elvie: :((((

elvie: ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA ASTREA

elvie loves his girlfriend. he’s told her so countless times, words murmured against her lips and pressed to the skin of her throat while they’re tangled up in the backseat of his car or crowded into the same side of their favorite booth at the diner. he can tell that something is off for more reasons than just the unusual circumstances under which she was calling him. astrea sleeps like a mummy. she doesn’t tend to be awake and making phone calls at three in the morning. “...is everything okay?” he just knows that it isn’t somehow. elvie sat up and slid his glasses on, feeling far more awake and alert than he did mere moments earlier. / @aastrea

elvie: hey, sweetheart. i miss you. [ small pause ] how's the library today? do you have a minute to talk? i, uh... [ another pause ] i have something to tell you.

elvie: how do you feel today?

he should have enough for everything, but just barely. as per usual. “i’ll be right back.” elvie lifted his head and smiled at astrea. she looks absolutely perfect, sitting in the passenger seat with one of his enormous hoodies pulled over her head and pearl earrings shimmering faintly in the silver moonlight. “wow,” he murmured adoringly, leaning over and kissing her cheek before he climbed out of the car. there’s only one concession stand on the whole lot, so elvie knew that he was going to be waiting in line for a few minutes. / @aastrea

he was being as slow and careful as he could, stepping into his dorm room and shutting the door behind him with a gentle kick. his roommate would be gone for a few more hours, but he wasn’t surprised to see a figure burrowed beneath the blankets on one of their beds. astrea had texted him in the middle of class and asked if she could go take a nap in his room, which wasn’t uncommon. it seemed to be something that she liked to do on days where they didn’t have a lot of time to spend with each other, like today. elvie thought that he was being careful, but when he sat on the edge of his bed to remove his green sneakers it seemed as though astrea began to stir. “hi baby,” he greeted, “i didn’t mean to wake you. i have work in hour.” elvie winced at his own reminder. / @aastrea​ 

consoling margo was the perfect distraction for a day or two, but once tahnee arrived in town and she didn’t need him anymore, elvie was lost. the ground beneath his feet had vanished out of nowhere. everything fell apart all at once and now he doesn’t know what to do or where to go. part of him wonders if seeking out a new start is all he has left, but he’d never be able to do it without knowing for certain. reaching for his phone, he dialed a familiar number and waited silently, unsure what to say when she finally answered. i’m sorry please forgive me i need you so much right now. the words rush through his mind but die in his throat with a strangled noise that almost sounds like a sob, watery and small and pathetic. he doesn’t disconnect the call despite going silent after that, only the tiniest hint of his breathing and rustling clothes sneaking through the receiver. / @aastrea