After Elliot

19: Headstone Nostalgia

A/N: Jude to the side, along with Ana's shirt and skateboard!

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"Keep your mouth shut, you lying little prick!

You have no right to say the things that you did

And through it all I figured out you're not who you say

Don't bother to apologize, 'cuz I'm leaving you anyway!"

A chorus of voices sing along to 'Keep Your Mouth Shut,' by Of Kings and Orderlies. I rest easily atop of Liam's shoulders, my head banging of it's own accord to the death-metal sound. Liam seems to be enjoying himself, however, I didn't know that he listened to death metal. He comes off as the jock type that listens to rap that explains how great they are.

I roll my eyes at the thought, and continue to head bang to the music. The song concludes, and the band announces that they'll be back on in an hour or so, but for now, Fortune of the Raw is going to play their set. "What time is it?" I ask Liam, over the noise. "The time Harriet designated for 'family lunch,'" He answers, and I nod. "Fashionably late?" "She'll kill you." I shrug, "At least my last moments will be with you." He laughs, then squeezes my ankles, "Seriously, Ana, we need to go on."

"You're just saying that because you're hungry." He nods, "I'm about to chew off your legs I'm so starving." "No! No! Don't eat me!" I shriek, trying to sound like a damsel-in-distress. All I get are a couple of weird looks and quick walk-aways. Liam laughs, finding the perversion behind it, of course. "Shut up," I hit his head, and he groans, "Ouch."

I pull his beanie off of his scruffy head, and he goes to protest, but I speak first, "Let's go! C'mon horsey!" I tug at his hair and kick my legs, causing him to chuckle once more. "Neigh," He says, then nickers. I giggle, then continuously run my fingers through his hair as we approach the pavilion. "Analise! William! You made it!" Darren chimes, being overly nice. "It's Liam," I correct him, and he nods, "Oh yes, of course! Sorry, son." "It's cool," Liam half-smiles, although I know its bugging him that he was just called 'William.'

He hates that name. "C'mon, Ana, get off his shoulders so we can eat," My mother gestures to the table, and I place my hands on his shoulders. I slip my legs off, landing on my feet with a jar, due to his height. Since there's a nice breeze, I decide to pull down my ponytail and bandana, then slip Liam's beanie on my head. Harriet seats us at a picnic table, where there are pre-made hotdogs surrounded by many condiments.

"What are you kids going to do after we eat?" Darren asks, after a long minute of silence. "Probably go watch 'Fortune of the Raw,' and go to the skating ramp," I answer, picking at the bun of my hotdog. "You skate?" Liam questions, and I nod. "She's excellent! Won a ton of medals for competitions." "I didn't see them in your room," Liam comments, and I mutter, "That's because they're hidden in my closet."

"What about a skateboard?" Darren asks, and I shrug, "I was going to buy a new one anyway." "Let me," He offers, then fishes a twenty out of his pocket. He hands it to me, and I cautiously slip it into my back pocket. "Aren't you going to go to the Hot Topic tent as well?" Harriet asks, pulling her wallet out of her purse. She places a fifty in the palm of my hand, then pats it, "That should be enough for band merch and whatnot, shouldn't it?" My mouth is slightly agape, and it flops open and closed like a fish out of water.

Am I in an alternate universe? What happened to my mom and Darren? "Dar-" I start, then correct myself, "Dad, the lowest price skateboard here would be around seventy-five dollars, and those are on sale." And it was true. The lowest price Zero skateboards are set around seventy. I need a Zero board. They're the best. He forces a tight-lipped smile onto his face, then forks over fifty more dollars. "Just incase it's extra," He, at first, resists to give me the money, but once I rip it from his sticky fingers, he composes himself.