collab with gianna-boo @giannanoelle :D
nicole harrison;
Friday, January 25th: Ruby’s tattoo parlor is hosting a fundraiser all day today! Come by and get that tattoo or piercing you’ve been dying to get but have been too broke to at half-price. All proceeds of today’s fundraiser will go to support St. Jude’s Hospital. With our hard earned money going towards such a good cause, it’ll be hard to turn down such a good deal.
I was looking through the book, searching for a suitable tattoo or at least something with more meaning to it. Unfortunately, there aren't any. It's either the tattoos are too big with too many patterns and designs or just the typical small ones. I looked at the tattoo on my wrist, a double infinity; I got this together with Corey when we were 18. I have another on my right back, a few lines from a poem.
"Found anything interesting?" Mason stuck his head over my shoulder as I closed the book.
I shook my head and got another book. "Nope. Everything looks boring."
He stood beside me and flipped the pages for me. "There must be something interesting," he said. "I'm thinking of getting another, pick one for me."
"Again? Mase, you had enough. You're like a walking tattoo shop."
He chuckled. "Nic, Nicky.. I'm a walking art god."
I rolled my eyes. He was the only person allowed to call me Nicky because he's my best friend. If other people call me that, I hate it to my guts. I turned around to see a lot of people. It's not crowded but it's odd to have that many people in a tattoo shop. It's probably because of the fundraiser event. It's good to know people care sometimes.
"Maybe I should get a customized tattoo," I said and leaned against the table. "Something out of the box but still meaningful."
"Poet Nicky is talking again," he mocked me, not talking his eyes off the tattoo book.
I slapped his arm playfully. "I'm a writer, not a poet. But I do get inspired by poems."
He laughed and looked at me. "Poems that thee and thou do not understand."
I laughed along. He always does that, pretend that he doesn't understand literature at all when he actually knows a few. He was there to help for my lit exam, for goodness sake. "Seriously, what should I get?"
"My name on your ass," he said with a serious face, looking back down at the page of butterfly tattoos and a few roses.
I nudged him with my elbow. "I'm serious."
"And so am I." He closed the book. "You should be honored."
"I love you, but I don't love you that much." I wrinkled my nose then grinned. "I'm thinking of a poem... right here on my wrist."
He looked down at my wrist and shrugged. "You won't fit much on those bird arms of yours."
I sighed and shook my head, feeling hopeless. "Remind me to never take you anywhere again."
"Remind me why they're holding a fundraiser for a children's hospital at a tattoo shop..." he trailed off.
I went back to the books. “What about a tattoo at my lower back?”
I waited for a while but he didn’t reply. I looked at him to see him staring blankly at the wall full of tattoo photos.
I crossed my arms over my chest looking annoyed. I always get annoyed when he’s distracted. “Mason?”
"What?" he asked.
"Are you listening?"
He shook his head and grinned. "Nope. What's up?"
"I was saying maybe I should get a simple word tattooed on my lower back, above my tail bone..." I trailed off. I'm not even sure if I want to get a tattoo.
He smirked. "That's sexy, I say go for it."
I shook my head. "Maybe not..."
"Make up your mind woman because I might be next in line and you'll be all on your own," he said, looking at some posters on the wall.
"Shouldn't friends stick together?" I told him, suppressing a laugh.
He laughed. "You're so cliche sometimes, Nic do you know that?"
"No I don't know that. Thanks for pointing that out Mase." I winked at him and laughed while he just shook his head chuckling.
I walked around the shop as he followed slowly behind me, checking out tattoos or chicks, I don't know. I stopped and looked at a customer getting a weird flower tattoo that I couldn't quite make out what it is with a skull on his ribs.
"That's such a lame and cheesy tattoo," Mason said suddenly.
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Look who's talking, don't you have a flower tattoo somewhere on your body?"
"Rose with skull is classy. A daisy with skull is just so f.cked up."
I laughed out loud, causing a few people around us to turned and stared at us. "That's a daisy?" I whispered.
He laughed along. "Or so I think what it is."
"Now I'm a little worried if I get a tattoo here it'll turn out right."
He shrugged. "Then don't get one and we can go eat instead."
"And make you miss out on... what are you getting again?" I co.cked my head to the side and gave him a half cheeky face.
"I'm hungry. I can get a tattoo any day."
"Tell me what you were going to get first," I said and pursed my lips together.
"Praying hands on my inner bicep," he answered me while I raised an eyebrow. "With my grandpa’s initials."
I nodded my head and looked at the ground. Mason had a good relationship with his grandpa and I totally understood the meaning behind the tattoo. He was a great man.
"I want pizza," I replied that instead.
