unsteady // g.d. // completed

thirty.

The flat goes silent for a few seconds as the blaring song comes to an end to play the start of another. I don't even flinch when a loud bang comes from the couch where Matty is sitting.
"You're wasting all these balloons," I groan, still trying to tie this same balloon off after three minutes. Another song starts before he can snap back at me, simultaneously as Gia walks through the front door, looking quite tired and upset.
"Hey babe," I grin widely, quickly turning down the volume on the stereo next to me as she tiredly smiles back.
"Hey. What's all this?"
"We're throwing a party," Matty sighs, letting a balloon loudly deflate.
"A Christmas party," I add after giving him a look.
"Oh," she nods a little, "I'm going to hop in the shower then I'll come help."
"Take your time," I half smile until she disappears.
"Nice job," Matty chuckles as the bathroom door closes audibly.
"Fuck sakes," I sigh while sinking into the couch next to him, "Do you think she knows?"
"She's still here isn't she?"
"What about when I tell her?"
"Mia goes bye-bye."
"Well she's stuck here after all I've done already, right? So what's one drunken mistake," I ask, mostly trying to convince myself, "Anyway, that's not her name."
"What does it matter?" He snorts, mindlessly manipulating the deflated balloon in his hands.
"Why don't you like her?"
"Never said that," he points a finger that has the red balloon on it.
"Matthew," I glare, realizing I repeat his full name often like his mother.
"It's just-," he sighs, "she's too...too, good. She's the polar opposite of yo- us. I think she should be around different people. Maybe...nicer ones?"
"Shit, you too?" I groan, burying my face into my hands.
"Let's just say Adam did have a point yesterday. Sorta."
"Right," I mumble. We grow silent, nothing but the shower in the distance to be heard as I question everything.
"If this doesn't work out, would you mind if I-"
"Fuck off, Matthew."

The front door swings open again, loudly entering is Ross and Liz, holding an abundance of gifts.
"Woah, what died?" Ross pauses in the doorway, furrowing his eyebrows as Liz peeks from behind him.
"A relationship," Matty mumbles, breaking the long silence between us, instantly receiving a hard shove from me that he quickly returns until it gets to the point of rough play-fighting.
"Hey, woah, it's Christmas Eve, we don't fight on Christmas!" Liz shouts as Ross laughs.
"What's going on?" A voice enters, making everything go silent.
"You're missing a show," Ross casually calls to the fragile figure in the bedroom door.
"Right," she raises an eyebrow before turning her attention behind him, "Hey Adam."
Everyone greets the last person to complete the get together while I study Gia in her tan long sleeve shirt that's tucked into a black skirt I could've sworn was new, while her damp dark hair cascades over her shoulder. What I'd give to make sure I never messed up, or at least have her be so understanding after tonight when I confess, but it doesn't work that way when you've wasted too many chances.
"So, are any of those mine?" Matty nods to the gifts that are being sat under the small lit up tree up on an end table Matty and I had set up earlier.
"No," Liz quickly replies, Matty frowns.
"When can we open these?" Adam pipes up while setting down a few bags he brought as well while Gia quietly sat on the adjacent sofa, watching the three intently.
"After we eat."
"That's going to take too long, G," Matty whines, "You know how Adam is. He's like a-a sloth. Slow."
"Hey," Adam scrunches his nose.
"I'd say a mouse," Ross thinks as he now plops himself down next to Matty.
"Gia is a rabbit," Liz giggles, taking the right side of Gia since Adam had taken the other.
"Ross is a bear," Matty nods.
"You're a poodle," he retaliates.
Everyone goes back and forth now, but I don't pay any mind to it. I wanted desperately for her to say something. Anything. It was like meeting her all over again (sober, of course), she usually kept to herself, which was something new to me, and it made me feel so distant. I wanted to know what she was thinking. I wanted to get inside her head.
"Take out is here!" Matty hops up, dancing over to the door while Ross trails behind him.
"Guess I should get the drinks," I murmur before disappearing into the kitchen, hoping she would follow me.

