Between The Books-Michael Clifford

Seventeen

I get back to my room and see Laney's still sleeping. She must be blowing off her English class. Probably doesn't want to face Max.

I take off my boots and coat, pull off my jeans, and crawl back under my covers. I have two hours if I wanna go eat lunch, almost three if I don't eat. I set the alarm on my phone for noon.

.....................................

"Star. Wake up."

I roll over and open my eyes, seeing Synna staring at me.

"Synna?" What time is it? Why is Synna here?

"Hey, get up, you're coming with me." She says, smiling.

I look over at Laney's bed and see she's not in it.

"Laney let me in on her way to class."

"Ok. What are we doing?" I say, sitting up.

"We're going to get tattoos and you're blowing off classes today." She's sitting on the edge of my bed in black skinny jeans, a British flag tshirt and black leather jacket.

"Tattoos? Why?"

"Why not?! Think how hot they'll look. I already have two, but I want another one. I'm getting Scutter across the back of my neck. Michael has tattoos." She says, winking at me.

"I'm with Jax, Synna."

"Yeah, so you keep saying. Remember our talk Saturday night? You're with Jax...but you think about Mikey, a lot. I won't say shit. Girl you like who you like! Why beat yourself up? If Jax was supposed to be everything for you, you wouldn't be thinking about someone else right?" She pulls the comforter off me and crawls under.

"Listen, you said that Wade has wanted to ask you out for a while. Wade's fucking hot, Star. You haven't gone out with him because you been all about Jax. That's because Jax has been who you're supposed to be with. Until now. Now, out of nowhere, dorky Mikey shows up at your library, and your class, your dorm, the bar....do I need to go on? Something's vibing with you two. Can't fight the universe! Now, let's go get tattoos! I'll buy you lunch and I can tell you how fucking FANTASTIC Scutter is in bed!" She smiles.

I can't help but laugh. Synna is one of those people who shows up in your life....and doesn't leave. Whether you like it or not, she latches on and becomes your friend practically overnight. I've known her for almost a week, but you'd think we've been friends a lot longer.

"Synna, Scutter as your tattoo though? I know you and Scutter are totally happy, but getting a boyfriends' name as a tattoo....what if you guys break up....which I'm sure you won't, but what if you do?" I crawl over Synna and get out of bed.

I grab my jeans off the floor and pull them on.

"Oh, Baby, Scutter and I are forever. I know, everyone says that about their boyfriends, but we're the real shit. Me and Scutter have been together our whole lives. Like literally. We've been dating for five years, but we grew up in the same small town, went to school together. We were friends long before we started dating. We started dating when we were fifteen. It's always been Jayce for me." She's blushing.

Ok, I think I might seriously cry now! That was just...sweet! Synna is not a "fluffy girly girl", gushing hearts and flowers about her guy. It's more about how trashed they get, how he fucked her during their biology lecture, and how when he's up on stage singing, she could literally come.

"Wow, I haven't heard you talk like that about him. It's really sweet!" I grab my brush and start brushing through my hair.

Who knew Synna had a romantic side under all that tough.

"Yeah, that's because I don't. I feel it, Star. So does he. We just keep that between us. So if you tell anyone I said that shit, I'll kill you. Like, really." She says, seriously.

"Ok, I got it. So, you said Michael has tattoos? What's he got?" I can just imagine that. Mmm.

"He has three. One on his chest, more up by his shoulder really. It's big, of a Japanese cherry blossom tree. He has 'Lickit' on the inside of his right forearm, written in some other language, might be Japanese. Then he has his sister's name on the inside of his left wrist." She gets out of my bed and walks over to my desk.

She grabs my perfume, sprays some in the air, then walks through it.

I shove my feet in my boots and grab my coat and purse. "Ok, let's go get your tattoo."

"Oh, no. Not just me, girl. You're getting one too, or I'll tell Jax you wanna fuck Mikey."

She wouldn't.

"Baby, I SO would." She says, raising an eyebrow at me.

Yeah she would.