Hope you like it!!!

I've decided to make Thea 13 instead of 14, which means she won't be in high school. More deets on that, but I have to run.

~Songs~

You'll figure it out.

~Edit~

Eventually, me. 

Chapter Thirty-Nine

~Thea's POV~

When I wake up, as the sun is rising, I realize I am lying next to Loki. He's sprawled next to me, his chest rising and falling slowly as he sleeps.

I feel much better. My side isn't in as much pain, and although the bite still stings, it's not horrible. I hadn't had any horrible dreams last night- either that or I don't remember them. I just remember the beautiful dream that Archer had given me.

Outside, I hear the sounds of everyone already awake. I check my watch, which miraculously, I have managed to salvage from my time on this planet. It's already ten. Weird. Loki doesn't seem the sort to sleep in so much.

Getting up, I check my bag, which is next to me, and make sure my Invisibility Cloak (Jack had insisted I bring it, even though it's somewhat bulky and hard to hide.), two daggers, my stiletto sleeve, as well as the picture of my family are still secure. They are; nobody generally messes with my stuff. I also have my still-full canister of water and a small supply of snacks.

I glance back at Loki. He's still lying there, dark, his hair all tangled, which gives me the vindictively pleasing image of a black-haired, male Sleeping Beauty.

Then, I look at the water canister next to me. We will probably be refilling our water supply before we set out for the mermaid lake, so I needn't worry about running out.

I smirk. The temptation is just too strong.

My hands reach greedily for the canister and then begin to unscrew it as quietly as possible, all the time glancing nervously in Loki's direction.

"If you even think about throwing that water on me, I will turn it to ice and then shove it down your throat."

I freeze.

Loki hasn't even moved, but his low, deadly voice has stopped me in my tracks.

"Um," I squeak, "I was just getting something to drink. I wasn't going to do anything!"

He opens one green eye, which is partially obscured by his hair, and narrows it at me, "If you take me for a fool, then by all means, go ahead and try your little prank."

I don't exactly know what to say. "Uh, can I?"

Now he opens the other eye, somehow making himself look twice as menacing even though he has hardly moved, "I would love to see you try."

I glance down at the open water canister, then shrug, "Okay, well then if you don't have a problem with it, I guess I'll- OH MY GOD, STOP IT LOKI!"

I shriek as somehow, the water erupts like a minute geyser, spraying me in the face, drenching my skin and my hair.

When I glare at him through my now sopping wet hair, he looks at me impassively, but then a mischievous smirk slowly spreads across his mouth.

"I hate you!" I wail, fluttering my hands around, trying to get myself dry.

"I'm aware. Now stop flapping your arms like a drunken pelican. It's unbecoming."

"You're unbecoming," I retort.

"I'm not the one with dripping wet hair."

"You're the one with too-long hair. You look like a mop."

He gives me a look, "Thea, your hair is longer than mine."

"I'm a girl."

"Don't worry, I never doubted that."

"You're insulting me."

"Thea, I simply said that I never doubted that you were a girl. How does that merit an insult?"

"Because you're always insulting me."

"Oh am I?" Loki pretends to look astonished, "I've never noticed."

"You're an ass."

"And you're a silly little girl who has run out of at least slightly acknowledgeable and cultural, nonderogatory insults."

"Well....well..." I stammer, "At least I'm...at least I'm..."

"You were saying, darling?" asks Loki with a smirk, "I'm dying to know."

"If you're dying to know, then can I go ahead and kill you?"

He raises an eyebrow, sitting up, "I knew you were going to say that."

"So?" I ask crankily, still flinging bits of water off of me (my attempts to splatter them on Loki fail).

"It's precisely why I said it in the first place. To see if you would say that."

I roll my eyes. "Guess who doesn't care?" When he rolls his eyes, I raise my hand, waving it around like an overenthusiastic kid in class, "I don't, I don't!"

"Run along, Thea. Apparently, as you are well enough to sass me, you're well enough to go to the mermaid lake. Now go tell Banner or someone who will actually listen to you prattle on."

"Why did you sleep so late? Did you not go to bed?"

"Because I was tired. Now go."

But as I walk out of the tent, into the sunshine, my conscience pricks me. Loki's a demigod; it's about as inconsequential for him to become an insomniac as it is for Miryen to come back from the dead.

*

It takes a really long time to convince Kyle to let me go to the mermaid lake.

"You're pushing your luck," he says, ten minutes later, crossing his toned arms and staring me down.

"Look at me, I'm fine!" I jump around, which makes my head hurt slightly, but I ignore it.

"Stop it, you look like a rabbit."

"But a very cute rabbit," I smile.

He rolls his eyes, "Thea..."

"Kyllllllllllllllll-."

"Thea, if you start whining now, you can just go ahead and walk your ass away from me."

I shut my mouth.

