Cleo's POV:
It felt like some instinctive act. The moment I saw Via, all I thought about was how I needed to talk to her. She stood, doe eyed and brilliant as I always knew her to be. Her hair didn't slide down her back like it used to, but instead swept the top of her shoulders and was secured back with a few pins. Wisps of scarlet hair freed themselves from the confinement. The same freckles danced across her nose. The same emotion crossed her face when she saw me at first, her lips parting and shoulders raising. The same girl I had left. Except, Via thought of me completely different from how I thought of her.
It was my fault, I know. But, a pit formed in my stomach as I realized that Olivia had seen what I did as abandoning her. I had discarded the person I loved and left her without answers for years. I still remembered her fondly, though. And I couldn't just pass her by as if we were strangers. Another missed opportunity wasn't what I needed.
We entertained ourselves with polite conversation but I could almost see Olivia growing angrier by the second. Every minute I pretended nothing happened was just twisting another dagger through the both of us. Still, the right words simply wouldn't come.
"Can we go somewhere," I asked, desperate to show Via that leaving her wasn't for no reason.
"What," she scoffed, leaning back in the booth.
"I just... I want to show you something," I said. Olivia hesitated, but gave in after a moment of contemplation. Instinctively, I extended my hand as I stood. And after a beat, Via took it.
We left our half full coffees to gather condensation at the booth and exited the doors of the cafe. Hand in hand, we walked through the streets as headlights danced from passing cars and casted out cartoonish shadows against buildings. My heart raced as her delicate fingers curled against mine just like they had so long ago. I smiled and rounded the corner.
The air was cold, around 40° now, and the night sky wasn't helping the chilly atmosphere. Via had switched from grasping my hand as I pulled her along to holding onto my arm as she shivered.
"We're almost there, I swear," I said, noticing her chattery teeth. "God, I forgot how much a baby you were about the cold."
"I don't know how you aren't dying in that outfit," she said with a laugh.
"Ah, dressing slutty comes with its challenges."
We continued through the sidewalk, rounding another corner before our destination came into sight. Neon lights lit up the shop, the indoor lights turned off. Vice Tattoo Parlor shown bright as we walked closer and I pulled out my store keys.
"Woah, wait," Via said, letting go of my arm as I unlocked the door. "You have a tattoo parlor?"
"Yeah," I chuckled. "Just got the place. Wanna take a look?"
She sheepishly nodded and the door clicked open. Lights came on as we entered and Via began to look around. Vintage posters plastered onto the walls, several booths with chairs lined the perimeter of the building. Olivia took it all in before sitting down in a tattoo chair. I sat in the stool beside her.
"What do you think," I asked.
"This is so cool, Cleo," she replied with a smile. "And so... you. Wow, I'm impressed."
"Look at that, I impressed a Yale student."
"Shut up," Via said. "But really, Cleo. This is amazing."
I shrugged and grinned discreetly. Olivia fumbled with her hands in her lap, obviously holding something back. I tilted my head to her and she glanced upwards back.
"What?" I said.
"Can..." she hesitated, inhaling shakily. "Can you give me one?"
"A tattoo?"
"Yeah."
I couldn't hold back my laughter as I heard the words free her mouth. Olivia Hansen. High school student council president. Science major at Yale. The girl who, when I had met her, refused to break any rules. She furrowed her brows as I laughed.
"What? Is that crazy?"
"No, no!" I recoiled, grabbing onto her arm. "It's great! I'd love to give you a tattoo, Vi. I just did not expect that."
"College Olivia is a troublemaker," she joked.
"Mhm," I hummed knowingly, releasing her arm from my grasp. "So, what do you want tattooed?"
* * *
I had sat with a tattoo gun in hand for about half an hour. Olivia winced almost the entire duration, her blazer laid beside her and sweater pulled halfway off to expose her shoulder so I could reach her inner arm. I grinned and had to suppress the urge to trace the freckles laid across her shoulders, an action I had been used to throughout high school. After a while, the art was finished and I covered the spot on her shoulder with cling film.
"That hurt like a bitch," Via said, turning in the chair to face me.
"Oh, you get used to it after a few tattoos." I pulled off the plastic gloves from my hand with my teeth, untieing my hair from it's half up fastening.
