Skin Deep

(21) Dirty, Bad, Wrong

The rest of the week goes by in a blur and before I know it, it's Saturday. It would have been time for me to get another tattoo, but with getting fired from Strip Tease, I can't afford it.

I called Dani to let her know. She answers on the second ring. "How's my favorite redhead doing?" She answers.

I can't help but let out a laugh. She always knows how to make me smile. "You mean, you know more than one red head? How come I didn't know this?" I say, feigning mock surprise as I pour myself a cup of coffee. Royal's still in bed. It's only eight o'clock and she didn't get too much sleep last night after Tyrus left.

And Teagan's sleeping on the couch like a log. I don't know what his excuse is, other than he's a typical teen boy.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Dani says, mysteriously, bringing me back to our conversation.

"Listen," I start to say all serious.

"Oh, no." Dani lets out a sigh. "Nothing good ever comes out of that word. You're not going to break up with me, are you? Because if you are, please spare me the bullshit 'it isn't you. It's me.' speech. Because if you use that on me, I think I might puke."

I laugh, wondering how many hearts she breaks using that line. My guess is zero, since she's not really that kind of girl. She's more of the dumpee than the dumper. When she's in a relationship, she's typically all in and that can scare any girl away. Even the best of them, but you got to love her compassion. "Nothing like that."

"Oh, thank God. For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to start gathering all the pictures of you and me and cut you out of them while eating heinous gulps of chocolate fudge brownie ice-cream." She shuffles and I can just see her getting comfortable on her bed, lying face down with her feet up in the air, giving me all her attention because that's just who she is.

"Actually, I'm not going to be able to make it this afternoon for our appointment. I got fired from my job." I explain. There's no getting around the truth. I can evade all I want, but Danica 'Dani' Morgenstern always manages to claw the truth out of me, little by little.

"What? You got fired?" Dani screams and I can just imagine her springing out of her bed.

"Dani got fired?" I hear the voice of Clay asking Dani. Awesome. Why don't we alert the masses?

"Get out of here, Clay!" Dani shoos him away, followed by more shuffling and what appears to be a door slamming. "Sorry about that, but listen. You are coming over as soon as you can and we're gonna get that tattoo on you like we planned."

"I can't ask you to do that, Dani. Plus, I already have enough, it's fine." I tell her.

"You're not asking me to do anything. I'm insisting. Besides, I'll check with the parentals. I'm sure it'll be fine. Who else am I going to spoil with this ink, huh?" Dani persuades.

What did I do to ever deserve a friend like Dani? "I'll have to take Royal." I warn Dani.

"No problem." She says and just as she says that, I hear a big thump. I spin around on my chair in the kitchen, only to see Teagan on his stomach, sleepily getting up from the couch.

"I'm good." He grunts and I can't help but to giggle at his pain.

"Can Teagan come too?" I don't think I can leave him alone. He'd probably trash the place.

"I'd expect nothing else." Dani confirms.

***

"I'm not talking to him." Teagan informs me for the millionth time as we wait for Royals' sheets to clean at the laundromat. Royal sits patiently waiting for the sheets to dry while she plays candy crush on my phone. Why can't Teagan do the same? And they say boys are easier. Ha! Clearly those people haven't met the exception yet.