He gives me a look, then sighs "Ok, you win. If you prove to me the entire day that you aren't going to collapse, then you can go tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, y- wait, tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. We're getting one more buffer day. Now I recommend you go rest or I'm going to change my mind really quickly."

*

Potentially, the best moment of my life comes as the sun sets over the east, and the fire is soon crackling- which is good, because the temperature has begun to drop again. Steve, Kyle, and Tony cook up some fajitas- apparently, the ingredients appear from various canisters in the supply cabinet. When Jack impishly replaces the "mildly hot" sauce with "very hot" sauce in front of me and I burn my tongue, I retaliate by simply dumping the rest of the hot stuff on his head.

After we all eat dinner, even Archer, Max surprises us by getting out s'mores ingredients. Leah is enthusiastic, "Yay!" she squeals as she tries to grab the largest chocolate bar, "I miss these. We used to eat them at Christmas time."

This memory is true, and I do my best to push it to the back of my brain.

Trying to ignore Leah's detailed anecdote, I shove a marshmallow on a stick and hold it over the fire. Moments later, Jack and I are in the middle of a marshmallow sword fight, which results in his splattering into the flames.

While he pouts and gets another marshmallow, Kyle says, "Thea, go inside my tent and get the large case leaning against it."

"What case?" I ask, concentrating on roasting my marshmallow evenly.

"I think you'll figure it out."

"Why can't you go get it?" Almost there, almost perfectly golden around the edges.

"Because I want you to," says Kyle, flicking my wrist, causing my stick to tumble into the fire. Ignoring my protests of indignation at the loss of such a beautiful marshmallow, he says, "C'mon Thea, we ain't got all day."

I pout, but walk into the tent anyway. And then, my eyes bulge. I've seen Kyle's guitar out and about the house and heard him occasionally strum it, but otherwise, he hasn't really played it. Furthermore, how did he get it here???

"What's this doing here?" I demand as I lug it outside. Jack, who obviously has known Kyle longer than I have, whoops.

"I phoned a friend for help," says Kyle, taking the guitar from my hands and nodding towards Loki, who rolls his eyes, "Jack got you another marshmallow."

Kyle strums the strings of the instrument experimentally and then says, "What should I play?"

"Anything if it sounds decent," I say.

"Oh don't worry," says Jack, leaning lazily against me, "Kyle's bloody brilliant."

"He is?" I ask, surprised.

"I've been trying to figure out for years why Kyle hasn't gotten a record label," comments Tony, popping an entire marshmallow in his mouth, "Guy like him's got talent."

Kyle rolls his eyes.

"Play that Ed Sheeran song," suggests Jack.

"Which one?" asks Kyle ruefully, "I tend to play him a lot.
"You play Ed Sheeran? And never told me?!"

"The fast one," says Jack, speaking over me.

Kyle glances at me, then raises an eyebrow, "But that has bad words in it," he points out, "And we have little company around."

"Then just skip it," says Jack, looking eager, "Just play."

"PLAY." My leg is fiddling impatiently.

And so Kyle plays, beginning to strum the guitar faster, and I begin to grin, my head nodding to the beat. "Now I'm in town, break it down, thinking of making a new sound, playing a different show every night in front of a new crowd, that's you now, ciao, seems that life is great now,See me lose focus, as I sing to you loud, and I can't, no, I won't hush I'll say the words that make you blush I'm gonna sing this now...Oh oh."

Jack's right. Kyle is basically channeling Ed Sheeran, minus the British accent, thumping the side of the guitar for emphasis and beginning to sing faster and faster. Soon, the majority of us are clapping in time.

"And I won't be a product of my genre
My mind will always be stronger than my songs are
Never believe the bull crap that fake guys feed to ya
Always read the stories that you hear on Wikipedia
And musically I'm demonstrating
When I perform live, feels like I am meditating
Times at the Enterprise when some fella filmed me
'A young singer-writer like Gabriella Cilmi'"

Kyle is playing wildly now, with so much passion, much more than I've ever seen before. And he's playing beautifully, quickly, and full of energy. I'm surprised he hasn't broken a string yet.

"I'm selling CDs from my rucksack aiming for the papers
Selling CDs from my rucksack aiming for the majors
Nationwide tour with Just Jack, still had to get the bus back
Clean cut kid without a razor for the mustache
I hit back when the pen hurts me
I'm still a choir boy in a Fenchurch tee
I'm still the same as a year ago
But more people hear me though
According to the MySpace and YouTube videos
I'm always doing shows if I'm not I'm in the studio
Truly broke, never growing up call me Rufio
Melody music maker
Reading all the papers
They say I'm up and coming like I'm –ah- in an elevator ."

"Good save," calls Max.

