Tattooed Mistakes (Are Gonna Fade Over Time)

Chapter 6

(This... is a long chapter. About 6000 words. Twice as long as any previous chapter. But there is a lot to get through in this one so.

Over the next week I'm gonna be getting out as many Limelights as I can, I need to get a few things set up in time for the 17th when some special stuff will be starting for Christmas~

All the songs used in this chapter are by Bowling For Soup)

He was trying so, so hard not to give up.

An entire month had passed since the first time Zephyr had visited Alonzo in containment, and he had been back again a few times since then, but it never seemed to be any different. The shocks still pained him, though he tried to hide it, and Zephyr would keep insisting that it wasn't right. He told him every detail about being on the football team; games, practice, every little thing, and although Al no longer grinned like he used to, there was always the faintest glimmer of joy in his eyes. That was what kept Zephyr going. But then as soon as he left the containment facility, he felt empty. Completely dead inside. Keira never said a word the whole ride to the facility and back to Zombie Town, and neither did he. One time, Roz and Zach joined him and even then, the journey was strangely awkward.

After the latest visit, Zephyr once again shut himself in his bedroom and this time, Rizzo wasn't there to vent his frustrations to. It hadn't taken too long for Zane to forgive her and the two were on good terms again, which meant she was hanging out at the cauli-brains stand like she used to. So what else could Zephyr do now?

He was sitting in silence, looking around the room, and his eyes fell on his guitar. He'd barely touched it since Al was arrested. Alonzo was the whole reason Zephyr had decided to pick up the guitar in the first place – a fact that still remained his own personal secret, even now. Al was always singing, and Zephyr wanted to be able to play music for him. Maybe playing now would help a little. He stood to pick up the guitar and threw the strap over his shoulder. For a while, he just sat and strummed random chords but eventually, he wanted to play song that reminded him of Al. That might help him think of happier times. Of course, the first song that came to mind was Sometimes. That was their song. Or, well, one of them. More specifically, it was Zephyr's song for Alonzo.

"You've got me under your thumb, sometimes I feel so dumb, you put a smile on my face, but only sometimes..."

That was certainly true as of late. There were times – very short times – when Zephyr could smile at the thought of Alonzo but it never lasted. He played through the first verse and pre-chorus easily enough, balanced somewhere between feeling nostalgic and feeling lost without his muse. Then...

"Sometimes, it's not the things you say, sometimes you're just in the way, sometimes I feel like I can't live without y-"

He choked and dropped the neck of the guitar, the weight of it suddenly heavy on his shoulder, and his hand came up to his mouth. Maybe trying to play something meant to be happy wasn't the way to go. He took a moment to let himself cry, wiped his eyes, and sat up again. Honestly, he probably needed to just cry for a bit, without anything or anyone to make any kind of input. Just to let it out in one go. He was adamant that he would keep playing, though. It had always been relaxing in the past, it was just a matter of choosing the right song.

Me With No You. Now, that would be cathartic.

"I'm not lost, I just haven't found everything I need, I'm not torn, I'm just getting it together..."

He closed his eyes, letting his muscle memory take over.

"I'm not broken, don't you mind the pieces of me you see scattered on the ground, I swear I'll turn this thing around."