༄ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗒－𝗍𝗐𝗈 ༄

IT WAS LATE afternoon by the time anyone cared enough about Thalia to check on her. She was still slightly high, but the drugs didn't wash away the emotions from that day. Thalia's mind was running like crazy, and the last thing she wanted to do was interact with anyone, but she was hungry. Thalia wondered lazily down the stairs, head covered by a sweatshirt hood in the hopes of no one noticing the large and swollen cut on her face from her father.

        "Told you she was alive." Wheezie said as Sarah made her way up the stairs to get ready for Midsummers.

        Thalia rolled her eyes, grabbing an apple from the fridge. "Surprised you care, Wheeze, after you told Shoupe where I was yesterday." Thalia retorted, shying away from Ward's eyes. She looked at the clock on the stove, noticing that she had to get ready to go to Guffy's soon. She worked at Midsummers every year.

        Ward finished with his cufflinks. "Feeling better?" he asked knowingly.

        "Yeah, much." Thalia responded, quietly.

        Rose came into the kitchen as Wheezie disappeared to finish getting ready. "You done with your reign of terror?" she asked, filling a glass with wine, her hot pink dress steamed to perfection.

        Thalia nodded. "Yeah. No more Pogues," she sunk her teeth into her apple, trying to leave the kitchen so she could get ready to help Guffy. "I'm not going to Midsummers, right?" Thalia verified.

        "Yeah, especially not after getting arrested." Ward answered. Thalia nodded, overjoyed. She had never been invited to Midsummers, and while it used to hurt her feelings, it didn't anymore.

        Thalia managed to make it upstairs without anyone noticing her face. They just didn't care. As she braided the hair on her scalp into two tight braids that met in a long ponytail, Sarah walked into Thalia's bedroom. "What happened to your face?" Sarah asked in horror, having just put on her white dress.

        "Nothing. Don't worry about it." Thalia tightened her ponytail and twisted her red hair into a bun atop her head.

        "It's not nothing. Dad told me you hit Rafe and then got arrested for sinking Topper's boat?" Sarah took a seat on Thalia's bed, Thalia rolling her eyes.

        "Yeah, you missed a lot not being at Scarlet's house." she said knowingly, and Sarah blushed.

        Sarah told Thalia everything that had happened with John B, and Thalia filled Sarah in on her father leaving her in jail, hitting her, and meeting her brother. By the time the two cousins were done filling each other in, it was time for Thalia to leave. She tugged a long sleeved blue shirt over her body (her uniform for when she worked on Guffy's boats), paired with black denim shorts and her blue converse.

        Thalia and Sarah came to the conclusion that Thalia's bruised cut couldn't be covered with makeup, but Thalia didn't care. "You gonna be okay?" Sarah asked, seated on Thalia's bed, the redhead placing her vine crown over her head.

        Thalia nodded. "It's whatever." she shrugged, and she was off without saying goodbye to anyone, riding her skateboard to Guffy's charter station.

        "You hit anyone or you scratch my car, you're dead. Hear me?" Guffy spoke as he handed Thalia the keys to his truck. She was delivering fish and equipment to the country club for Midsummers.

        "Yes, sir." Thalia took the truck keys, mock saluting Guffy.

        With some other workers, they loaded up the truck with coolers of fish and other things. "I told Heyward I would send someone to help him with the grilling. He's only got his son tonight. You're being volunteered." Guffy said, and Thalia's eyes widened.

        "Heyward? Seriously?" Thalia asked, groaning in annoyance. She didn't know if she could handle seeing Mr. Heyward after what she said to protect Pope.

        "Yes, seriously. Why?" Guffy questioned, Thalia pushing a cooler further into the truck bed.

        Thalia sighed. "He's kinda mad at me right now." she said quietly, ashamed.

        Guffy rolled his eyes. "Really? You pissed off my number one business partner?" Guffy said with exasperation.

        Thalia shrugged, closing the truck bed once everything was loaded in. "I'll make it work." she said, and Guffy nodded.

        "Feed the rich, don't kill anyone, no trouble." Guffy instructed, and Thalia obliged, taking the keys and starting the truck, driving from the docks to the country club. Everything was still being set up, no guests had arrived yet, and Thalia knew she would have to see Pope and his father.

        She was directed to unload right next to where Pope's father had parked their truck, the boy in question unloading different things, his father not around. Thalia took a deep breath before she turned the truck off, stuffing the keys into her back pocket. Before she could open her mouth, Pope was wrapping his arms around her body in excitement over seeing her. "Sorry." Pope cleared his throat, awkwardly pulling away.

       "It's okay. Nice to see you, too." Thalia said shyly, opening the tailgate of Guffy's truck. That was the best hug she had ever received.

        Pope had been so worried about her since her arrest, and he felt like he could finally breathe now that she was okay. And then she turned her head. "What happened to your cheek? Was it from Shoupe?" Pope asked, concern overtaking him.

        Thalia shook her head. "My dad came to the station and left with JJ and not me, so I went to his house to yell at him, and, yeah. Gnarly right jab." Thalia shrugged off the interaction she held with her father.

        "JJ? Why would your dad leave with JJ?" Pope asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

        Thalia looked up from the truck. "Right. So, JJ's actually my half brother. My piece of shit dad is also his piece of shit dad. Small world." Thalia said with a shake of her head, hopping into Guffy's truck, beginning to unload the coolers.

        Pope started helping her, abandoning his previous task. "For real?" he asked, flabbergasted.

        Thalia nodded. "Yep. Spent about an hour trauma bonding." she answered, her and Pope lowering a cooler to the ground.

        "I'm so sorry, Thalia. I shouldn't have gotten you involved–" Pope began, stressed, needing to get the words off his chest.

        Thalia now stood in front of Pope, looking up at him. "I got myself involved. This is all the Kooks' fault, not yours. You believe that, right?" Pope nodded, but Thalia didn't believe him. She reached forward and took his hand, practically hearing his heart skip a beat. "It's not your fault."

        But before Pope could speak, his father came back. "Pope," Heyward said, and Thalia dropped Pope's hand right away. "I told you to finish unloading." Heyward's gaze darkened when he saw Thalia standing with his son.

        "Sorry, Pop." Pope glanced at Thalia and went back to what he was doing before Thalia showed up.

        Heyward's eyes settled on the redhead again. "What are you doing here, Thalia? I told my son to stay away from you." Heyward said, and Thalia frowned.

        Thalia's fingers were shaking at her side. "I work for Guffy. He sent me to deliver this stuff and help you," Thalia explained quietly, hoping Heyward would forgive her. "I'm sorry, sir, for what I did. I don't have a good excuse. Pope's my friend, and I care about him, but if you want me to disappear, I will." the redhead refused to look at Pope while she spoke, and if she did, she would've seen that look in his eyes.

        Heyward looked between the two teens. "I appreciate that, but it's not necessary," Heyward said, and Thalia instantly felt lighter. "You two get lifting. All this has to go over there." Heyward began walking towards where a few grills were set up for him and Pope to cook oysters and fish, and Thalia and Pope carried a cooler together, following him.

        They set it down, Thalia stumbling on her injured knee. "How did Ward take your arrest?" Pope wondered, wiping his hands on his apron. He was embarrassed about it, but Thalia didn't care.

        She shrugged as they lifted another cooler. "He'll get over it. He's freezing me out, which is fine, because then everyone forgets about me. It's better that way." Thalia said. It truly was for the best that no one cared about Thalia. That way, no one would get hurt when she eventually fell apart.

༄༄༄