Repeating Apologies [An Austin Carlile Story]

Dragging Dead Bodies In Blue Bags Up Really Long Hills

Chapter 4: Dragging Dead Bodies In Blue Bags Up Really Long Hills

I woke up the next morning feeling very stiff. I had slept on the floor because Austin- in his childlike state- had jumped on my bed, pretended to put a flag into it, and proclaimed that it was his. I slowly stood up and attempted to stretch out my aching body. Austin woke up at this time and in his dazed state, he freaked out a little.

"Where am I?" He said, struggling to navigate his way out from under the covers and making quite the ruckus in the process.

"Shhh!" I jumped on the bed and put my hand over his mouth. "You have to be quiet." He recognized who I was and he stopped trying to get up, but a very strange look of confusion washed over his face. 

He grabbed my hand and pulled it off of his mouth. "Sorry." He shook his head. "Why do I have to be quiet?"
"Because if my roommate knows that you're here she'll skin me alive and I don't want that."
"Why?"

"I'd like to keep my skin, that's why."
"No, why would she skin you?" He squinted at me.
I mentally smacked myself for letting that one fly right over my head. "Just... because. Now let's get ready and get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Why am I here anyway?" He asked, getting up from the bed.
"You were really drunk last night, the guys called and asked me to take you home."
He gave me a funny look again. "I'm sure they didn't mean your home."

I tried not to laugh. This must have seemed so strange to him. "I'm sure they didn't Austin. But they also didn't tell me where your house was, they didn't answer their phones, and you couldn't seem to focus on anything for more than 2 seconds." He nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Here." I grabbed a water bottle and a bottle of aspirin off my nightstand. I was always prepared for a hangover.

"Now, let's go. But remember, quietly. I'm not looking to end my life today and you probably aren't ready to die yet either." We approached my door and I peeked out to see if the coast was clear. Just as I thought it was, I heard footsteps coming down the hall.
"Ada! Are you awake?!" I closed my door as fast as I could manage.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit shit. Austin, you have to hide." I scrambled to figure out what to do.
"What? Why?" He inquired. He must've thought I was a lunatic.
"Just do it if you want to live! Go! Go hide in the closet!" I pushed him toward my closet and to my surprise, he didn't put up much of a struggle.

"Ada...." My door swung open and made me jump. "Are you okay?"
"Uhh.. yeah, why do you ask?" I tried to play dumb.
"You seem a little jumpy." Jasmine gave me an inquisitive look.
"I do?" I laughed nervously. "I'm fine." For some reason, I suddenly found it hard to lie and I knew that she knew something was up.
"Uh huh." She eyed me.

"So," I elongated the word, "did you need something?"

"Oh yes! Can I borrow your cute little white lace shirt with the open back? You know which I'm talking about," She said almost instantly forgetting how oddly I was acting.
"Yeah, of course! Let me just get it for you," I responded a bit too eagerly.

"Don't be silly. I can get it myself. Why don't you go have breakfast or something?" She brushed past me and into my closet. I didn't move. I just stood frozen at the closet door. I was royally screwed now. My eyes scanned the closet, but I couldn't find Austin. How could he have just disappeared into thin air?

"Seriously, Ada. What's going on?" Jas turned away from the clothes and back toward me.
"What? Nothing." I shrugged.
"You know you're a horrible liar." She grinned.

"I am not!" She gave me a condescending look. I sighed, "Okay, it's just... you know... I feel bad about last night. Our fight.."

"Oh, it's fine. I guess I was being a little dramatic last night, I know it's your job and I know it's hard to get these gigs unless you know somebody who knows somebody." She explained, and she wasn't wrong. Tour management wasn't the easiest thing to get into. Bands usually hired family or friends or family friends, and once they did, it wasn't often that they needed to find somebody new to take over. She continued, "And I know if you could help it, you'd never work for someone even remotely like Austin." She said his name with clear disgust and turned back to the clothes.