The Tales Of Crowboy The Incredible: Of Ink and Power

Chapter Thirty Four

      My phone dings. I'm sitting in my room, trying to block out the entire world. It had been a shitty day. It continues to be a shitty day. Mama had mostly healed up. She didn't remember I told her I was Winglet. Which was good. Now I didn't have to think about what she had said to me. Besides, now things were back to normal. 

        Other than that, everything just seemed so much bleaker. I must be in a bad depressive episode. Abaddon tried to cheer me up sometimes. But it didn't work. I loved Abaddon, but even with it flying around and doing tricks I couldn't bring myself to smile anymore. Even music, which I had spent some much of my time loving had left me. 

     I checked my phone- the light blinding me. I refused to use darkmode, just because I didn't like change and my phone had always been on lightmode. 

      FELIX! The text read. I looked at the contact. Oh. It was Zain. That was weird. Zain never texted me anymore, and never like this. 

     Hey, Zain. I texted back. Zain texted me instantly. That made me smile. I liked that Zain was good like that. Zain was always good at texting back, even now, when things were kind of horrible between us. 

       What's uppppp? They asked. I started to type, but my thumbs were cut off by a FaceTime notification. From Zain. That was sweet. I hestated, my fingers hovering over the swipe thingy that I had to press to accept the FaceTime. What was I afraid of? It was just Zain. Nothing to worry about. 

     Zain's face filled my phone, their lopsided smile shining at me. Their hair looked a little rumpled, and their eyes had deep bags under them. Hmm. They overall just seemed tired. I hope that they're okay. I really do. 

     "Hey baby." I said, and smiled. Zains camera shook, and for a second they became muted and shouted to someone else. Must have been their friend or someone. 

      "Heyyyy Felix. How are you?" They asked, a slight slur in their voice. I replayed it in my mind again and again. It wasn't drinking. I think they were just talking fast. Zain was heavily against drinking and smoking and mood altering subtacnes like that. It was probably normal. 

      "I'm good. It's been a shitty week, but I'm happy to be talking you again. Why haven't you stopped by? I miss you." There wasn't a lie in my voice. I really missed Zain. I missed talking to them and holding then and touching them and hearing you voice. 

    Zains face fell slightly, the grin seeming a little more forced than usual. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I've really wanted to visit." They must have sombered up, because the previous slur in his voice had vansished, pretty much completely. "But the Court is still trying to look for me and now I have work and I want to try to make a life for myself without all this Pure buisness, you know? It's just that. But I promise I haven't forgotten, and then second I can I'll try to visit you again." That wasn't an empty promise. I knew that when Zai promised something, they meant it. And Zain did really want to visit me. 

      "Where are you working now adays?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I knew Zain was telling the truth. There wasn't any reason for them to them to lie for me, right?

     "Here and there. Far away from the Pures, that's for sure. But mostly random places around the village. One of my friends is a shapeshifter, and then can help me hide. It's kind creepy sometimes, cause I'll look in the mirror and be like 'Woah. That's not me. That's a random ass person who is in fact not me.' And then I'll be like, oh wait. No that is me. Right now, I'm working in an amult store. It's pretty cool. This old lady that runs the places is really nice to me and we vibe." 

       "I was going to ask about that. Are you staying safe? And are you using a fake name?" I knew what place that Zain was working out, and it seemed pretty innocent, but the only thing was that Alexs mom works there. 

      "I'm staying safe. So, a little backstory, but Percy Jackson isn't popular in the Alt world, because it's a little bit of a banned book. Just cause it talks about Gods and stuff" Zain said. Hmm. The Court people knew what Percy Jackson was. And it was weird that the Alt world had banned books. I mean, no world was perfect, but that magic world? That's a little disappointing. "But anyway, I was like, you know what? What if I fucking troll everyone that I work with, and call myself Nico di Angelo? Isn't that so funny? So yeah. I'm Nico Angelo. A lot of kids that I meet up with think it's just a coincidence, because a lot of new Winglets come into the shop. But a lot of times, they're too scared or in awe to say anything after I tell them my name." Zain smiled and laughed. That defenitly is something that they would do. I laughed too. 

      "If I was a super new fledgling, and I walked into a shop, and a kid said that they were named Nico Angelo, I think I would have passed out. I probably also would have like fangirled to Owen the entire time." Zain laughed, but there was a strange undertone to it. I think I messed up by mentioning Owen. I know that really hated eachother, starting before the accident of that night. "But thank you for staying safe. I would be really, really fucking upset if you died. You know that right?" 

     Hesitation, and silence. I didn't want to repeat myself, but right now I was hoping that Zain just didn't hear me. "Yeah, I know. I'm staying safe. And far away from the Pures. So, just don't worry. It's all okay. I promise." They said eventually. Huh. Zain was saying I promise a lot. 

    "Hey... are you okay? You're acting a little bit off. I know you wouldn't lie to me. But I just wanna check and make sure that you're okay." I bit my lip, the same way Zain did when they had to think about their answer. 

     "Can I be totally honest? I'm not really okay. I'm kinda in a depressive episode, and I'm tired of running away and not being to make any friends." They said. Their voice crackeled a little bit. I didn't know if that was because of the phone or if they were genuinly crying. I don't think I had ever seen Zain cry before. That's a little weird. "I'm just trying so hard. But it doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere. Why do I feel like this?" Now they were defnitly crying. Shit. "I just wanna know that I'm doing good. I wanna feel normal again." They were in a really bad depressive episode, and I didn't know how to help them. 

      "I'm sorry. I know that it feels hopeless, but I promise that it's not. There are a lot of people that love you, and that care about you. And I know it's hard getting over your mom and dad and your brothers, but I know Zia is always going to be there for you. She loves you and cares about you so much, you don't even know." I think that was the right thing to say. 

     "I know. I know, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying. It's nothing. I'm okay." Zain muttered, and wipped their eyes. His had turned red, and snot was starting to drip down their nose. 

     "Hey, cutie." I whispered, and they smiled. "You know it's okay to cry, right? It's just emotion. It's a stim. I stim all the time, and you stim too. So like, It's all okay. And I want you to know that a lot."

     "You sound like something I would say. And you always can't word very well right now. But yeah. I know it's okay to cry. I feel better." They smiled, and blew their nose. We stared at eachother, and then laughed. I was in love. Again. With Zain. "Thank you. I care about you a lot. I lo-" We hadn't said a real I love you since everything that had happened. 

    "It's okay. I love you. That's what you do for the people that you love." Zain beamed. I did too, and made that finger hearts that Zain had never managed to get a hang of. They attempted to do it, and they failed and we laugh. The FaceTime then turned into talking about nonsense and super duper dumb shit. But it was the type of we used to have all the time. I missed this. 

     "Alright, I gotta go. But I'll talk to you soon, alright!" Zain said. "I love you bye!!"

      "I love you too!" I said, and they ended the call. I grabbed my phone and hugged it against my chest. Adnd this time, I meant the I love you.