//------------------------------//
// Slow Day 
// Story: I Am Octavia 
// by Matthias Ramsey 
//------------------------------//

Octavia didn't sleep that night. After reading Vinyl's notes, her mind had even more to chew on.
Vinyl had stopped DJ'ing? But that had been her life...
Now she was even more convinced that Vinyl had moved on, and perhaps was trying to forget her altogether.
She struggled with her memory. Hadn't she learned about this in high school Psychology? Wasn't this a defense mechanism?
But if Vinyl was trying to forget her, why make her circumstances such that she would see Octavia every day?
She was so overwhelmed, she finally just broke down in tears.

The next morning, she felt miserable. She locked herself in her house, brooding, only pausing to collect the mail from Vinyl.
Finally, she couldn't take it. She called Vinyl.
"Hello?"
"Vinyl, it's Octavia. I-"
"Oh, is this about the records? You can-"
"No, Vinyl. It's not about the records. I just...I need someone to talk to."
"Well, I'd love to talk, Octavia, but I'm at work...can you call me later, about 6:30?"
"No, Vinyl, I can't wait. I need to talk to you NOW."
Vinyl sounded pained. "Octavia-"
"Do you have a headset?"
"Yes, I'm using it now, but-"
"Vinyl, please talk to me...I need to-"
Another voice came through Vinyl's headset. "Vinyl, are you on the phone?"
"Well, yes, Postdienst-"
"Is it important?"
"It's...an old friend. She's really upset about something."
"Hmm...tell you what. You've only got an hour left in your shift, and it's a slow day. Go ahead and head home. You can make it up tomorrow."
"Really? Are you sure, sir?"
"Go ahead. I don't mind. Besides, she might need your help."
"All right. See you tomorrow, sir."
A short, painful stint of silence, then, "I'm here, Octavia. What do you need? If this is about the present, I-"
"No, it's not about the present. Vinyl, I want to know. Is this all just an act? Are you just trying to get inside my head?"
She winced as soon as the words left her mouth.
Vinyl sounded only slightly offended. "No, Octavia. I'm not acting. Why would you say that?"
That calmed her down far more than she had thought. "I was...paranoid."
"Paranoid?"
"I was starting to think you'd given up on me."
"Given...Octavia...I would never. I love you far too much f-" Octavia could practically hear Vinyl blush through the phone.
"You-"
"I'm sorry, I need to go!" Vinyl hung up, leaving Octavia more confused than before. They'd said "I love you" to each other before, but it was a thing they did as friends.
Was there something more?