Octavius groaned with annoyance as he set down his cello bow. He had been in the middle of practicing his new piece when the phone had started to ring. Try as he might to ignore it, he just couldn’t shut the loud tones out of his mind, the grating notes working their way into his melody. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the phone, looking at the number displayed, not recognizing it.
He’d been expecting it to be Vinyl calling him, since she and Flutters had gone out together after breakfast to get to know each other. Vinyl had suggested it so as to give Octavius some quiet time. Octavius sighed and pressed the green ‘answer’ button.
“Hello?” He started to walk back to his seat.
“Is Flutters there?” Octavius stiffened upon hearing a gruff male voice on the other end of the line. He sat calmly down in his chair, coming to a quick decision.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t know anyone by that –“
“Don’t play that with me, buddy,” the caller interjected, cutting off the cellist mid sentence. “This is the only recent call on the phone, and after this call she up and vanished. Now I’ll try asking again, is Flutters there?”
“Who is this?” Octavius waited for a reply, but none came. “Look, I’m not going to tell some strange man over a phone whether or not some strange woman is with me or not.”
“It doesn’t matter who I am,” the man answered, seeming to grow irritated with Octavius wasting his time. “What matters is where Flutters went. You can tell me where she is, or I can charge you with kidnapping her. It’s up to you.”
Octavius sighed, leaning his head against the back of his chair. “She’s in town. Now will you tell me who –“ But the other line went dead almost immediately. Octavius pressed the ‘end’ button, then quickly dialed Vinyl’s cell phone, tapping his foot impatiently as it rang.
Finally, after what felt like the longest fifteen seconds of his life, Vinyl answered. “Hey there, sweet stuff.” She sounded like she was in a good mood, voices talking all around her. “Couldn’t wait for me to get home, couldja?”
“Vinyl, listen,” Octavius started, ignoring the DJ’s playfulness. “I got off the phone with who I think is Flutters’ boyfriend. He made me tell him where she was, or he’d have charged us with kidnapping her. He knows she’s in town. I’m sorry, but you have to tell Flutters. She’ll know what his car will look like. If he shows up, you take her and leave.”
Vinyl didn’t answer for a moment, but eventually she said, “I understand, Tavi. We’ll keep a look out, ok? I’ll let you know if anything comes up. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he replied with a smile. “Stay safe, love.”
“Yeah,” she muttered before hanging up.
Vinyl ended the call, setting her phone down and looking at Flutters, who was anxiously staring out the large window of the restaurant they had gone to. Her fingers were drumming quietly on the tabletop, and Vinyl noticed that the pink haired woman was bouncing her heel quickly.
Vinyl quietly cleared her throat to catch Flutters’ attention, causing her to turn to the DJ. “You expecting someone, hun?” Vinyl smiled at the woman, but Flutters remained silent. “Look, that guy won’t be bugging you anymore, a’ight?” She tried once again to lighten the mood, but still Flutters looked scared beyond belief. She cast a sideways glance out of the window again, then looked back at Vinyl.
“I heard Octavius,” the woman finally said. “I know that my boyfriend is coming to get me. I shouldn’t have left, and I definitely shouldn’t have dragged two strangers into this. I-I’m sorry, Vinyl, I think I should –“
“Please stay.”
Flutters seemed confused, staring at the DJ.
“Flutters, you’re in a rough spot. I get that. Trust me, before Tavi, I had my share of bad times. I won’t be so conceited to say that I know what you’re going through, but believe me when I say that I want to help you. You seem like a really nice girl, and I hate seeing nice girls sad.”
Flutters gave a small smile. “You think I’m nice?”
Vinyl smiled back. “Oh, definitely! In fact, you’re probably one of the nicest strangers I’ve ever met. Heck, when I first met Tavi, he had a stick shoved so far up his ass I was surprised he could walk straight.” Flutters giggled at that.
