THERESA SIGHED AS SHE took a spot beside Delilah on the front row. She pinned up her hair, applying lipstick as they waited for the professor to arrive. Honestly, if they weren't roommates Theresa probably wouldn't have been there, the sounds that escaped her when she got up not sounding anywhere close to happy at all. Delilah didn't mind it that much, but as long as she was having fun it didn't matter to her how early she had to wake up. There had been a time when she woke up early enough to see the sunrise in high school after all.
Her thoughts wandered to Mateo for a moment. After Helio had left, he had disappeared through the floor as well without a word. When he had returned an hour later, his usual smile was back on his face, voice airy and words light-hearted. She knew better than to say anything about it. The both of them had heard Helio when he had agreed to a week. Now it was time for him to say his goodbyes.
"This class better not be interactive again," Theresa said, leaning back in her chair," remember a week ago when he started asking me questions? I am literally only physically present, my brain only starts working after ten am on business days."
"Reasonable time," Delilah nodded, smiling at her," and your fortune for today was quite good, so I don't think you will be bothered that much."
"That's right," Theresa recalled," where have you been my whole life, Delilah? I was simply out here hoping for the best, at least now I know what to expect."
"I like going in my days without an idea of where it'll go," she said," it feels like a blank canvas I get to paint."
"To set on fire, you mean," Theresa said, eyes flickering with something undecipherable as she rubbed her temple," I'm sorry, must be the fatigue. I am just so used to things being really screwed up. You are the first real friend I've ever had, it's a weird feeling."
"If it helps, most of my friends are ghosts," Delilah offered.
Theresa chuckled, shaking her head. "I get that, mine haunt me too." She fidgeted at the buttons of her blouse, closing another as she evaded her gaze. "The only friends I've ever had were male, but they are all the same, aren't they? I suppose they never really were my friends."
Delilah remained silent and she continued, voice breezy. "It's fine, I'm used to it. The only thing I'm good at is loving others anyway."
"Tess," Delilah began, but Theresa grabbed her hand, squeezing it.
"By the way," she said," you never mentioned what happened with that handsome man who came by. Is he your boyfriend?"
"No," Delilah said, Theresa's hand surprisingly cold against her skin," just a friend."
"You better get someone who treats you right," Theresa grinned at her," I'll smack him otherwise, alright? I've got quite the temper at times. I got it from my mother, I swear."
Delilah blew her a kiss, Theresa catching it dramatically, like it was an arrow piercing her heart. Over the past month she had gotten to know her roommate quite well, but the vulnerability she exposed in brief moments like this always came ad a surprise. She had told her she would stop chasing love in the beginning, but it felt like she couldn't. Like she had the feeling that the price she had to pay for being a woman was giving up her heart.
The jokes Theresa made about rather dying than looking bad felt heavier each day as Delilah watched her put on the makeup. She always loved applying her lipstick, but for Theresa it almost felt like she was weaponing herself for a war she was obliged to fight in. The pressure was a little too hard, the red pigment crushed and her knuckles white. When she looked at herself in the mirror, it never seemed like she was really seeing herself.
This was not the moment to talk about something private like that though. Tonight Delilah would bring it up, when it was simply the two of them. Her mind had been so chaotic lately that she had been a bad friend. It was hard sometimes to differentiate between the dead and the living, it always had been. She supposed it was no wonder her only close friends were Roshan, James and a ghost.
"You'll get wrinkles like that," Theresa said, smoothing out Delilah's frown with her fingers.
"I didn't realize," Delilah said, not needing to elaborate for it to be clear that she was talking about her expression.
"I am really okay," Theresa reassured her, her dark hair cascading down as she took out her hairtie," you worry too much for others, Delilah, I notice it in everything you do. When was the last time you did something for yourself?"
"When was yours?" Delilah asked back.
"I do something selfish every day," Theresa chuckled," hell, all day even. I am not a nice person, but that's fine."
"You are in my eyes," Delilah said simply.
That caught Theresa off-guard, her lips parting but no words leaving them. She didn't need to say anything though for Delilah to hear what she wanted to say. When the professor entered Theresa quickly turned towards him, fishing her notes from the previous lesson out of her bag and placing them in front of her, pen already in hand. Their conversation lingered on Delilah's mind, the question Theresa had asked her echoing.
Normally she couldn't have thought of a lot of moments where she had been selfish, but she had been the past few weeks. Every encounter she had had with Helio she had allowed herself to be selfish for some reason. Normally she would have never chased, would have never let herself think of only one person when she could help so many others. And yet, when she was with him all of that faded to the background for a moment. It was a weird feeling, to choose for herself at times.
"So, today we will continue about about the exploration of exoplanets," her professor said, grabbing a marker and turning towards the large whiteboard," we'll start -"
"This is the classroom for astrophysics, right?"
The professor turned towards the two guys standing in the door, raising his eyebrow, but it was Delilah who was most surprised of all. Niccolo was grinning widely, shoulder leaning against the wall as he lazily waved, his voice alluring like a siren's call. He had switched his beautifully woven clothes for a red shirt, his pants patterned with crimson lightning and his hands decorated with chunky rings, all donning the same rubies which dangled on his ears.
Beside him stood Helio, back straight and face neutral, clad in a black blouse and matching pants, seeming like he came straight from an office job. The ink visible on his neck and hands contrasted that however, hair combed back and a single onyx ring on his finger, something misty coloring the stone which told her he had found a way to keep his scythe closeby. His moonsoaked eyes flicked towards her, almost silver in the morning light. When he spoke, his voice commanded attention, her professor's annoyance seeming to fade into faint surprise.
"I apologize for my tardiness," he said," it was not my intention."
"It was mine," Niccolo smirked," not all of us are blessed with the ability to know everything and be able to find it, you see, so I had to guide this poor soul."
Helio didn't bother glancing at him, instead waiting until the professor nodded, gesturing for him to be seated. He walked straight towards Delilah, Theresa staring wide-eyed as he took a seat, hand grazing past hers. She was about to say something, but Niccolo sat down beside Theresa then, smiling widely at her in that way of his which looked almost manic, like he knew his words were gasoline and he could burn this whole place down if he liked.
"What are you two doing here?" Delilah said warmly, gaze lingering on Helio a little longer," I am happy to see you."
"How are you?" he asked, gently tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear," hopefully you haven't been overdoing yourself."
"I can return the remark to you," she smiled, nudging him playfully with her shoulder," you are the one with a demanding job, after all. I wasn't sure when you'd be able to take a break again."
"What's this?" Niccolo said, leaning his chin on his hand as he looked at them," surely you haven't missed only him, Delilah?"
"You too, Nico," she chuckled," though you two still haven't told me why you came."
Helio froze almost imperceptibly, not seeming to have heard the second part at all as he glanced at her and then back at Niccolo.
"Nico?" he said.
It seemed like he wanted to say more, Niccolo's smirk only deepening his frown, but right at that moment the professor continued speaking, drawing their attention to the front.
"I'm looking forward to this," Niccolo whispered," I haven't made mortals cry in a very long time now."