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september 15, 2023
with the train arriving in los angeles just after 5:30am, estelle, florence and her boyfriend had collected their suitcases and were now waiting inside the station as estelle was yet to hear from zach — which was causing her to worry about everything.
"it's okay," florence reassured her friend beside her, wrapping one around around her and gently rubbing her arm. "if he doesn't show up, we'll upgrade the hotel so you can stay with us and we'll spend the weekend doing all the fun things you wanna do."
"are you sure he's not just asleep?" dylan chimed in. "you did say he's not a morning person.. why don't you try calling him?"
"i did.." the younger girl slightly mumbled. "it went straight to voicemail.."
"you're not blocked though?"
"i- i don't know.."
"it wouldn't let you leave a voicemail if you're blocked," florence mentioned. "his phone has either died or is on do not disturb."
"try calling him twice, see if you can override the don't disturb?" the boy suggested. "i do it to flo's all the time."
"that, or we can leave here, go find a cute cafe and have breakfast and coffee to wake us up- i desperately need that," she chuckled. "and just wait it out to see what he ends up doing."
"i don't know.." she mumbled once again, staring down at her phone screen, just hoping for a response.
"try calling him again," she gently placed her hands on her friend's moving the phone closer to her.
"okay.."
estelle unlocked her phone to her and zach's messages, clicking on his name and then on the call button. holding it up to her ear only for it to go straight to voicemail, pulling it away and trying to call him again. and it beginning to ring on the second attempt managed to reassure ever so slightly.
"oh my god, ess, i'm so sorry," he answered after a few rings, in a very obvious just woken up tone. "i slept through both alarms. let me book an uber for you."
"it's okay.. thank you.."
"where abouts are you again?" he yawned.
"union station.."
"okay, it'll be there in fifteen minutes. i'm so sorry, i'll be awake when you get here, i promise."
"okay.. i'll see you soon."
"see you soon, ess."
"bye," she replied before ending the call.
"everything good?" florence softly smiled at the girl, receiving a quick nod.