The bell of the door opening at the front of the restaurant caught the women’s attention, causing them to look at it. In walked a small family of three, a man, a woman, and a girl. The hostess smiled and walked them to their seats across the dining room. The girl seemed to be trying to convince her parents that she should be allowed to get cookies after breakfast, while her parents were telling her that she didn’t need all that sugar.
Vinyl sighed happily at the sight, looking at the family with a slightly dreamy gaze. Flutters smiled at the DJ. “That could be you in a few months, right?”
Vinyl nodded. “Only four more months, then this little monster will get outta here and into the world. She’s been kicking Tavi whenever he touches her sometimes, or squirming around a little every now and then. I’ll tell ya, I’ve been so exhausted some days I don’t wanna get out of bed. Tavi has to bring me a bowl of soup or a sandwich when I’m hungry, at least until it’s dinner time.” She smiled. “He tries so hard, but that man cannot cook to save his life.”
Flutters giggled. “You two sound like you’re so happy together. And you have a little girl on the way. Speaking of, have you thought of any names for her?”
Vinyl shook her head. “We both agreed we wanted to meet the little darling before we started trying to name her.”
Flutters nodded. “I can see how that could be a good idea. I think if I ever had a kid –“
But a man entering the restaurant cut off her thought. Vinyl saw the start of tears behind the woman’s eyes. She turned her head as well as she could to see a tall man at the door. He was wearing a black leather coat with a black shirt underneath and a pair of black pants. He had short cut black hair as well. He looked around the restaurant, then settled his eyes on Flutters, his gaze hardening. He quickly approached the table, shrugging off the hostess who tried to stop him.
He pulled up a chair and sat at the table with the two women. “Hello, ladies,” he said in a voice that reminded Vinyl of David. “What’re we having for breakfast?” He scooped a menu, skimming over it. “Oh, I think I’d love some betrayal with a side of broken trust.” He set down the menu, locking eyes with Flutters. “Where the hell did you go?”
“Turner, I –“
“I come downstairs, expecting to find my love waiting on me, but no, instead I’m left all alone. I was so worried, thinking you’d been kidnapped.” He folded his hands on the table. “Then I find out that no, you just ran off with some man. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”
“No, I –“
“No, of course you don’t! You don’t care at all about me, do you?” He glared hard into her eyes. “Now tell the nice woman here that you’re leaving, and let’s go.”
Flutters looked at Vinyl, her eyes begging for help. Vinyl turned to the man. “Look pal, she’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Oh, and are you gonna stop me from taking her with me?” He smirked. “I get up and walk five feet away, I gotcha beat.”
“Just because I’m pregnant, don’t think I can’t beat your ass,” Vinyl growled threateningly, narrowing her eyes behind her shades and clenching her gloved fists.
‘Turner’ leaned in close. “I’d love to see you try.”
However, before Vinyl could say or do anything else, a hand came down on ‘Turner’s’ shoulder. “Oh, my dear brother,” came a familiar voice. “Whatever am I going to do with you?”
Vinyl gasped and looked up to see David standing there, glaring down at the other man, who stood up.
“Well, hello there, David,” ‘Turner’ said, flashing a smile. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it has,” David replied, glaring at his brother. “Not long enough, though. What are you doing harassing these nice women?”
“Harassing? I don’t know what you’re talking about! I simply came to pick up my girlfriend is all. This woman here and her boyfriend are the ones who –“
“Are trying to help another one of your victims.” David cut his brother off quickly. “I know Vinyl and Octavius. They are amazing people, and can do so much more for Flutters than you could hope to do. Now, I suggest you leave.” ‘Turner’ tried to stare his brother down, but David didn’t back off.
“Alright, alright,” ‘Turner’ finally said. “I’m going. No need to get all protective on me.”
As ‘Turner’ left, he passed Ditzy, who was rolling up to the table in a wheelchair.
The blonde smiled at the DJ. “H-h-h-hey, V-Vinyl,” she stuttered out, struggling hard with her words.
Vinyl smiled sweetly. “Hey there, Ditz. How’s it hangin’?”
