the end of all things- panic! at the disco
whether near or far
i am always yours
david walks the streets of chicago alone, his mind clear, for once. his puffy winter coat surrounds his upper body, although it is not doing its job. the hoodie underneath isn't doing justice, either. the cold air stabs at his face, his nose red and sniffly. the beanie on his head gives him an egg- like look, but it's keeping his melon warm.
as he strolls the sidewalk, he comes upon a coffee shop. the fire place next to a rustic- looking bookshelf gives it a warm and cozy feeling. he decides to enter, wanting a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. the warm air hits him, along with the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods. the best thing on a cold day.
david orders his hot chocolate, carefully sipping as he searches for a place to sit. he finds an empty table, plopping himself in the chair. he pulls out his cell phone, checks for any important notifications, and sets it on the table. he slurps his drink generously, before remembering he forgot to text his lovely girlfriend this morning. he unlocks his phone, texting his favourite person.
morning
beautiful.
hope you have a
wonderful day.
i love you and i'll
be home soon :)
thank you baby. i love
and miss you :(
the sad face made david miss her more than he did, if it's possible. he'll be home in two days, but it will be a long two days.
his phone is put back on the table. he picks up his hot chocolate again, taking a bigger sip as it has cooled down quite a bit. as he sets the paper cup down, the chair in front of him is filled. a blonde plops herself down. her looks give off the "popular bitch who intimidates everyone" vibe. david's face contorts in confusion.
"uh, hello. can i help you with something?"
the girl smirks flirtatiously.
"maybe i can help you. i saw a cute guy sitting alone in a coffee shop. he looks like he needs company, so i took the chance."
her fingers trail david's hand. he pulls it away quickly.
"can i help you with something or are you just going to flirt with me?"
she looks him up and down. her eyes flick to his lips, thinking he'll notice and she'll get something out of him.
"maybe you can help me with something. you see, i have no man in my life right now, and you seem like the perfect guy to fill that spot."
the desperate girl coquettishly bats her eyes. david is not buying this act.
"uh, no. i have a girlfriend."
"where is she? i don't see her."
a sly smirk grew on her lips. she knows what she is doing, but it isn't working.
"she's not here. and no, that is not perfect for you because even though she is not here, i'm still her boyfriend."
david gives her a sneaky smile, proud that he told her off. he stands with trash in his hand, leaving the girl alone and dumbfounded.
any change in time
we are young again
"david, it's my fortieth birthday. i feel so old."
liza has been dreading this day. now, forty is not old, but to liza it is. well, at least for herself.
"liza, forty is not old. fifty-five is old because that is retirement age." david chuckles.
"forty is old, david!"
"liza, i'm gonna be forty in four months. you're not going to be the only forty-year-old in this family."
she bows her head like a sad puppy.
"elizabeth shaila dobrik. even if we are two hundred years old, we will always be young."
he gives her a reassuring smile, followed by a warm hug.
lay us down
we're in love
lay us down
we're in love
in these coming years
many things will change
"mrs. dobrik? mr. marshall would like to see you."
liza gives a nod to the secretary. she reaches bosses door, giving it a light knock.
mr. marshall has been dropping hints of a promotion towards her. she has had fantasies of getting said promotion, and has been waiting for it to become a reality.
"come in!"
liza opens the door just a crack.
"you wanted to see me, sir?"
"ah, yes mrs. dobrik. come in."
she enters the white and grey, modern office. a small breeze blows in from the window.
"have a seat."
she plops herself down in the black chair, crossing her legs.
"mrs. dobrik, there is a job offer in new york and i would like to offer it to you."
liza's smile grows wider. it's happening.
but, there is one problem. her family.
she has spoken to david briefly about this job, but they didn't think it would actually happen.
"oh my gosh. mr. marshall, i would love to say yes right now, but i have to talk to my husband before i give a final answer. can i get back to you?"
"yes, that is alright. let me know by saturday."
"yes sir. thank you."
he gives her a nod.
she exits the office. when she is out and the door is closed, she jumps for joy. a scream wants to be let out, but she holds it in.
she is very happy that she has been offered the job, but what will david say? his job and friends are in LA. their children go to school and have friends here. hopefully they can work it out.
-
"hey david? can i talk to you?"
