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The novelty of Dani being away has worn off. Phoebe doesn’t care about being able to eat as many sweets as she likes without being gently teased anymore. She doesn’t care about being able to leave a trail of socks behind in her wake without scolding. She doesn’t even steal Dani’s cereal— it doesn’t taste as good without the thrill of being caught.
Two weeks is too long. One week might still have been fun.
She even had time to go on her own there-and-back-again journey to her parents’ house on the Isle of Man. Coming home to an empty flat felt so wrong that Phoebe almost wished she’d never gone at all.
It’s not that she can’t handle being alone. It’s that everything in the world keeps reminding her that she is alone, and that’s rotten. The guy at the shops who sees her purchase popcorn and a bottle of wine and winks lecherously when he asks if she has big plans tonight. The assorted people dropping off her assorted takeaway who seem every time to glance around what they can see of the flat, looking for the supposed party of people to eat all the food she’d ordered and then looking at her slightly impressed and pitied when they realise it’s just her. Even her own mum, who reminds her to lock the front door when they’re on the phone one night— as though Phoebe’s fear of home invasion hasn’t ensured the doors are always locked, and as though Dani’s mere presence would make much difference if they did keep the doors unlocked normally.
She’s grateful at least that Dani is so busy over in France that she doesn’t seem to be feeling the same separation anxiety. Dani’s always done better being away from home between the two of them anyway, it’s just that usually Phoebe is there beside her. This time she’s with family, attempting reconnection after the coming out. Attempting to find some common ground. To reintroduce herself— show them the Dani she’s been all along.
Phoebe can put up with two weeks of loneliness for such a worthy goal.
Her softness is shattered when she opens a text from Dani containing a video and a string of unsettling emojis. In it, Dani shows off the available ice cream flavours before she picks, purely for the meme, the Minions. Bubble gum and banana. She makes a truly vulgar sound licking at it. Phoebe is tickled by the very strange mating ritual— as she’s decided to categorize the video. She’s definitely disturbed by it, but laughing helplessly despite that.
“Babe oh my god, this is so cursed…” she texts Dani. “you have to post that on instastories! I dare you!!!!”
“they’ll fucking hate it😩” Dani sends. They both know their audience well.
“It’s what they deserve😤”