Circles - Post Malone

Sixty Three

Dahlia walks into the apartment to see Gina reading a magazine on the bed. Her heart drops when she sees how empty the apartment is. All Austins stuff is gone. His mattress, clothing, guitars, and even the mug he has his morning coffee in which is actually her cup - bastard. Gina puts down the magazine and sits up when she sees Dahlia.

"Where did you go after lunch?"

"I had to work, Gina," Dahlia says kicking off her shoes and laying down on the bed next to Gina.

"You ok?"

"Why would I not be?"

"Well, Austin told me that you could not go to LA. William was keeping you here...is that true?"

"Yes."

Gina sighs and lays back down on the bed facing Dahlia then smiles at her. "I figured. Austin was pretty adamant that you were not going while he was packing up. I spoke to the landlord already and have taken over the lease on this place. So don't worry about finding a new apartment. This place is ours," Gina says. Dahlia frowns and goes up on her elbow. "What do you mean? Are you not going to LA?" Dahlia asks. Gina shakes her head. "Nope. I am staying right here with you," she says.

"You don't have to do that."

"I know."

Dahlia smiles down at her while Gina grins back. Then Dahlia lays down and wraps her arms around her. Gina's body starts shaking excitedly immediately. "Oh my gosh! Are you going to let me cuddle you!" she giggles out. "It's a one-time thing, don't get used to it...oh and I love you." Gina stops breathing and then Dahlia hears a tiny little wind sound. "Gina did you just fart?" she asks. "I'm sorry, I am just so excited. You can't just throw all this at me in one go and not expect me to have a little meltdown," she says, or at least tries to say while she is now crying and laughing. "You are too much sometimes. Just lay still," Dahlia says. "Ok. Ok and I love you too," Gina says cuddling up to Dahlia with a stupid grin on her face. Dahlia falls asleep but she does keep her phone close - just in case.

The next morning Gina goes out to have coffee with Harry to say goodbye. She invites Dahlia but Dahlia declines. The twins however know no boundaries so they come to the apartment and demand a proper goodbye. Dahlia rolls her eyes and lets each of them hug her then smiles sinisterly when she says that she loves them and watches their eyes fill with tears as they take in her words. If she had known her telling people she loved them would have them break down in front of her she might have started saying it earlier. Once they have gathered themselves they apologize for Austin not being able to come and say goodbye to her. They make up a bullshit excuse about him having to meet with the record label and tie up loose ends. Dahlia knows he had no intention of saying goodbye. He hates her. He never wants to see her again.

By that afternoon, Austin, Harry, and the twins have left New York. She knows this because the air suddenly feels icy and the sky looks like a depressing black cloud has been draped over it like it will never see a blue sky again. Dahlia half expects to see a violin player on every street corner serenading her pathetic stupid life. If it had not been for Gina, William and Edward she would have crawled back to her trailer and drunk herself out of this fucked up reality. The days go by without event - Gina starts her modeling job and although they are living together Gina and Dahlia often miss each other due to how busy their jobs keep them. But they make a point of texting each other or video calling during the day when they can. It's crazy but they will do whatever they need to do to keep their friendship strong.

Days morph into weeks and the only phone calls and texts Dahlia receives are from Gina or William for work shit or Edward about some sweet motivational shit or from the twins - pictures of Austins shows of how big they have grown she knows it's only a matter of time until he does play at Matterson Square Garden. But she does not think she will go see him if he does. The last message from the twins was a picture they snuck of Austin's new album. It's red and back with Desideratum Hart written across the cover in gold. She snorts a little when she realizes that the band had spelled 'Hart' the way her surname is slept and not the normal way heart is spelt. Weird coincidence.

Austin never calls. He never texts and he never sends any pictures. He has cut her out of his life as if she never existed. He was true to his word when he said that he never wanted to see her again. She misses him so much and every morning when she wakes to another day filled with silence from Austin she dies a little inside. She knows she needs to try and get over him but she does not think she ever can. At least she has Gina - if she lost Gina then...well then... it's too dark to think about. She gets restless one day while she is alone in the apartment and does a little cleanout, coming across the picture she took of Austin when he took her on that date. He looks so handsome and so happy in this picture. It's a favorite.

She remembers William's words and then pulls her locket out of her shirt. William is right. Even though Austin does not love her, even though he never wants to see her again that does not stop the simple fact that she loves him and that the empty side of her locket was never filled because it belongs to Austin. So she cuts his picture out and places it next to her mothers in her locket. She will learn to live without Austin just as she learned to live without her mother.

"Watch over him, mum. I love him very much," she whispers and then closes the locket.

The end......I am just joking.