Ditzy didn’t reply, seemingly fascinated with the world outside the window. Vinyl noticed that although the blonde had her trademark gray sweater on, her camera was missing. She looked up at David. “Where’s her camera?”
David sighed sadly, sitting in his brother’s vacant seat. “She doesn’t even remember to use it anymore, and if she does, she forgets that she took a picture almost immediately. There’s no point to it anymore. I’m doing everything I can for her, but honestly…” He leaned in close to Vinyl, so that way only she could hear. “Honestly, Vinyl… I’d say she has a month, maybe a little more left. And then that’s it.”
Vinyl felt her heart break. She leaned away from David, a tear falling down her cheek. “Really?”
David nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I know after what Dash and I tried to do, you probably don’t want to see me. But before she got this bad, Ditzy made me promise she could see her friends one more time, before she left. I think she knew she was running out of time. I called Octavius, and he said I could find you here.” He cast a smile at Flutters. “I suppose it’s a good thing I showed up when I did.”
Flutters smiled back at him. “Yes it was. Thank you, David.”
“So,” Vinyl said, looking around the table, lingering on Ditzy far off gaze for a moment before continuing. “I’m assuming that ‘Turner’ is the big bad boyfriend I’ve heard so much about?”
David nodded. “My brother was always kind of a jerk, but once he discovered girls, it got way worse. He took out all his aggression on any woman unlucky enough to fall for him. Flutters here is his latest victim. I’m glad you found her, Vinyl. I know how good you are with helping people, and maybe you and Octavius can help her.”
Vinyl grinned. “Glad you think so highly of me, Davie. But I gotta ask, a couple months ago, what made you and Dash decide you wanted to rob us?”
David’s face fell, his gaze locking on the table momentarily. “I told you then, we were desperate. We knew you and Octavius were well off with your musician jobs, so we decided we’d ‘liberate’ some funding from you. We didn’t expect you to catch us, and we didn’t want anything to change between us.” He looked up into Vinyl’s glasses. “We still don’t want anything to change. If you won’t do it for me, do it for her.” He looked over at Ditzy, who was smiling at the light she’d discovered hanging over the table. “She really wanted to see you guys again.”
Vinyl looked between the two, the man in his suit and trench coat, the woman in her bubble sweater and wheelchair. Finally she sighed and smiled up at him. “It might take time for everything to go completely back to normal, but I’m willing to forgive you. Just don’t expect me to forget.” She looked over at Ditzy. “Ditzy?”
The blonde shifted her gaze to the DJ. “Y-y-yes?”
Vinyl smiled and shifted closer. She placed Ditzy’s hand on her pregnant belly. “Remember how you thought I was gonna have a girl?” Ditzy thought long and hard, her face screwing up with concentration. Finally, something seemed to click and she smiled, nodding. “You were right.” Ditzy’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she clapped slowly. “She’s due in about four months. Maybe you can be there with us when she’s born?”
Ditzy smiled and nodded. “I-I’d love t-t-to,” she struggled to say, trying not to stutter too much.
David smiled as well, standing and stepping behind Ditzy’s wheelchair. “Well, Ditzy, we have plenty of other friends to go say hi to today, don’t we?” Ditzy nodded in affirmation. “Then we’d best be on our way. Say goodbye to Vinyl, ok?”
Ditzy looked at Vinyl, her crossed eyes focusing on Vinyl and a light seeming to come back into their dull gaze. She smiled sweetly, that smile that Vinyl had seen so many times. “Goodbye, Violet.”
Vinyl felt her heart shatter again, another tear sneaking out as she smiled. “Bye, Ditzy.”
David turned Ditzy around, and the two were gone, heading out for Ditzy to make her visits. Vinyl had noticed that as she was turning, the light behind her eyes had died again, her gaze dull and distant.
Flutters placed a hand on Vinyl’s, causing the DJ to look up. Flutters was smiling warmly. “If she had friends half as nice as you, she led a great life. I’m sorry I couldn’t know her better. You’re lucky.”
Vinyl looked to where David and Ditzy were walking down the street, and smiled softly. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I guess I am pretty lucky.”