"Aren't girls supposed to be afraid of carbs?" He grinned but led the way out of the shop.
I patted my flat stomach. "Should I be?"
"No," he said seriously and shook his head.
"Is that a compliment from you, Mr. Kohler?"
"You could pass for a 15 year old. Easily," he said back with a grin, not even wincing when I slapped the back of his head playfully.
"I'm not that bad... Am I?" I asked truthfully, looking at myself through the mirror. I know I'm on the skinny side but I know I definitely do not look tiny and anorexic or something.
He chuckled. "Nah I'm just joking with you."
I squinted my eyes at him just as a girl shouted a curse. I turned to see the tattoo artist backing off a little and she struggled to sit up and wearing her cardigan. "I don't think I want one anymore..." she trailed off, stood up and walked off. The tattoo artist just laughed; I bet they see this scenario almost every day.
I scoffed. "Such a coward."
"Look who's talking, how were you when you got your first tattoo?" Mason said, leaning closer.
"Oh please, I was scared I admit but when I got onto the chair I was a calm as a cucumber."
"You, calm?" He laughed out loud. "Your eyes were shut so tightly I swore your eyelids looked like they might tore."
I crossed my arms and stared at him. "I wasn't that bad."
He nodded. "You were."
"At least I didn't backed out like that girl," I commented.
"That I'll give you credits for," he replied and winked. Then he turned to face the door. "Let's go."
"Do you know any good pizza parlor nearby?" I asked as I followed behind. He turned suddenly and I almost knocked into him. I pushed him out the door. Ever since we were kids he always like to do that, it was annoying at times. "I think so..."
"Let's go food hunting!" I suggested and walked down the street with him beside me.
"Food hunting?" He grinned, shoving both hands into his jeans pockets.
"Mhmm," I replied with a nod. "So what's new in the life of Mason?"
He scratched the back of his head. "All the same, nothing new," he replied.
I raised an eyebrow. "Now that I don't believe."
"No?"
"You've been busy lately! I've been trying to hang out for weeks and you always bail on me."
"Because you don't put out," he joked and I elbowed his side again. "Your bony ass elbows hurt. Stop doing that."
"Stop being a pig and I won't need to!"
He stopped in front of a sketchy looking place. "Pizza?"
The place looked a little run down but I could smell something nice just before an awful smell hit me. I wrinkled my nose and eyed it properly. "Is it sanitary here?"
"Best pizza in town," he said seriously.
"Fine... but my question still stands." I walked in hesitantly and he followed me, closing the door as we took a seat at the table beside the window.
"Which question?" He lifted a brow, staring at one of the menus sitting on the table.
"What’s new in your life? New girlfriend?"
He shook his head. "I don't date."
"Right. You sleep around...what's your number any ways? Over a hundred yet?"
He laughed. "What's with every girl in my life thinking I've slept with every bottled blonde in Los Angeles?"
I shook my head. "I know you better than that. You prefer brunettes."
He grinned. "Pepperoni?"
"Stop changing the subject!" I sighed as he loves doing that and he always managed to successfully do it during many of our conversations. But not this time. "But yeah, that sounds good."
"No new girls and I just hit 200. I should probably go in for my weekly checkup," he joked and nodded to the waiter. "What about you? New guy or still pining after your ex?"
My mind instantly went to Corey. Three months ago, we were a couple. But last month, we were just friends, and it was the same 6 months ago. Honestly, things between us are so complicated we kept needing space from each other but yet we can't stay away one another for too long. Even I'm confused sometimes. Right now, he's in Miami.
For a moment, I didn't wanted to reply. I knew better than to talk about the topic with Mason.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"What I think does not matter..."
"It's complicated," I simply replied.
He grumbled. "You say the same thing every time I ask you."
"Well it is."
"It's that simple Nic, either you two are meant to be or just move the hell on." He was definitely talking about Corey.
I shook my head as the waiter placed two cups of water and walked away. "It's not that easy Mase."
"Heck it is. Maybe you think that I f.ck around all the time and I don't know sh.t, but there is a problem between you and that Corey guy," he said and took a sip. "So if you really want things to work, you gotta talk to him properly."
"Talk about what?"
"That's the whole damn problem. You two know there is something wrong but yet avoiding it, so the relationship is on and off."
I leaned back and just stare at him. Maybe he's right; he's got a valid point there. "I'll think about it."
He folded his arms on the table. "Do mean it Nic. I don't want to be a busybody in your relationship life but you know I got your back."
I smirked. "I know."
"Damn this looks so good," he said as the pizza was placed in front of us. I instantly forgot about what we were talking and just want to eat. "Let's see if you brought us to the right place."
"It'll leave you wanting for more, I promise."
