knoxkennedy

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

“That’s a good one,” Thalia said. “I don’t know if I have a favorite song.” Thalia shrugged her shoulders, “I know that’s a copout, but I really like too many songs to choose a favorite.” She paused to think about it for a second, “I think ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac will always be one of my favorites. Or maybe ‘Love Drunk’ by Boys Like Girls.” 

Thalia smiled as the two walked next to each other, it had been such a long time since she had had a real conversation with someone. It made her doubt herself. Maybe she didn’t want to hang out with those girls at school anymore. Maybe she wanted to be this real version of herself. “Have you ever been to any concerts?” 

“Fleetwood Mac’s pretty good. ‘Love Drunk,’ too,” Knox nodded approvingly at Thalia’s choices. Again, he didn’t know what he’d been expecting, especially after catching a couple of her open mic performances, but he was pleasantly surprised by her tastes. “‘Love Drunk’ is one of those songs you can’t help but dance to.”

“Yeah, I try to go pretty often. I’ve gone to Warped twice, but I like other genres, too. My friends and I go to the city to see a lot of shows. Have you heard of this band, Absinthe? I saw them live last weekend, and I can’t stop listening to their album.”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia looked at the phone in his hand and sighed. She wanted to yell, the anger in her veins threatened to bubble over. Deep down she knew a screaming match wasn’t going to fix their problem. She tried to keep herself calm. She paced back and forth within the small space, trying to think of a plan. 

“I mean, the alarm went off, maybe someone heard it, maybe someone will come right away,” Thalia said. She was trying not to panic but her hands shook as she spoke and her voice was laced with discomfort. 

“I’m gonna miss that party tonight.” She laughed. It had been the last thing on her mind, bringing it up felt like an afterthought. “This sucks.” 

“You said it yourself,” Knox said, making a small effort to make Thalia feel better about the situation -- he wasn’t sure why; he should have just ignored her -- “Maybe someone will be here in a few minutes. I mean, we can only hope.” He added the last part mostly to himself, self-projecting his anxious hopes onto Thalia too. He couldn’t imagine, though, that he was far from the truth. After all, they hated each other. Thalia, it usually seemed, more than him.

“Anyway, we’re in the city,” he added, still making an effort. “Parties probably won’t stop until four--or later.”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia couldn’t help but think about what he was possibly going to say. She looked what? Was it a set up for an insult or was he actually going to compliment her? She couldn’t help but wonder. It brought flashbacks to her mind of the time they used to spend together. The times they actually enjoyed each other’s company. Thalia often found herself missing those moments. She figured Knox didn’t feel the same way. She figured he barely thought about it anymore. She had probably ruined those memories for him a long time ago. 

It was an impulse for her to roll her eyes. The emergency button, of course, obviously she hadn’t thought of that one before. “Right,” Thalia said, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice. The last thing they needed in this situation was to get into another fight. Thalia would do her best to not start one. She hit the emergency button and an alarm went off. The elevator didn’t move. “Now what?” Thalia asked, opening her clutch to grab her cellphone only to find that she had forgotten it in her room. “Do you have your phone?” 

If Knox knew how much effort Thalia was exerting into avoiding argument, he’d appreciate it. But he knew only his own mountain and the relief that at least five minutes had passed between them without a barb or jeer. Knox watched Thalia reach for the emergency button, cringing briefly at the sharp alarm.

He bristled at Thalia’s question, which seemed more of a demand coming from her, but, again, Knox resisted the urge to snap back. He pulled his phone from his pocket, swiping at the screen for a moment before his expression hardened. He looked at Thalia and said, “No service.”

Not sure what else they could do, Knox leaned against the wall and grabbed the railing. He looked to the floor, then the ceiling, then Thalia, as if any of them could provide an option he and Thalia hadn’t exhausted.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia couldn’t help but think about what he was possibly going to say. She looked what? Was it a set up for an insult or was he actually going to compliment her? She couldn’t help but wonder. It brought flashbacks to her mind of the time they used to spend together. The times they actually enjoyed each other’s company. Thalia often found herself missing those moments. She figured Knox didn’t feel the same way. She figured he barely thought about it anymore. She had probably ruined those memories for him a long time ago. 

It was an impulse for her to roll her eyes. The emergency button, of course, obviously she hadn’t thought of that one before. “Right,” Thalia said, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice. The last thing they needed in this situation was to get into another fight. Thalia would do her best to not start one. She hit the emergency button and an alarm went off. The elevator didn’t move. “Now what?” Thalia asked, opening her clutch to grab her cellphone only to find that she had forgotten it in her room. “Do you have your phone?” 

