Memories

XC

STARGAZING

'If I start, I just can't stop
All the patience that I've got
It's not enough to save me'

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Thalia dragged Neil by the arm into the shop. He'd complained the whole way there, and didn't have Andrew to save him this time. He was staying in the Maserati with Kevin. "Thalia, I don't think it's a good idea," Neil protested. 

"There's nothing to worry about, Neil," Thalia said. She turned to him and saw that her brother was genuinely scared. He'd never admit it, but Thalia could see it on his face. "He's dead, Neil. I know it's only been a few weeks since Riko died, but it's been more since Nathan did. There's nothing he can do to stop you from changing this." they were both silent for a few seconds before Thalia sighed. "If you really don't want to do it, you can wait in the car with Kevin and Andrew. But I think you should do it. Remove that part of your past from your present."

Neil eventually nodded and Thalia smiled widely. She explained to the tattoo artist why they were there, and gave him the design she'd sketched up. "Wow, you're an artist, aren't you." he said before heading to the back room. Thalia and Neil sat down to wait.

"You okay?" she asked. Neil was bouncing his knee up and down rapidly. He wanted to run. Wanted to clear his head. "We can come back another time if you really want to, Neil."

"No." he said, voice dripping with finality. "No, I'm doing this. And I'm doing it today." Thalia slowly nodded. She couldn't help but feel as if she'd manipulated her brother into this, but didn't have the time to ponder on it because she was called in. 

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Thalia told Neil as she left his side. Neil nodded and stared at the floor, bouncing his knee again. Thalia walked through the beaded doorway into the back room. There was a bench in the middle of the room, with dozens of designs on the walls, and tools for tattooing on the benches around the walls.

"Just take your shirt off and lay down on your front," the woman said. Thalia nodded and did as she was asked. "You had a tattoo before?"

"Did you see my face when I came in?" Thalia asked, deflecting the question. The woman didn't answer. There was no way she had. She'd been facing the back as Thalia had walked in, and even then when she'd lay down.

"Alright, here we go." the woman said. The process took about an hour and a half, and then Thalia stood, put her shirt back on, and turned to thank the woman. "Holy shit," she said. Thalia looked at her, confused. 

"You alright?" Thalia asked. She was panicking that the woman had done something wrong. That she'd messed up the tattoo. But she just stared at the bishop on Thalia's cheek, and Thalia knew the woman was a fan.

"You're Thalia Josten," the woman said, an embarrassed smile growing on her face. "I'm so sorry, but can I get your autograph?" Thalia smiled with the press smile she'd trained onto her face for months and nodded. "Thank you," the woman turned and picked up a piece of paper before handing it and a pen to Thalia. She signed her name and handed it back to the woman. "I'm Harley, by the way," Thalia nodded.

"Thank you for doing my tattoo, Harley," Thalia said politely. "I'll see you if I want anymore." Harley looked ecstatic, and Thalia turned and walked out of the back room. Neil was still sitting there, but he had an exy ball in his hands now and he was turning it over and over to keep himself occupied. Thalia stood in front of him. "Where'd you get that?" she asked him. 

"Andrew," was all Neil said. Thalia rolled her eyes and took the ball out of his hands, forcing him up. She pushed him in the direction of the back room and walked over to the desk to pay for their tattoos.

"Let me see," Andrew said. He was standing against the wall, smoking. Kevin was at his side, arms crossed and staring out at the carpark. Thalia handed him the ball and lifted the back of her shirt so that the two boys could see; it was to replace the butcher's knife on her shoulder blade. An exy stick, for the future, to cover up the cleaver of the past. Thalia gave them both a few seconds to look at it before lowering her shirt and taking the cigarette Andrew offered her.

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Thalia and Neil were out for the rest of the week, unable to practice due to the placement of the tattoos they'd gotten - which Kevin and Neil were not happy about - however, it did give them time to work on the projects they had to do for finals. 

They were sitting in Neil's dorm doing work, when Gracie knocked on the door. Thalia opened it to see her friend for the first time in a while. Sure, she visited her and Dean and Daniel at Abby's house, but it had been a few days since she'd been able to see them because of all the cramming.

"Gracie, what's up?" Thalia asked with a smile on her face.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go out with me and the guys this afternoon." Gracie said. "Abby said Dean could leave his room today. I wondered if you wanted to see him." Thalia smiled and nodded.

"Just give me a few minutes. I'll meet you downstairs." Thalia said. Gracie nodded and turned down the hall. Thalia gathered her things and told Neil she was going out. He didn't bother with anything more than a hum of approval. "Tell the others where I am if I'm not back before them." Neil hummed again and Thalia rolled her eyes.

She took her things back into her room and headed downstairs to meet Gracie. Thalia frowned and looked at the carpark. "How did you get here?" she asked Gracie. 

"I walked," Gracie admitted. Thalia laughed and lead her friend over to the new car she'd gotten. "This isn't stolen, is it?" Thalia smirked.

"Do you think it is?" she asked and unlocked it. Thalia and Neil had collected the money around the area that had been stashed over the years and used it, along with some more of the money Neil had in his folder, to buy a car. It had Thalia's name on it, but there were a few spare keys floating around the Foxes. Usually it was just Nicky or Aaron who used the car besides Thalia, but she sometimes found a note and a bottle of expensive whiskey from Allison. Thalia didn't understand why. Allison had her own car.

The two drove over to Abby's house and saw Dean and Daniel standing on the front step of the house. From Thalia's point of view, Dean looked like he was doing well. He was standing up on his own, and didn't look too wobbly. But she was far away, and he could be worse up close.

He wasn't, actually. Dean was quite stable by now, as it had been almost two months since Riko's attack, but Thalia was still surprised to see him smiling and laughing at something his boyfriend had said.

"Hey guys," Thalia smiled. "How you holding up, Roberts?" Dean smiled at her and walked over - slowly but surely - and hugged Thalia.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear. Thalia froze for a second. Those two words meant so much in the moment. Dean would have died if she and Renee hadn't saved him. Hadn't gotten him and the other two out of the nest when they had. He pulled away and Thalia quickly wiped away a stray tear, putting a smile on her face.

"So, what parts of campus do you want to see first?"