Dial Drunk - Post Malone

44

Austin has broken most of his rules this week. He had not meant to but, his head is busy with thoughts of Levi. He can't get rid of the sinking feeling that something more is going on for Levi. He knows her. He knows her more intimately than anyone and something is off. He understands what Dre is saying, Austin knows he has a tenancy to hate any man who dates Levi so why would it be any different with this guy? But it is. This is different. Something is wrong and he won't let go until he is absolutely certain he is making up bullshit in his head, or not.

But, he can't speak to Levi because she has made it clear that he will never see her again if he tries. Dre thinks this is his usual self-centred response to Levi's boyfriends so he is not taking him seriously and Cecilia warned him softly but sternly that if he fucks around in Levi's life she will choose Levi's side. Grassy has not said a word which is unusual and sparks interest in Austin and his theory. But, he has to tread carefully because along with Cecilia and Dre, Grassy is very protective over Levi. So Austin's solution is to drink heavily at night, back on the whisky, in an attempt to block out those voices who have started screaming at him. He also festers over Levi's boyfriend and spends most I've his drinking sessions combing the internet for information about him. He can't find anything bad about him but it does not ease Austin's mind - he hates the boyfriend.

But, soon the week ends and he finds himself in a car on the way to the studio to start writing his fourth album with Levi. They take him around to the back private entrance of the studio because the amount of fans and media out the front is insane. Walking into the studio and down to the recording studio he sees Timmy standing outside the door. He greets him and then slips inside. Levi is waiting for him, already busy on the couch, writing. She looks up and sees Austin but puts down her head almost immediately and continues to work. Their coach is still not here so he will speak to Dre later in the hopes he can track it down. He wants it, he intends on putting it in his house. He just wants it. Levi is short with him and ignores him most of the time, but somehow, Austin has no idea how - they pump out a bunch of songs.

Over the next two weeks, Austin's hope is always the same every morning when he arrives at the studio - he hopes that their time spent together will soften Levi and break a few of her walls, hoping they fall back into that bubble - but that never happens. She keeps him at arm's length, hardly looks at him, and one-word answers are her preferred response to his questions. She also never, never, smiles at him. She declines any food he orders for lunch too, those fries they used to share go untouched by her and she is also, strangely enough, often late for their writing sessions.

Austin voices his concern to Dre about this because Levi is not like that, she was always early for their sessions in the past. It is just the way she is wired, but Dre shuts him down and gives him yet another warning to back the fuck off. Grassy remains quiet. His drinking has also gone into overdrive again if the five empty whisky bottles under his bed are anything to go by. He is spiralling again, he can feel it. But, he can not push aside that feeling that something is wrong. Seriously wrong. He is not trying to sabotage Levi's life and he wants her to move on, but she deserves better than whatever that boyfriend is offering her.

So it's no wonder that one particular morning he is sitting alone in the studio waiting for Levi to arrive so they can finish off the last few songs. Ten minutes after their start time Levi rushes into the studio, in a frantic mess while signing her apologies. "It's fine, Levi," Austin signs. She sits down next to him and pulls out all their notebooks, opening them and getting straight to work. No chit-chat, nothing, just work. So Austin sighs and gets to work. They spend the whole day working on the songs and by late afternoon they are done. "We are done? That's it?" Levi frowns flipping through the notebooks at the songs they have worked on and marked as album-ready. "Yeah... it's a heartbreak melancholy album," Austin Signs. "The songs write themselves as do our lives. We have very little control," Levi signs then reaches over to place the notebooks into her bag. Her shirt rides up a little and shamefully Austin's eyes flick to the exposed skin on her hip. But, he frowns immediately.