If Knox knew how much effort Thalia was exerting into avoiding argument, he’d appreciate it. But he knew only his own mountain and the relief that at least five minutes had passed between them without a barb or jeer. Knox watched Thalia reach for the emergency button, cringing briefly at the sharp alarm.

He bristled at Thalia’s question, which seemed more of a demand coming from her, but, again, Knox resisted the urge to snap back. He pulled his phone from his pocket, swiping at the screen for a moment before his expression hardened. He looked at Thalia and said, “No service.”

Not sure what else they could do, Knox leaned against the wall and grabbed the railing. He looked to the floor, then the ceiling, then Thalia, as if any of them could provide an option he and Thalia hadn’t exhausted.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia smiled at his response, she hadn’t expected him to say yes. She knew how she was at school, how she acted in the eye of the public. She was a bitch, someone she was certain Knox didn’t like. But she tried her best to be a nice girl outside, when she wasn’t under the pressure of her friends. It was easier that way anyways. 

She grabbed her jacket and slid it on, following Knox out into the parking lot. The wind was cold, but not too cold. A perfect temperature for a walk. Thalia stuffed her hands into her pockets, walking beside Knox. “Oh come on, that question is impossible. I love everything, all music. Or well, maybe not rap. But most everything else. What about you? Do you have a favorite song?” 

Knox smiled, just barely, at Thalia’s reaction to his question. “Oh, come on, that’s such a cop out. At least pick a top three if you really can’t settle on one. Right now mine is ‘Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)’ by All Time Low. I know it’s their most popular song, since it’s their top single, but it’s been one of my favorites since the beginning.”

“Okay, now you go,” Knox said, looking briefly at Thalia. “For real this time.”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia returned his smile, whatever was happening between them felt kind and genuine and she didn’t want to risk losing it. She hoped that maybe she would see him again. Next week, or the week after. Thalia was always planted in the back at these things and she almost always sang. She wondered if he would say hi to her if he ever saw her again. The thought of that made her nervous, almost. 

She was the cool girl at school but thinking about a guy who she was starting to form a crush on? That was overwhelming. She had liked guys before, but they had almost always been jerks. Popular guys who didn’t care about her in the least. Knox didn’t seem like that kind. He seemed real. Not wanting the night to end Thalia looked at Knox. “Hey, do you want to go for a walk or something?” Her voice was soft. It wasn’t often she got shy. 

Only a few singers followed Thalia’s act. None of them were quite as impressive as Thalia, and Knox wasn’t afraid to mention it. His comment was offhand; he felt he was merely sharing a simple truth. He was still wary of Thalia with her two faces in two places, but he couldn’t deny her talent. Music ruled his life, reigning over his every waking moment and some of the subconscious, too. It was always refreshing to meet someone with the same care and skill, which was probably why Knox nodded at Thalia’s quiet question, so gentle he barely heard it over the din of the bar.

“Yeah,” he said, slipping into his jacket and hopping off the booth. Knox followed Thalia out the door with his hands in his pockets, and once they were free from the noise, he asked, “So what’s your favorite song right now?”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia felt unlike herself in clothes so tight and makeup so heavy. But this was her first event and she wanted to look her best. This was a real party, with other singers like her. It definitely wasn’t something she wanted to miss out on. She took pride in her work and wanted to improve. That wasn’t obvious by the way she acted on the tour bus, all dramatic towards Knox, but she really was in this for the music experience. If this was going to be her career she needed to jump in head first. 

“I don’t know, I might be overdressed.” Thalia laughed a little to herself. She found it easy to be around Knox most of the time, easy conversation and no drama in sight. But sometimes there was a part of her that just clicked into place and wanted to yell at him. He made her sarcasm reach a new boiling point. Thalia’s eyes watched the numbers on the elevator as it neared the bottom floor. It shifted suddenly and the lights flickered. The numbers on the screen stopped changing. The doors didn’t open. Thalia looked at Knox, hoping he would have an explanation. 

As their conversation progressed with ease and calm, the tide that washed over Knox could only be described as...relief. His fists unclenched, and his posture loosened as he relaxed into the surprisingly...normal conversation. Surprise laced each new wave of realization that the conversation was going well that he’d expected far worse.

“Nah, I’m sure you’ll be fine, you look--” but whatever Knox thought Thalia looked would never reach her ears because of course something had to go wrong. Knox gripped the railing as the elevator jolted still, and his eyes  wore as much confusion as Thalia’s when they met. “Don’t look at me, I have no clue what’s going on. Maybe try emergency button?”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia hadn’t seen much of Knox since their fight. They skirted around each other like they were both afraid of stepping into the hot lava that came with their arguments. Thalia brought the drama, but there was something about Knox that ignited inside her. Memories of high school, maybe? She had no idea. All she knew was that if she was going to make the best out of the tour she was going to have to ignore him. 

That plan had been going excellently until she stepped into the elevator. If she hadn’t been running late for a party, she would have backed out and taken the next one. Getting ready had taken longer than she expected. Her publicist had exact ideas of what she wanted Thalia to look like. Tight sequin dresses and makeup that highlighted her best features. It was more effort than she had put in since high school. She almost felt uncomfortable in it. Her wardrobe was mostly black, or other dark colors so the bright silver of the sequins was something she wasn’t used to. Though it did remind her of high school, but she had been a different person back then. 

Thalia stood next to Knox for a few seconds before deciding to open her mouth. “You going out tonight?” 

Knox wouldn’t admit in a million years, but he couldn’t help but notice Thalia’s tight dress and heavy makeup. The shine was almost blinding, but he couldn’t deny she looked damn good. But, again, he’d never admit it. As far as he was concerned, Thalia was nothing more than the pain in his ass he didn’t even want to look at, let alone interact with.

But there she went, forcing him to engage. The last thing Knox wanted to do was respond, but his manners betrayed him. Even with the way Thalia heated his blood, he couldn’t leave her hanging so ruthlessly.

“Yeah, the band and I were probably gonna check out a few bars. Probably nothing as fancy as wherever you’re headed,” he said, doing his best to maintain a neutral tone.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia sand with nerves creeping up her spine. They made her legs shake but her voice was steady. Looking out into the crowd had always been daunting. So many faces she didn’t know, all staring at her. But now there was Knox, a familiar face tucked away in the back. It was nice to have someone there, even if they had just met. 

She finished her song strong, taking a small bow before heading off the stage. On her way back to her seat people clapped for her and she ducked her head a little, blushing. She could never be famous, all the attention made her nervous. It was nothing like the attention she got at school. That attention derived from her bitchiness, that was fear. This was admiration. It felt much different. 

Thalia slid back into her seat next to Knox with a soft smile on her face. She scooted her chair in closer to his, turning so she was facing him. A soft smile graced her lips and in that moment she felt thankful at the opportunity for a real friend. 

Thalia’s voice struck Knox hard. He didn’t realize he hadn’t expected her to be very good until she blew him away, but she enraptured him as she sang one of everyone’s favorite classics. Knox smiled at her from across the bar, enjoying her cover so much that he felt it was over too soon.

When Thalia sauntered back to her seat across from him, he smiled at her a bit more genuinely than before. “Hey, that was really good,” he complimented her. “That song gets covered a lot, but you did a great job with it.”

[knoxkennedy]

Still seething after she snatched the last word and stormed off, Knox did his best to avoid Thalia for a few more days. His head swam with fury for so many reasons--her volatile attitude, her condescending tone, the way she used him to get what she wanted. Knox hated the drama she carried onto the bus in her duffel bag and resolved the ignore her for the rest of the tour. His tour. He refused to let her ruin it.

And for a few days his plan worked perfectly, and Knox didn’t even see Thalia outside of group settings. When they crashed in another hotel for a night, though, he ran into a problem. Or rather, a problem ran into his elevator.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia blinked a few times before realizing what he had said, “Oh, yes, nervous, very nervous.” She had sung a few times before but that night was crowed, and she was underprepared, never having enough time to practice before going up on stage. Her family didn’t care too much for her singing and none of her friends even knew that it was a hobby of hers. That left less time than she needed. 

“But I should be okay, I mean, hopefully I don’t like forget the words or fall on the stairs on the way up to the stage, you know?” Thalia tapped her fingers against the wood again. It was only a few seconds before her name was announced. She walked up the stairs carefully, and placed her hand on the microphone as soon as she got to it. She found Knox in the crowd and smiled at him. It was weird having someone there. Sure they hadn’t ever talked much, but he was the only person in the entire bar that she had ever had a real conversation with. She realized she must have been staring and adverted her eyes just as the song started playing. 

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Knox assured her...baselessly. He had no reason to believe Thalia would sing well, but, hey, he didn’t have any reason to doubt her. Trying to be kind, he added a generic but well-meaning, “Just take a deep breath and remember it’s all in your head.”

The bar manager called her name, and he flashed her an encouraging thumbs up as she left. Knox watched Thalia bounce up to the small stage and smile at him. He smiled back, albeit small and slightly forced. As she started to sing, though, his expression warmed a bit. She was actually...really good. And not a bad song choice either.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia nodded, he was right. She was just afraid, she didn’t want to lose her friends and if she did lose them, would she even be able to make new friends? High school was a scary place, and Thalia was more fragile than she let on. Rumors about her would crush her spirit. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if she’d ever really be able to shake her friends, no matter how mean they could be. 

Thalia was up to perform soon and her heart started to beat faster. She loved to sing, but it always made her nervous. All those people watching her, everyone expecting something from her. Thalia was not as confident as she let on, and sometimes her nerves got to her. Like tonight, she was feeling especially nervous. 

“I’m singing a song called Collide. It’s by Howie Day,” Thalia nodded nervously, she drummed her fingers on the table. She had sang the song many times but she was always afraid of forgetting the words. 

Knox didn’t reply after Thalia agreed with him. He’d said his piece, and he was satisfied with her acceptance of it. Of course, he knew her words of affirmation probably meant nothing. He expected to see her prancing through Kingsdale’s putrid fluorescent halls at eight a.m. the next morning in perfect sync with her little crew.

He put his judgment on pause when he noticed Thalia’s anxious mannerisms. The rhythm she rapped against their shared table wasn’t exactly subtle. “A classic,” Knox said briefly, but his gaze still rested on the flow of her fingers on the wood. Finally looking up at her again, he added. “Nervous?”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia rolled her eyes. She seemed to always be rolling her eyes around Knox. She didn’t know what it was about him that made her blood boil over. Looking at him made the venom appear on her tongue, there was something that made her want to yell, made her want to defend herself. That was what her snarky attitude was anyways, a defense. She didn’t want to let him, or anyone else in. Thalia was the one to hurt people, too afraid of getting hurt herself. 

“Fine, 50 perfect hangover, 50 perfect my charming personality.” Thalia offered him a fake smile before taking a sip of her coffee. She took a few steps close to him so she was intruding in his personal space. “I am acting like an adult. I always act like this. You knew me in high school, I don’t know why you expected me to be some bright eyes bushy tailed happy go lucky girl.” She shook her head at him, “I’m sorry I’m such a pain in your ass, but it’s not going to change.” 

Nothing irritated more than Thalia rolling her eyes at him, wrapping up all of her arrogance and condescension in one infuriating twitch of her muscles. His skin seemed to fit wrong every time she did it, goading him to retaliate. It took every measure of self-control in Knox not to scream at Thalia, though he couldn’t resist a jab, especially after that stupid fake smile.

“Yeah, I knew you in high school, and you were exactly the same. I thought by now you would have grown up a little and at least learned how to act civil, but I guess I should have known you’d stay petty and childish.”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia couldn’t help the kind of person she was. She was walls up, pushing people away. It had always been that way, since high school Knox had been the only person to ever get past the concrete walls. There had been others over the years, she had dated through college and afterwards but nothing had gotten serious, no one had been able to get past her harsh exterior. It always ended up with them ghosting her, or her dumping them. It didn’t bother her, she almost liked to be alone. 

Though she felt bad about Knox, she could bring herself to be the better person, her heart was filled fire, it always had been. Besides, what was wanting to make things right with him going to accomplish? They could be friends, but it wouldn’t last. 

“It’s like seventy percent the hangover.” Thalia rolled her eyes, taking a sip of the coffee she had made herself. “Did you really think we were going to go back to being friends, this isn’t high school I’m not going to write you a song and tell you I love you.” 

“Based on past experience, I’d say blaming 70 percent on the hangover is probably generous,” Knox replied drily. If it wasn’t clear from the moment she opened her mouth, it was now obvious that Thalia was 100 percent back to normal, no trace of last night’s fragile truce on her biting tongue or sharp expression. Knox wished he could say he wasn’t surprised, but the mild taste of disappointment on his own tongue differed.

He ignored the threat of softness, determined to deflect Thalia’s persistent harshness with his own. “No, of course not. But I did hope you could act like an adult for once.”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

“I don’t know,” Thalia said, shrugging her shoulders. It was complicated. They were the hierarchy of the school, if she stopped hanging out with them she would ridiculed for the rest of her high school career, she would never have any friends again. Besides, the girls were alright when they hung out at school, it was just like chilling at a friends house, not as much drama. 

“I mean, I’ve been friends with them since third grade, I can’t just stop being friends with them, plus they’d probably make my life hell for bailing on them.” She shrugged her shoulders again. “I guess I don’t really have a choice.” 

“They can only make your life hell if you let them,” Knox said sagely. Or so he probably thought. His view lacked empathy; nothing in him understood Thalia’s vantage or, frankly, tried to. “What’s the worse they can do? Spread bullshit rumors that only a quarter of the school might care about, let alone believe? There’s worse out there.”

Knox eyed Thalia a bit warily as he waited for her answer. Not only was she far too invested in the high school hierarchy as he’d long assumed, she clearly cared for her so-called friends as little as they probably did her. Perhaps he was quick to judge, but Knox found her untrustworthy so far.

Not long into their conversation, Zoe, the bar’s manager, took the “stage” in the back corner. It was more of a platform with a few extra lights than anything else. Knox looked at Thalia. “What’re you planning to sing?”

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Singing had always been a big part of Thalia’s life. Ever since she was a young girl she always found herself singing whenever she had a free second. She would walk around the house singing her favorite songs, and her parents would always either listen to her, or tell her to stop because it was getting on their nerves. It was always one or the other, they were always interested or annoyed. Thalia had been so excited to find a place to sing that wasn’t in her own house. Sure, she could sing for hours in her own room but it was more exciting when people could hear her, and when people actually liked to hear her. 

“No offense taken.” She held her hands up a little. She knew this didn’t seem like it was her scene. The person she was at school would turn her nose up at a place like this. But Thalia, when she wasn’t with her friends found herself liking different things, and not caring as much about other things. “I know, and those girls I had out with would give me so my crap for being here. But honestly I don’t really like those girls that much. They’re kind of bitches.” And Thalia knew that she was one of them, but she only hung out with them because she knew if she tried to leave she’d be a social outcast, and that would be so much worse than having to stay. 

Knox eyed Thalia curiously. He’d never interacted with her much, and with his surprise at the few sentences they’d exchanged, he had to admit he’d stereotyped her. Of course, Thalia had no idea that she was blowing all his stereotypes out the water—and perhaps not in exchange for any that were much better.

“If you think they’re bitches, then why do you hang out with them?” Knox asked simply. And, to him, the high school ladder was just that. Simple. It was both frivolous and childish, so he opted to ignore it, and he didn’t understand why anyone else did either. He didn’t understand why Thalia’s friends would disapprove of her spending time somewhere she enjoyed, and he didn’t understand why Thalia remained friends with people who did.

[knoxkennedy]

thaliakidd:

Thalia hated that her lips turned upwards into a smile at the sound of Knox’s voice. It made her blood boil that she was happy to see him. Whatever happened last night had turned her into an idiot and half and she was going to have backtrack over all of those mistakes. She wasn’t ready to be nice and playful with Knox even a piece of her stabbed into her brain yelling yes you do yes you do. She was convinced her subconscious had always been the one crushing on Knox. In high school and even now, but it wasn’t something she approved of. 

The sound of the coffee starting made her cringe, her head ringing at the Knox’s voice. She looked up from her hangover elixir to see Knox. “I don’t have time to be nice to you today.” Once her coffee was finished she moved over and poured some sugar into it, stirred, and added the cream. All the while she was cursing her drunken self for convincing Knox that they were what? Friends? Not a chance in hell that they would ever be friends again. Thalia had walls up made of concrete and a small drink was all it took to knock them down? She was a certified tough bitch and she didn’t have time to make eyes at the drummer. 

She looked down at her old high school sweater and had a sinking feeling that maybe it belonged to Knox. It was definitely not hers and her mind had always been lost on where she had gotten it from. “I have a hangover, so if we’re gonna talk maybe make it quick, I’ve got shit to do today and none of it involves recounting on the events of last night.” 

Knowing full and well Thalia had been beyond drunk the night before, Knox had braced himself for her to behave far less warmly than she had during the drive. As much as he’d attempted to prepare, though, Knox still wasn’t ready for the most abrasive “good morning” he’d ever received. Her words were practically flying fists compared to the night before, and Knox didn’t know why she had to be that aggressive.

Knox didn’t know what he’d expected. Not friendship, of course, but at least some cordiality? He’d quickly tire of the tour if Thalia couldn’t at least be civil.

“Sometime tells me that’s not just the hangover talking,” he replied flatly with a hint of—no, certainly it wasn’t dismay. “I see you’re back to your usual jumping down my throat.”