The Original High (Koli) ✔️

11: Love Fades

As Danny left the trailer, the feel of euphoria slowly started to kick in. I let out a satisfied smile and left the trailer, meeting the sunlight, feeling like its warmth was hugging me. All my worries and usual thoughts left my mind as for the first time this summer I actually appreciated feeling the sun on my skin.

"Hey, guys!" I happily greeted Vic and Oli as I spotted them sitting out in the field just beside the Bryan Stars interview booth. "What's up?" I asked as I plumped down beside them.

"Oh we just finished an interview so we're chillin' here for a bit." Oli explained.

"You seem to be in a very. . . good mood." Vic observed, looking at me suspiciously as he took a sip from his can of Monster Energy. I just smiled at him, squinting my eyes, pretending it to be because of the sun, but really just wanting to hide my probably dilated pupils.

Damnit, why didn't I bring my sunglasses?

I scanned the area around me and let out a satisfied sigh. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Vic still staring at me with suspicion in his eyes. He probably knew what was going on. And he confirmed that by sighing softly and throwing me a disapproving yet sympathetic look.

"So, we're getting tattoos later." Oli then started in an amused tone.

"We?" Vic repeated with a chuckle. "I'm not getting shit." He said.

I sat up again and smiled at Oli. "Really? Can I join you?" I asked him excitedly. If it was one thing that I loved, it was tattoos. To me they were beautiful story telling works of art. I just loved it.

Oli nodded and laughed. "Yeah, sure! How many tattoos do you have?"

"Yeah just a few." I shrugged. "Got my first ones when I was like 15- the treble clef, eighth note and bass clef. You know, because music has always been there through everything." I told him as I showed all three of them.

(I don't know what age Kellin got them for real but just go with it- it's fanfiction anyway. he will also have some tattoos in this that he doesn't even have for real, so...)

"That's cool." Oli stated with a laugh as he looked at them.

I shrugged again and chuckled. "Yeah, I honestly didn't give it that much thought at the time, I just had to have a tattoo, you know? But I definitely don't regret them."

"So what else do you have?" He then asked as he cocked his head sideways.

I lifted and moved my shirt here and there and showed Oli my random set of tattoos. I had a lion on my forearm with swirls and scribbles around it. . . on my side I had an empty portrait frame. . . I had an infinity symbol on one finger. . . a K on another. . . and lastly, some lyrics on my chest that I got not all too long ago.

"To live is just to fall asleep— to die is to awaken." Oli read and then smiled.

"I didn't know you had that." Vic said, half choking on his drink, realizing that it were the lyrics to one of his songs. He looked confused as he inspected the lyrics on my chest. "You got that recently, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah, last month. I fell in love with the lyrics when I first heard it. It's a nice reminder of things." I admitted with a small smile. Oli was now the one looking confused, but Vic knew what I meant. Or at least, I think he did.

"So what are you getting?" I then asked, directed at Oli.

"Don't care- I'm getting the first image I see when I walk into the shop." Oli then mused with a laugh.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. He was an idiot sometimes, but I liked it. He seemed to be so carefree, not really giving a shit about anything, but still being realistic and sober about things. Heh, sober. . . something I definitely wasn't. 

Not much later we left the grounds and found a local tattoo shop. As I watched Oli cringe at getting his wrist tattooed, I couldn't help but to chuckle devilishly. He looked sorta cute like that. Wait, did I say cute?

"So how about you?" The one tattoo artist who had nothing to do then asked me, pulling me from my strange thought.

"Eh, I don't know." I murmured with a shrug.

"Oh come on, I'm sure your mind is full of ideas." The guy insisted.

I nodded, admitting that definitely in this state I had ideas for days. I especially was reminded of one thing that I still wanted. It didn't take much for the guy to convince me. And before I knew it, the tattoo gun was piercing through my skin on the inside of my left arm.

Both Vic and Oli looked at me curiously as Oli's was just finished. "What are you getting now?" Vic asked me with a chuckle.

"You'll see when it's done." I muttered below my breath, biting my lip as I fought against the pain. It took about twice as long as Oli's, but that was because it was just a bit bigger.

"Alright, let me wipe it down and then you can go look at it in the mirror." The artist said, putting the tattoo gun aside and grabbing a little water pump and some paper towels to clean off the excess ink once he was done.

I slowly got up and walked over to the mirror, smiling; satisfied with the result. "Love fades but things are forever?" Vic wondered as he read my arm. I looked back at him and nodded. "I can't believe how obsessed you still are with that show." He said, rolling his eyes in amusement.

I just giggled in response.

Oli gently grabbed my hand and turned me towards him so he could see it too. "Nice. It suits you, I suppose." He complimented with a smile, and I thanked him politely.

Vic then mentioned that we needed to leave because him and the guys had to perform in about an hour. "I just need to do something before I go back. You go on without me, I'll meet you later." I then said.

Vic frowned curiously. "What is it that you need to do?" He asked.

I shrugged and smiled. "I'm out of medication, so I just need to pick up some more. No big deal." I simply explained, trying to brush it off like it was indeed not a big deal.

"I'll go with you." Oli suddenly suggested. "Maybe we can also grab a bite to eat somewhere. You know. . . something not barbecue."

I chuckled softly. Something not barbecue. Cute. "Good idea."

Vic then said his goodbyes, throwing me a last worried glance as he walked off. Sometimes I hated how well he knew me. But I was grateful that he kept his mouth shut in front of everyone else.

Oli then unexpectedly grabbed my hand and walked with me down the street. On our way to wherever he was planning on going, we picked up my medication without much issue, and then continued on.

"This looks good." He then stated as we stopped walking.

I looked over and noticed that it was an Italian pizza restaurant. "So, we're upgrading from barbecue to pizza?" I asked skeptically.

Oli scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Fuck yeah! Don't like pizza?"

I shook my head and smiled. "Nope- love it."