Despair In The Apartment Lounge

35| leave before the sun comes up

Song title from:
Leave before the lights come on

23:12 p.m.

"Would you mind? D'you already have plans or..."
His voice sounds altered by the phone.

I look back past my shoulder and watch as Taylor and Alex engage in conversation, with the others half-tipsy and joking about. Should I go?

"What time did you say it was?" I reply his question with my own, turning my back to the sight of the happy couple, I don't think I can bear another day- another hour, here.

"Gotta be there at like 7 to prepare and stuff, but 9 is as late as you can get?"

"I can be there at 6."

"Uh! Thank you, Tal! Fucking life saver, I'll call you later yeah?"

"Sounds good. Bye"

"Bye."

I make my way back to the group of British men sat on the wooden floor in front of the fireplace, all snuggled up in their knit blankets and layers of long sleeves. One could mistake them as a group of toddlers on Christmas day, except those toddlers drink gallons of beer and whine as they wait for Santa.

I dismiss myself for the rest of the night, being too tired and 'car-lagged' as an excuse to go to bed. Knowing them, after the loss of one person from a group huddle, they were going to stay together like that for another half hour or so, then depart to their own bedrooms. So I hadn't much time to pack up all my clothes and toiletry items, I have to work fast. As I quickly yet neatly fold my clothes and place them back in the small 2-day luggage, I think of all the possible ways I could I sneak out without anyone knowing.

Maybe through the small window from the bathroom? No, my suitcase won't fit through there.

Creep my way out the hallway right now- through the living room and out the door, whilst carrying my 10 pound suitcase in my hands without them hearing a single thing? No, I'd grunt and complain too much.

A note. That's it. Wait for everyone to be asleep and slip out of here very very quietly, with Taylors hyper-sensitive ears even when she's asleep, this one was a risk, but what other option was there? I'll leave a note on the kitchen table where they'll find in the morning, explaining why I had to leave immediately and silently. Then-

"What're you doing?"
Miles' voice interrupts my scheming thoughts.

I place a folded turtleneck in my suitcase slowly, fully aware of what is to come after this.

That turtleneck was the last piece of clothing I had to fold before zipping up the suitcase and hiding it under Miles and I's bed. But there was no point in doing that now. Instead, I pull it off the bed and roll it to the door frames side, not too far from where he was standing as he stared at me in confusion.

Closing the door as to not let the others hear, I sit on the edge of our bed and cross my legs.

"I want a divorce."

I say in all seriousness.

"For gods sake, Tal. Not time for our role plays, where the h'ell are you going?" He stays in his position, in front of our now closed bedroom door, his hands folded against his chest.

"I, uh, I gotta get back to LA. Job stuff."

He squints his eyes at me and gives his infamous 'what the fuck' face.

"You're fucking leaving? What job stuff?"

"It's for some youtube video Variety is making, where like two actors interview each other. It's a new concept and I was offered it so,"