Kyle rolls his eyes, but otherwise ignores his brother, still playing and singing in the center of the campfire circle. His eyes are dancing with excitement. "You need me, man, I don't need you
You need me, man, I don't need you
You need me, man, I don't need you at all
You need me, man, I don't need you"

He finishes with a flourish of the strings, and we all begin to clap.

"Why didn't you play more like that when I was in Michigan?" I demand as the applause dies down.

He shrugs, wiggling his eyebrows at me, "All right, who's next."

"I'll go," says Jack, holding his arms out for guitar.

My eyes bulge, "You play too?"

He gives me a patronizing look as Kyle slides the guitar strap over his shoulder, "Of course I do."

I throw my hands in the air, "Why doesn't anyone ever tell me any of these things?!"

"Because what's the point of life without surprise?" asks Jack mildly, then suddenly begins to sing, "Heeey heeeey heeeeey

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided
Who's one of my kind"

"I know this song!" exclaims Leah as Kyle sits down next to me. He ruffles my hair, and I try not to smile and fail.

Jack grins at her as he strums, "Then sing along!"

I find myself smiling again as Jack continues to play. He doesn't have quite the energy as Kyle, but at the same time, as he slides his fingers along the strings, I can't help but feel at peace.

Eventually, Jack stops, and then says, "Who goes next?"

"Give it to me," says Clint, taking the instrument from Jack, "I've got something."

"You do?" asks Bruce, looking surprised.

"Yes," says Clint, "I do."

He pauses, thinking for a moment, but then begins to strum out some sort of loud, 90's-ish tune that neither Jack nor I can identify. His voice is pretty good though and although I don't care for it quite as much as Kyle's, Clint's performance is perfectly solid.

Jack, however, looks pained.

"OKAY," he says, making it clear that this is over, "WHO'S NEXT?"

"Thea, you go!" pipes up Leah.

About a dozen pairs of eyes swivel over towards me.

"Oh no," I say, holding up my hands, "Nononononononono,"

"I didn't know you could play!" exclaims Jack.

"I can't," I stammer, "I mean I don't, I haven't in a while, I don't know-"

"C'mon, Thea  !" Jack says, "We don't care if you suck, this is just for fun."

Kyle prods me in the back, "Yeah Thea, give it a try. I want to hear you."

"But-"

"Play!" orders Jack, taking the guitar from Clint and practically tossing it into my arms.

"Fine!" I exclaim, then think. "Um, what should I play?"

"Whatever you want," says Max gently, "Take your time."

I do, pondering what I should try. Then, an idea comes over me. I clear my throat, then glance down at the guitar, which looks foreign yet so familiar underneath my fingers. Then, very very quietly, I begin to play and sing.

"I don't know where I am
I don't know this place
Don't recognize anybody
Just the same old empty face

See these people they lie
And I don't know who to believe anymore..."

I pause slightly, letting my fingers run over the strings. My voice is beginning to tremble. There is absolute silence from around me. Bravely, I continue,

"But there comes you to keep me safe from harm
There comes you to take me in your arms
Is it just a game?
I don't know
Is it just a game?
I don't know

Pleading eyes that break my heart
So homesick I can't feel
But I know I must play my part
And tears I must conceal"

In fact, I'm outwardly crying now, but they're silent tears that are running down my face in little trickles. I ignore them and begin to play harder, my voice ringing out through the clearing.

"There comes you to keep me safe from harm
There comes you to take me in your arms
Is it just a game?
I don't know
To keep you safe from my bow

Take my hand and my heart races
Flames illuminate our faces
And we're on fire
Blow a kiss to the crowd
They're our only hope now"

Everyone is looking at me, and I try to ignore them. I notice Jack smiling at me, and when I glance to the left, I see that Loki is watching me carefully, as are Max and Nat. I take a deep breath, continuing to run my fingers over the strings of the instrument. I finish quietly, my voice now husky and down to a whisper,

"And now I know my place
And now I know my place
We're all just pieces in their games."

There's silence. Then, applause begins to break out, but it's the sort of soft clapping, as if afraid of insulting the performer by praise. There are still tears on my cheeks.

"That was beautiful, Thea," says Jane, swiping her own eyes quickly. Murmurs of assent spread through the small crowd.

I feel oddly at peace. Singing helped me clear my head, to calm down and realize that maybe although my life sucks, it really doesn't suck. There are people who care for me, I can't deny it. And I can't deny that I care about them too.

Kyle finishes our miniature concert off. He sings "Drunk" by Ed Sheeran, and I realize how much I love it when he sings. He's powerful, but his voice is emanating beautifully across the notes of the song that goes faster and faster. As he continues to sing, he glances at me and winks at me.

I smile back.

Hoped you lked it! :) :) It actually almost made me cry.... ;) 

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Poll (after you comment about the chapter and how you liked it lol): Do you think Thea likes Kyle or Loki more? Not necessarily is closer to, but actually likes. Curious to hear your answers ;)