EITHER!
[Silence]
[Breathing]
[Acoustic guitar returns faintly]
[Bridge]
[Voice, broken and exhausted]
There.
That’s closer.
Not pretty.
Not smart.
Not quotable.
Just...
closer.
[Heartbeat slows]
THUM.
...
THUM.
[Final Section]
I don’t need you
to understand
all of it.
I don’t understand
all of it.
Just—
next time
I say:
“I’m fine”...
don’t argue.
Don’t fix me.
Don’t force it.
[Small pause]
Just stay
for one more second.
If I look away...
stay.
If I laugh...
stay.
If I say:
“Never mind”...
[Voice cracks]
maybe—
don’t.
[Final distortion burst]
[Lead scream]
DON’T ASK ME TWICE!
JUST HEAR ME ONCE!
[Everything cuts]
[Outro]
[Heartbeat only]
THUM.
...
THUM.
[Voice whisper]
That was enough.
