Underground

11

August
It's been a week. A week since I told Estelle to call me, and I've gotten nothing, except a growing amount of empty bourbon bottles in the corner of my living room. 
Today is nothing different, going to the liquor store with a massive hangover, and getting another bottle, paying the cashier, walking home, feeding Atlas, then cracking open the bottle and indulging in the act of trying to forget. 
Except today, my new routine was interrupted by coming home to an upset looking Ned and Stefan.
"What's happened to you?" Stefan asks first, examining the stubble on my face.
Then Ned talks. "Is there a reason you've been drinking so much?"
I just huff, and place the bourbon bottle on the little table in the entryway of my house.
"Talk to us before I call Kathryn." Ned threatens.
I sigh. "She's ghosting me."
"Who?" Stefan asks, before getting a smack to the head by Ned.
"By Estelle, the only girl that's ever appeared in August's house and talked to us." Ned says. 
"Oh." Stefan says. 
"Are you hung-over? Do you want some pain meds?" Ned says, his motherly instincts kicking in. 
Stefan butts in. "I think his plan was to get drunk again, to disguise the pain with idiocy."
"I'm getting you meds, Stefan, keep him sober." Ned walks off to the kitchen. 
I instinctively bend down and fill Atlas' bowl up with his favorite dog food.
Stefan looks at me. "I see you still take care of the mutt."
"The mutt?" I ask, standing up.
"Yeah, the mutt." He says.
"Shut up, numbskull." I say, glaring at him. 
Ned comes back with 2 Tylenols and a glass of water. "Here take these." 
I nod and grab the pills, taking them, chugging the water. 
"Now, give me your phone." Ned says. 
"What? No!" I say. 
"Give me the phone, ya whanker!" He says. 
I sigh and take out my phone handing it to him. 
He logs into it and changes Estelles name from: Esty :* to Slag >:(
"Wow, so mature, now give me my phone." I say. 
"Not until I leave a message saying how much of a muppet she is." 
Stefan giggles girlishly. 
"There's a chance she's just missing her phone." I protest. 
Ned scoffs. "And she didn't care to come tell you?"
"I don't know!" I say. 
"Sorry to break it to ya mate, but she's gone." He says. 
I sigh, and walk to the living room, plopping down on the couch, trying not to cry. 

"Aug, I'm really sorry she did this to you." Stefan says. 
"Y'know, it's okay to cry." Ned says softly. 
I look up at him with my teary eyes. "Can you please call Kathryn?" 
***
2 hours later Kathryn walked into my house, a pitying look on her face. "So the love of your life left you?" 
"Not really, I mean, she wouldn't have left if she was the love of my life." I say.
"You know, It's okay to cry, I'm here for you." She says.
"Everybody says that, but I still don't know why I still feel so alone." I respond. 
"He's been like this all day." Ned says. 
Her eyes fall on my corner. "How much have you been drinking?" 
"Kathryn, you don't understand." I say. 
"August, I am 6 years older than you, I understand a lot more than you." She argues. 
"Can we not talk about this?" I ask. 
"We'll get this over with and you'll feel better okay?" Stefan says. 
I stand. "The only reason you want me to get over her is so you can get with her!" 
"Dude, I would never do that to you!" Stefan yells back. 
Ned smiles. "August's right, you did make the lovey eyes at her." 
"Okay, maybe I would've attempted to get with her, but who cares?" Stefan says, with that jerky look on his face. 
I walk up to him and grab his collar. "Maybe I care!" 
"Why do you care about her? She ghosted you!" Stefan yells. 
"Maybe it's because I'm in love with her!" I yell back. 
Everybody went silent, gaping at me. 
"Auggie..." Kathryn says behind me. 
I release Stefan's shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles I had caused. "I'm sorry." 
"It's fine man." He says. 
I felt the tears coming up, blurring my vision as I sit back down on the couch. 
"August, If you need to cry, just go ahead buddy." Ned says, sitting on the coffee table. 
I felt Kathryn's warm hand on my back, rubbing in circles. 
"I just want Estelle." I say softly. 
"I promise you, I'll do all I can." Kathryn says. 
"Wait, didn't you guys just have your first kiss?" Stefan asks. 
I look up at him. "I've known her for like 6 months, you wouldn't get it." 
"Stefan, I think I'd be best if you'd just shut your trap." Kathryn says.
I felt a tear escape from my eye, which was quickly wiped away by Kathryn.
"Now, do you still feel alone?"
I nod. "It's like there's a hole in my heart, and it hurts so much."
"Well, then you need to distract yourself, how much have you been writing recently?" Ned asks.
"Not a lot, I have been drinking a bit too much." I say. "And writer's blocks really bad."
"Well, you need to get back into the swing of things." Stefan suggests.
"Maybe you should go stay with Mom and Dad until this all blows over." Kathryn suggests.
I shake my head no. "As much as I miss them, I need to stay in my own house."
"Maybe not alone, do you have somebody to stay with you?" Stefan asks.
"Este-- no." I say.
"I'll call up Becca and Trisha and we can have a sibling sleepover, it'll be fun!" Kathryn suggests.
I nod. "Why not?"
Kathryn gets out her phone and texts the sisters, before putting her phone down.
"Now do you feel better?" She asks.
"A little bit." I respond.
Knock, knock, knock.
"I'll get that." Ned says. 

I shake my head. "It's my house." I stand and walk to the door. 
Pulling open the door. I see Logan, standing there, looking at me. "Hey buddy, we need to talk."