"A few? I- no. This was a one time thing," she said. I pointed to a tattoo on my thigh, one of the door to my house.
"I said the same thing when I got this one," I replied jokingly while I gestured to the myriad of other tattoos surrounding it.
"That's different! They fit you. You look good with tattoos. I-"
"Aw, you think I look good?" I teased, propping my arms up behind me as I sat. Via turned bright read, shaking her head instinctively.
"You- Whatever. I just mean that tattoos are your style. You're an artist and all of that."
I chuckled at her defense rambling, nodding a bit condescendingly. "Well, I'm always right here if you find yourself needing another one. Any excuse to see you works for me."
Olivia smiled a bit, looking off to the side. It was a lot easier to never think about Olivia whenever we didn't go to school together. She hadn't completely slipped my mind, of course. Anytime I drove up a hill to watch the sunset or looked into the eyes of someone wearing almost the same green orbs, I thought of her. She wasn't impossible to ignore, just easier to. But now, as she sat in front of me, I started to beat myself up all over again. How could I possibly strive to forget this girl? How could I push her away? How could I let her leave again?
"Via, I," I started, searching for the right words. "I'm sorry. How I handled things was... so stupid. It really bothers me that you stayed hurt for so long and I didn't reach out. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I just..."
Olivia's lips turned into a frown as she shrugged. "It's okay, Cleo," she said, hesitating for a beat. "I was hurt for a long time. And, I'm still kind of hurting. But, it feels good to hear you say that."
My heart dropped. I hated that time and time again, I hurt Olivia. It was like an impulse to push her away. She always cared about me . Far more than anybody else ever has.
"I'm glad I saw you today," I said, just to fill the silence. "I missed you a lot, Vi."
She smiled, nodding. "So did I," Via replied before running a hand along the skin beside her new tattoo. "Can I look at it now?"
"Yeah, come on." I led her to the mirror outside of the booth and carefully peeled back the film covering. She twisted in the mirror to get a better glance at the small printing. There on her inner arm rested an "A+", already a tiny bit swollen. Olivia grinned and let an excited laugh leave her throat.
"Ahh, oh my God, this is so cool," she said, exasperated. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Of course," I replied. "It suits you well."
Olivia bounced as she looked at her reflection, giddy with excitement. I simply watched with a smile as she floated, buoyant and free. She chattered on about how cool the design was, even though it was simply two letters that any amateur could replicate.
"Cara's going to freak out," she squealed.
"Wait, Cara from highschool? You guys still talk?"
"Yeah, she's my dorm mate. I have to show her," Olivia said as she reached over for her blazer and purse. "Thank you so much, Cleo."
"Oh, you're leaving?" I asked, kicking myself for letting the words escape. Via glanced at the clock hung against the back wall of the shop.
"Yeah, it's a little late," she said. "Plus, I need to show everyone I can this tattoo."
"Oh, okay. You're right," I replied, not even noticing the time slip away. "But, um, we can do this again? I mean, not the tattoo. Or, if you want, I can give you another tattoo. Just cause you said it was a one time thing and I didn't want to- I just mean, I can see you again, right? Or, uh... can I see you again?"
Olivia smiled throughout my rambling, looking up at me through her green-eyed stare. "Yes, you can see me again. You have the same number?" I nodded as Via glanced down at her phone. "Then, I'll call you."
Shyness had crept over me. I didn't want her to leave. I felt alive every time she spoke or moved or smiled. I didn't want to lose her again. "Right," I said, giving a weak smile.
"I'll see you soon then," Olivia said and began to leave for the door. I reached out and grabbed her wrist lightly before she left.
"Uh, wait," I stammered, not registering that I would impulsively do that. I gulped and she stepped to face me again. "Sorry, I just-"
Olivia pulled me into a chaste kiss, our lips meeting again like they had so many times so long ago. I melted into her, careful not to touch her newly made tattoo as I roped her in tighter. I hadn't forgotten the rush of kissing her, of touching her. It stayed in the back of my mind, waiting patiently for its renewal. This was well worth the wait.
We parted after a moment, breathing heavily as our foreheads stayed connected.
"I missed that," I said with a grin. I felt Via nod against me as she too smiled.
"Wanna see my campus?" she breathed out. I nodded, not willing to let this night end.