Let's Try That Again | Chapter 2

by Samantha in Texas

TWO

            I’ve always wanted a tattoo.

            So that’s what I’m going to get.

            I enter the tattoo and piercing store, welcomed to the sounds of Eyes Set to Kill blended with the muffled scream of someone in the back. I bet she’s biting her knuckle or something—something totally weak.

            There are hundreds of designs to choose from. All ranging from butterflies to barbwire to skulls. They’re unoriginal, something somebody else got and people just started repeating because they thought it was cool. But that’s not what I’m going to do. I know I’m a good artist so I’m just going to put that to use.

            “RK, a little young to be in here aren’t you?” Rock, the greatest tattoo artist ever, greets jokingly—because we both know he doesn’t care that I’m only sixteen. Both his arms are covered in tattoos and he has snake bite piercings on his lips and a simple one on his eyebrow. I’ve been in here a few times, just to check it out and sometimes make fun of the preps that walk out crying with Kendall and Travis and some other tattoo artist named Tiffany.

            “Tiffany’s working on some chick getting a butterfly tattoo on her back.” We share a knowing look and laugh. Tiffany always makes sure to go slower on the prissy girls’ tattoos—knowing that the slower she goes the more it’ll seem to hurt, when, in reality, it’s not even that bad.

            “Not why I’m here, Rock.”

            He raises his eyebrow and crosses his gigantic muscular arms. “Oh yeah? Why are you here then RK?”

            “Tattoo and an eyebrow piercing, is all.”

            Rock chuckles. “I never saw you, okay? You got it done in the back of an ally.”

            I smirk. “Let’s just do this, Rock.”

…

A thorny rose slithering through my name in Japanese. I designed it when I was bored in art class.

            I touch my new tattoo through the plastic wrap and raise my newly pierced eyebrow, impressed. My skin is a bit red on my side but I really don’t give a damn—I just care that it came out as good as I expected it to. The symbols are going down my side with a long stemed rose snaking it’s way up with thorns sticking out in all the right places and fraying pedals with a few falling down, looking graceful.

            “Came out good, eh?” Rock asks.

            I nod smugly into the mirror. “My mom’s gonna freak. Thanks Rock.”

            Tiffany walks in and her eyes bulge at my tattoo. “Damn that looks good. You design that RK?”

            “Heck yeah, you know how I am.”

            She moves her short blond hair away from her face and plops down onto the sofa, kicking her bulky combat boots up on the coffee table. “I’m done with those preps, Rock. All they do is wine.”

            “You wanna get paid; you do what you gotta do.”

            Tiffany rolls her eyes and takes a drag of her cigarette. “I’d rather have done Riley’s. Your piercing looks cool too.”

            I lift my eyebrow and pull the muscle shirt I brought with me over my sports bra. “I gotta go. Got a court hearing tomorrow. Kendall and Travis totally bailed when we got caught loitering in front of Ms. Breckenridge’s bridal shop.”

            Tiffany smirks. “I heard you got caught doing your signature.”

            I look at myself in the mirror again and grin mischievously. “Man, does my name taste that good?”

            They laugh and I leave, because, honestly, I don’t give a damn.