"of course baby."
david leans on the kitchen counter, giving his full attention to his loving wife.
"i got a promotion today."
"oh my god! liza, that's great! i'm so happy for you!"
he gives her a big, happy hug.
"wait, david. before you get excited."
liza sighs. he is so happy and she doesn't want to ruin it, but she can't leave this major detail out.
"the job is in new york."
david's face falls and liza's heart cracks just a bit. david notices her expression and perks up, wanting to cheer her up and assure her that it's okay.
"hey, that's okay. we can figure something out."
"really?"
"yeah."
liza's mood rises. david can always make her feel better.
"liza, do you want this?"
"yeah, i do."
"then take it. this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so don't let it get away."
liza nods. david has always supported her in everything she does, even if it means leaving.
but the way i feel
will remain the same
david sits on the white sofa, waiting for his wife to return home. she said she would be home by eleven. it is now two o'clock in the morning. the children are asleep soundly, but david remains awake, scared that she may never make it home.
the worst possible thoughts race david's mind, hoping to god that they don't become real.
she could never cheat on him. she wouldn't, couldn't do that to him and their children. she may come home drunk and out of her mind every night, but she isn't dumb enough to let it go that far.
as david twiddles his thumbs nervously, the door handle finally jiggles. liza tobbles through, a bottle of tequila in her hand. surprisingly, she isn't as drunk as every other night. maybe she was coming to her senses. maybe.
liza throws her keys onto the kitchen counter. she spots her husband, who she thought he would be asleep.
"oh, hi honey. didn't see you there."
her legs wobble underneath her as she tries to walk towards him.
"where have you been? you said you'd be home by eleven o'clock. it is now two-thirty in the morning."
"i lost track of time."
the guilty girl looks down at her feet. the colour on her toes was chipped and old. she hasn't had a proper pedicure in a while.
"uh huh. well, you can sleep on the couch tonight. i will speak to you in the morning."
as david heads for the stairs, liza finally works up the courage to say the thing she has wanted to say since the first night she came home drunk.
"david, i'm sorry."
david stops in his tracks. he turns to her, whispering two words before heading to bed.
"me too."
-
the smell of fresh pancakes, bacon, and eggs wafts through the home. the incredible smell makes its way to liza's nose, waking her from slumber. her eyes flutter open. the memories of last night come washing back, and she does not want to face david at the moment, but has to.
she throws the black blanket from her petite body, shivering under its touch. she stretches her muscles. the couch wasn't very comfortable.
she makes her way to the white kitchen to find her husband cooking breakfast.
david has never been much of a chef, but has picked up some mental recipes here and there.
"morning."
david spins around, but turns back to the stove when he sees his wife.
"morning", he replies.
liza plops herself on one of the bar stools. david places a plate of breakfast in front of her, although she does not deserve it.
"thank you."
david gives her a diminishing glance.
the children have already left for school. they don't know that liza has become an alcoholic, but they have an idea. they're too young to understand the situation their parents are in, and david and liza would like to keep it that way for a little while.
liza takes the last bite of bacon, placing her sliverware carefully on the ceramic plate.
"that was delicious, david. thank you."
david hums in response, not giving a shit of what liza has to say.
"no, really. thank you. you have taken care of our children and our life while i drank the night away."
he nods his head carelessly.
"liza, you can't keep doing this. we have a life, you have a life that you have made for yourself and i would hate to see you throw it away."
"i know, david. i'm sorry. i promise it won't happen again. last night was the last time."
david pushes himself from the marble counter, embracing his wife.
"you can tell me if you're having problems, liza."
the short girl nods, melting into david in the process.
"do you still love me?"
david's face crunches, astonished that she would ever think that he doesn't love her anymore.
"of course i do. hell, if you murdered someone, the way i feel about you would remain the same."
a smile grew onto liza's lips.
"i love you david dobrik."
"i love you too."
lay us down
we're in love
lay us down
we're in love
this was fucking 1811 words. i think this is the longest one i've written so far.
if you got through the whole thing, congrats!
now, a little side note.
because of quarantine, i will probably be updating more often. i can't promise new stories will be up fairly quickly because i am the master of procrastination, but they will be posted soon. some take longer than others to write (writer's block makes an appearance sometimes), so don't wait.
have a nice day. and if i don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight.