Making a draft for my courses for my final year at uni really made me anxious so I came here to finish this chapter off.
(As I'm publishing this, I'm in my final semester so that AN above makes me laugh).
A Crown of Thornes: Part Six
After school, Thorne took Cress with him as he walked Comet through the dog park at the end of the street. Since people were still at work so the park was full of other students who had the same plans as him. He could tell from the disgruntled kids his age who were still in their school uniforms but wearing whatever jacket and shoes they wanted.
Thorne did that with his dark brown bomber jacket and Cress with her oversized light-pink knit sweater.
It was a nice walk. The sun wasn't blazing and there was a gentle breeze. Comet ran around greenery, sniffed other dogs, and played fetch on Thorne and Cress many times. When they returned to Thorne's house, Thorne let Comet off his leash to run into the yard for a bit to cool off. Usually, he trots the flowerbeds or drinks from the fountain.
"So," Thorne starts as he loops Comet's leash to put away in the mudroom, "wanna stay here or head on out somewhere?"
Cress shrugs. "It's nice enough to stay here." She takes his hand in both of hers and swings it back and forth as she looks up at him. "Unless you wanna walk around downtown and find a nice cafe to sit at, or we could bother Scarlet at The Rampion if she's there."
"Crescent Moon, you know me so well."
Thorne's about to lean down and kiss her, arch her up against his body so she would wrap her arm around his neck, but the sound of his dog whimpering causes them both to turn their heads. They see Comet, the small white dog, tangled in the rose bushes. The small cries turn into barks for help and Thorne immediately acted upon it.
"Oh, stars!" Cress yells.
Thorne lets go of Cress and immediately runs over to the rose bush. He doesn't think and ends up nearly diving into the rose bush. He'd do anything for Comet and Cress … in that order too. She'd get it. She'd do the same. He feels the thorns scratch his jacket and prick his skin. He curses as he pushes some rose branches aside with his arms, catching whiffs of fresh petals. Thorne leans forwards, trying to pave an opening for Comet to jump out (or at least push him out). His mother will give him spades for ruining the garden. Needles prick his palms as Thorne sees Cress kneel in front of the bush, reaching into the bush with her sleeves pulled over her hands, ends balled into her fists.
Thorne gives Comet a boost out and Cress catches him in her arms. She caresses the dog, patting him. Comet licks her face as Thorne military-crawls out of the bush, lying on the paved garden pathway on his stomach. He looks up at Cress and sits up as she passes the dog to him. Comet pants as he licks Thorne's face.
"I saw a squirrel dive out of the bush the moment you jumped in," Cress explains, plucking some leaves and petals from Thorne's jacket. "That's probably why Comet went in first."
"Stupid squirrel," Thorne grumbles as he watches the creature run through the yard, "to think we were just at the dog park with other dogs and a squirrel is what gets his attention."
Comet licks Thorne's face again and he couldn't stay mad at his dog.
"Do you think we should go to the animal ER?" Cress asks, panicked as she checks Comet for thorns, raising his paws and checking his underbelly. "Is Jeanette home?"
Thorne shakes his head. "She left before we got here but I think he looks fine. He looks happy."
"Doesn't he always look like that?"
Thorne looks at Comet again and he's panting contently. "At least he's not whimpering."
"That's good."
Cress stands up, wiping her hands on her uniform skirt before she extends a hand out to help Thorne up. When he grasps it, Thorne yelps and falls back, nearly missing the fountain.
"Thorne?" Cress asks.
Thorne looks at his palm and she said it. Right in the meaty palm of his hand was a thorn too deep for him to pull out with his other hand. Or a splinter. He didn't even feel it prick him when he dove into the rose bush.
"I'm gonna die," Thorne mutters, his face blanching. "I might have to go by Carswell after this. I'll never live to see the Thorne name again."
"You're so dramatic," Cress says, holding his hand to take a look. "We just need tweezers."
"Okay, okay," Thorne takes a breath. "My mom probably has some. Let's go inside."
Cress helps Thorne up, pulling him to his feet with his other hand. They walk into his house in the back, Comet trailing in behind them. As he heads to his dog bed by the fireplace, Cress follows Thorne upstairs. She marvels at the statues and art pieces hanging throughout the hallway. They walk through the master bedroom and Cress stops when she realizes where she is. She almost trips on the soft red carpet as her face burns. This is Mr. and Mrs. Thorne's bedroom. She shouldn't be in here. She feels like she's intruding, trespassing.
"Crescent Moon, what happened to you?"
Cress snaps back to reality as she follows Thorne's voice into the ensuite. It looks more modern and minimalist compared to the rest of the house but then there's Thorne sitting on the floor between the Jack and Jill sinks. The drawers are thrown open and stuff rummaged around. He holds up a pair of tweezers and Cress takes them as she sits next to him.
"You want me to do it?" Cress questions. "My heart is racing and not because of this."
"I'm having an existential crisis," Thorne responds.
Cress hides a grin as she holds Thorne's hand, palm facing up. In the meaty part underneath his thumb, she spots the small dark brown spot just breaking the surface of his skin. Cress presses down on the area around it and holds the tweezers in place.
All is quiet except for their slow breaths, pounding hearts, and Comet walking around downstairs.
"You're digging into my skin!" Thorne yells once Cress is just pinching around with no success.
" Because that's where it is!" Cress yells back.
Thorne pulls away from Cress and turns to the side. He stretches upwards and rummages through one of his mother's drawers until he pulls out a box of wax strips. Cress's eyes widen and she regrets not taking off her thick sweater when they got inside the house.
"...oh…" Cress mutters. She has a mental debate on whether the wax strips or walking into his parents' bedroom was more scandalous.
"I figure this is stronger than tape," Thorne says as he opens the box. He hands Cress a strip. "Why do girls use this?"
Cress starts rubbing the strip between her sleeves to warm it up. "Wax legs, armpits, that-" her cheeks burn at the thought of finishing that sentence. That moment wins most scandalous and Thorne doesn't even register it. "-region down there. Anywhere we want."
"Again, why?"
She opens the strip and presses it on top of the thorn. "To look good."
Thorne connects dots Cress didn't think he would. "Oh stars … this is my mom's!"
Cress grins as she rubs the wax strip in place and Thorne recoils in horror. "Your parents are still married so they likely do love each other."
Thorne tears up the more he thinks about it. It's not that his parents still love each other because he's grateful for that part, it's the fact that his mother has and uses wax strips.
"At least you have no hair here," Cress says, referring to the palm of Thorne's hand. "It shouldn't hurt."
Thorne didn't even think of that. They're literally ripping hair out to look good. He glances at Cress who's concentrating on the wax strip. "Hey, Cress, never put yourself through this for me. I'm not worth the spades and you're already beautiful."
Cress breaks her concentration and looks at him. Her face drops as her lips part in a small smile. It gives him reassurance that this little thorn moment will be okay.
"Say it," Thorne whispers.
"Say what?" Cress asks softly.
"Say you're beautiful."
Thorne expected Cress to deny it or question his demand to which he would stand by his point that Crescent Moon Darnel is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, kissed, and loved. Instead, Cress took the opportunity to rip the wax strip off.
Thorne screams, feeling his heart and soul exit his body with the thorn. Cress laughs beside him as Comet barks from downstairs at the unexpected shriek.
"I'm beautiful," Cress says as she holds his hand and kisses his open palm to make it feel better. "And so are you, Carswell."
Suddenly all the pain goes away at the sound of his first name.
"Aces, never call me that," he says.