"You like this music?" Sophie asks. "I do. But, I have never heard this song. Who is it?" Cleo asks.
"Post Malone."
"Post Malone. That's a weird name."
"If you think his name is weird you will be gobsmacked at what he looks like. The poor guy hit every weird branch when he fell out of the weird tree."
Austin grunts and rolls his eyes as he shakes his head. Cleo laughs softly at both of them. "I don't think that's the way the saying goes. But, I get your point," she says and looks at Austin. "You don't like him?" she asks. "He is nothing to write home about. Bit of an ass if you ask me," Austin says, hiding a smile as if he knows something she does not. "Wanna see one of his music videos?" Sophie asks. "Sophie..." Austin mumbles, it sounds a little like a warning. "Um...yes, please. How long has he been around?" she asks. "He has been killing our eardrums for the past ten years," Sophie says turning on the TV and flicking through the channels.
Austin does not turn around to look at the TV and continues to eat his breakfast. He is not a fan of this Post Malone guy. Post? Decon asked her if she had known people with that name in a few of the questions he had asked over the week. Odd coincidence. "Yes! I knew it! He is hot shit right now, there is always a Channel playing one of his videos. Cleo watches the TV. It's an odd music video with a knight walking around in what looks like the aftermath of a pretty bloody war. Then her eyes squint and she cocks her head. Is that Austin? It looks like Austin. It looks exactly like Austin, maybe a little younger than he is now and his beard is not as full as it is now but that is definitely him.
She flicks her eyes at him and sees he is looking at her with a sheepish face. "That's...that's you. Is that you? That's you," Cleo says looking between Austin on her bed and Austin on the TV.
"Yes, that's me."
"Post Malone?"
"Stage name...you suggested it."
"You are a singer?"
"Yes."
"Oh...well that makes a little more sense now."
"What makes a little more sense now, baby?" he asks cocking his head with a puzzled face. "I was wondering how you held down a job with this look you have got going on," she explains. Austin looks down at his body and then back at her.
"Yeah... it's a little much."
"You have silver teeth."
"White gold, but yeah. I have a Dimond set too. I switch between them."
"You are a little over the top."
"I could tone it down if you like," he says with a shrug. Why would Cleo want that? He is a lot to take in and every time she looks at him she finds something new that she had not seen before. But, she likes it. Even if he is a little excentric and over the top - she likes it. "No," she says shaking her head, "I like you like this. I think you look very nice. Very yourself, " she says. Austin smiles at her. It's a real smile, the same smile he had when she first opened her eyes. That sunshine smile makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "Well, I will be damed. Shaz was right all along," Sophie says taking the empty breakfast trays and walking out the door just as Decon walks in. "Reading the room. Scanning. Yes, we look good for a joke. Cloe, who has long black hair, has defied all odds and is in the process of getting discharged because her doctor has run out of tests to do?"
"Me?"
"Ding, ding, ding. Correct! I always knew you were not just a pretty face."
"Hold on there, Decon. Are you sure she is ready to go home?" Austin says quickly. His face worried. "Look man, I have done repeated tests. Everything is perfect. She is in perfect condition, if she were a show pony you could sell her for top dollar. If I do more tests I will just repeat the tests I have already repeated. I can't see any valid reason to keep her here."
Gut Instict
Start from the beginning