"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," I sigh, realizing its Liz, "Why would you ask?"
"You and Gia are awfully...distant."
"We are?"
"George," she sighs, stopping my hands from picking up any more cups.
"Come on, I'm sure she gave you the '411' last night."
"Last night?" Liz repeats, snorting a bit.
"She didn't come home until an hour ago. I thought she was with you."
"Wait, what?"
"Come on, let's eat you wankers!" Matty calls from the living area.
"Who else could she have been with?"
"Not me!" Liz loudly whispers before the poodle himself arrives in the doorway.
"Let's eat already," Matty sighs over dramatically.
"Can you wait?" Liz glares at him.
"Why are you even speaking to me?"
"Oh, that's how it is, yeah?" She raises an eyebrow while Matty rolls his eyes.
"Ross...," I call, still watching them to make sure nothing happens.
"Why are you calling Ross? I can handle him."
"Yeah, I think she can, she's done it before," Matty smirks.
"Shit," I mutter while the small blonde goes quiet, her fists clenched.
"There wasn't much to handle," she mumbles as Ross enters, grabbing the cups I once had in my hands.
"You seemed to enjoy it anyway," the poodle shrugs.
"Woah, what?" Ross looks behind him to finally notice the stare down between the two. I shush him as Liz begins to say something.
"Once you started picking up for what you lacked."
Matty turns red as he glares at her while I can't help but break into laughter, but Ross goes pale as it clicks what's happening.
"Okay, it's Christmas, at least for us, we can't be doing this right now," I try to contain my laughter.
"I have more than anyone can handle," Matty murmurs as we now enter the living room.
"I know mate, I know. Hann, where's Gia?"
Adam shrugs, picking at his food from the sofa while Matty angrily digs through the take out bag. When I step into my bedroom it's quiet and the bathroom is empty. After turning to ask Hann again if he's sure she didn't step outside, I see there's an empty spot next to my wardrobe where a black suitcase had been for almost a month. My fear is confirmed once I see even the scattered about hair ties on the right side nightstand and a certain pair of shoes beside that are no longer there.
"Where is she?" I pant frantically, while everyone in the front room looks up.
"Gia?" Liz shoots up from the sofa while I stomp over to Adam.
"I'm not asking again, Hann."
"What's going on?" Ross chimes in.
"An airport, oh my god," Liz tosses her phone on to the coffee table next to the food that has text messages pulled up.
"There's like fifty here, good luck with that," Matty snorts.
"You let her leave? Are you fucking kidding me?"
"George," Ross intervenes while Adam tries to walk away.
"I-I didn't know."
"Hann, you're a bad liar," Matty calls from the sofa.
"Shut up," Ross reprimands.
"Why did she leave?"
Adam only responds with a slur of stuttered words which agitates me even more.
"Tell me!"
The whole flat grows painfully silent after my voice is so loud it echoes, everyone staring at me.
"She found out. She knows," Adam almost whispers but it's enough to make my chest feel like it collapses into itself.
"Knows what?"
All eyes turn to the only girl now in the room.
"Go on," Matty mutters.
I trip over my words, much like Adam had done not too long ago.
"He cheated on her," Adam blurts out.
Ross flinches while Matty winces as she combusts into a fit.
"I knew it! I knew I was right! You fucking screw up!"
"I know, I know," I run my hands through my hair, wishing I could pull it out about now. I've fucked up big time.
"You think?" Liz slams the front door behind her while I hadn't realized I had said that out loud. The door slams again, Ross and Adam out of sight this time.
"So how about presents?" Matty clasps his hands together.

The burning sensation trails down my throat as there's rustling from the far corner of the living room. I've come to the conclusion, this was all for the best. We weren't good for each other, everyone knew it. I recall Matty's speech, telling me to let it be. There wasn't much of a point in trying to fix something that was broken for good.
"Ooh this ones a big one!" Matty joyously calls as he grasps a box wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper, then one wrapped in silver.
"Here, at least enjoy the gift," he tosses the silver box over then proceeds to dig into his. I take another swig of liquor before tracing a finger over the neatly placed sticker with my name on it in cursive, hers underneath.
"Holy shit," Matty mumbles as he pulls out a bottle of wine from the box then laughs out of shock, "Do you know how expensive this is? It's my favorite too! Mia must've spent a fortune."
"Gia," I whisper, which he doesn't hear as he pulls out a white flowy top with pink flowers arranged on it. I cautiously begin to pick at my gift as he proceeds to take off his current black flowy shirt similar to his new one minus the flowers. When I finally build up the courage to tear the paper off along with the little sticker, I hold up an expensive looking leather jacket that's not worn down like my other. I notice it's unusually quiet for being in Matty's presence once I snap out of my short daze, setting the leather jack back into the box to find him staring at me in his flower top with the expensive bottle of wine in his hand.
"You can't let her leave," he mutters.