and i love her ▸ tate langdon ✓

17. dying

I want to, I need to be
Under your skin

-

Marceline lights her cigarette, standing outside of the school alone during this lunch break. Tate hadn't shown up to their meeting spot so she had to go on alone.

The doors to the school fly open and Lily marches out of them. Rolling her eyes, Marceline faces the girl. "I haven't been able to sleep since you brought me to that fucking house, bitch," Lily says bitterly.

Marceline shrugs, taking a drag from her cigarette. "Not my problem,"

"It is your problem because you coaxed me into it," Lily snaps in reply, her eyes wide as she practically yells at Marceline. "I went there for drugs. Not to be attacked by some fucking demon,"

"Maybe don't be a stoner,"

"Maybe don't be a cocksucker," Lily retorts. Marceline chuckles dryly, rubbing her eye. "Fuck off," Marceline says simply, tossing her cigarette to the ground and stepping on it.

Lily scoffs, watching as Marceline goes to go back inside of the school. "Wait," Lily begrudgingly calls out after her. Marceline turns around, her eyebrow raised at Lily. "I, uh, I'll tell Bobby to leave you and Tate alone if you leave me alone,"

"I never fucked with you to begin with," Marceline shrugs.

"Yeah, I know. But I don't want to fuck with you anymore. I don't want your stupid boyfriend to kill me instead of attacking me," Lily reasons.

Marceline sighs, crossing her arms as she eyes Lily who looked like a mess. Her eyes were red with eyebags, she looked pale and sickly. It was oddly satisfying to Marceline. "Fine," Marceline says before going back into the school.

-

It was finally December and everything once again felt normal.

Tate and Marceline were friends again. Marceline and Daniel were happy. Well, as happy as they could get. School was difficult but it didn't matter. Things felt like they were steadily climbing up in life.

Marceline lays on her bed, her parents at the baby doctor which left her home alone. She listens to music as she reads a book she had to read for her English class. The book was 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

Her door creaks open, Tate's new presence unnoticed by Marceline given she has headphones on. Her eyes drawn in on the book, Tate walks up to her and slams his hands down on her bed, making her jump.

Yanking her headphones, Marceline glares at Tate. "You're an ass," she says, panting as she closes her book. Tate smiles proudly, sitting next to her.

"Just learned that my mom and Larry are going out of town the first week of January. Something about a trip to Florida to see his family or... something. I don't really listen when they speak," Tate tells her, his hand resting on her leg.

"What about your siblings?" Marceline questions.

"Addie is going and Beau is staying but he's not much of a deal," Tate shrugs.

"Sounds fun," Marceline smiles, her eyes locked on his. Tate smiles, his mind in a completely different place than hers was. Marceline was thinking about drugs and music and being alone with him again while Tate was thinking about sex.

He knew it wouldn't happen, but still. It's a nice thought.

"Oh, yeah. I should tell you that Lily, that girl you scared those weeks ago, made a truce with me. Said Bobby would leave us alone if we left her alone. I can't thank you enough," She explains to Tate, standing from her bed and pushing her book into her backpack.

"That's good," Tate comments, his eyes following Marceline. "Yeah. She looked like shit. You must've done a number on her with that... thing," she says. She locks eyes with Tate in the mirror she stands in front of, her stomach churning deliciously. "What was that thing anyway?"

"One of the many ghosts in my house. I could tell you about all the ghosts and their stories if you want," Tate offers.

"How do you know their stories?"

"They tell me," Tate shrugs, his eyes falling into his lap. "Either through an Ouija board or they'll just kind of show up and tell me," He plays with his sweater, a sense of nervousness to his demeanor.

"That's actually really cool," Marceline says, walking back to her bed where Tate sits. He just nods, a particular question weighing heavy on his mind. "My birthday is on the seventh of January," she adds on.

Tate turns to face her, noticing the fancy winged eyeliner that decorated her eyes. He couldn't help but think about how she had never done her makeup before she started dating Daniel. Tate didn't like that.

"You want me to do something? I can use some of my mom's money to buy you something," Tate offers, making Marceline blush.

"No. I just figure you should know. I'll probably have to sit through some insufferable family dinner anyway," Marceline sighs heavily at the thought of those boring dinners she annually had for her birthdays. It was an hour of judgment for her.

"How's your stepmom doing?" he asks.

"Fine. I mean, it's only been a month and a half but they're panicking. My dad never had anything to do with me when my mom was pregnant so it's his first time," Marceline replies casually, an underlying tone of hurt in her voice.

Tate nods, his eyes briefly scanning the room. "Where did all your Dave Grohl pictures go?" Tate points out. Marceline shrugs, shaking her head. "I didn't want them up anymore,"

Something in Tate's mind told him that wasn't the truth. That it wasn't entirely her decision to take those pictures down. No matter how much Tate hated her fascination with that man, he felt like she was letting go of herself for Daniel.

He hums halfheartedly, standing from her bed. "I'll see you tomorrow," he says. She smiles in response, watching as he leaves her room.

Letting out a deep sigh, she falls back onto her bed. Staring up at her ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she had started dating Tate instead of Daniel. Maybe she would've been happier.

Maybe she wouldn't have to wear winged eyeliner or straighten her hair or take down her photos of Dave Grohl or never listen to Nirvana without earbuds in.

Tate liked her for her. Unlike like Daniel.

This is super short but I swear, next chapter will make up for it. If you know what I mean ;)

I love you all very much for the reads and votes and support. Have an excellent day my darlings <3

also, drink some water and eat something if you haven't yet