First Light

13 tattoos

Sunday 17th of October 2021

Faye:

It's 12:09pm when Marlo calls. I've been up for hours.

"Hello?"

"Faye. Sorry, are you busy right now?"

His voice sends tingles through my headphones.

"Um, no, not really. Just writing notes up from a lecture." I roll over onto my stomach.

"Oh, sorry. I don't wanna keep you from that."

"No, no, don't worry. I was nearly done anyway. Why do you ask?"

I can hear a distant male voice in the background saying "Ask her!"

"Is... Everything okay?" I laugh.

"Huh? Yeah, everything's fine. Jonah's with me." He replies rushed.

"Hi, Faye!" The distant male voice - Jonah - says.

I say "Hi, Jonah!" even though I have no idea if the phone is on speaker. "Marlo?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still waiting?"

"Oh - right, yeah, sorry. So it's completely fine if you can't because I know it's very last minute but I was wondering if you'd wanna come with me to lunch today? When I say me I mean not just me - Jonah and Emily and Becca who's my other flatmate. We're going to this Italian place that we usually eat at, it's not fancy or anything but the food is really good.

And obviously you can bring Georgina or whoever else because I don't want you to feel like you're left out since you don't know anyone that well. Point is I just wanna make sure you feel comfortable because I know you said before that you're not really a people person.

Again, it's completely fine if you don't want to or you can't. Just thought I'd ask."

My smile is so big I wonder if he can tell through the screen. "Gia's gone back home, because she visits her parents every other weekend. I'll still come, though."

"You will?"

I smile. "Yeah."

"Okay, cool. We're all gonna meet right outside the accommodation gates - like how it was at the party. Just so you don't get lost or anything on the way to the place. Would 1 be alright for you?"

"Yeah, 1 is fine."

"Mmkay. I'll see you really soon, then, Faye."

I immediately rush over to my wardrobe once the call ends.

Oh fuck, what do I wear?

It annoys me that it isn't cold - it won't be properly cold until November. I'm dying to wear my gloves.

I hate myself for how long I take picking an outfit, because I never usually take long. It's not as if Marlo will care what I'm wearing, so why am I wondering if he'll like the colour of my jumper?

Stupid, stupid.

I do my makeup because even though I hate how I look with it, I hate how I look without it even more.

My hair is slightly crazy from the putting-on and taking-off of different jumpers, but it normally is a bit anyway, so I leave it.

I stare at myself in the mirror once I'm completely finished.

I suddenly hate everything.

No, not now. You're not ruining this for me today.

I tear my eyes away from my reflection, pushing aside the horrible thoughts that spring to my mind, and tap my phone to check what time it is.

12.53. Might as well go down now.

My heart beats faster the closer I get to the accommodation gates, and I'm wishing so hard that Gia could be here right now.

I suddenly don't want to go, and I'm about to turn around and head back to my room when I see him sitting on the stairs with his back towards me.

He's wearing a grey t-shirt and light blue jeans, and he's got his hoodie slung over his shoulder as if the weather is warm. Even from this distance I can see a tattoo running from his wrist up the length of his arm and under his sleeve.

I didn't know he had a tattoo.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo." I say to him once he's close enough to hear.

Marlo turns round to face me. "Correction - tattoos. Plural. I have quite a few," He replies, grinning at me.

He goes to stand up, and I'm shocked once again at how tall he is.

I hug him, but he keeps his hand on my shoulder-blade for half a second longer once I step back.

"Oh, sorry. Plural. My mistake," I say, smiling. "Where are the other ones then? Or are you just not gonna show me."

He laughs. "They're all under my shirt, and I mean I don't mind stripping for you but I don't think you're ready for that, Faye. Don't want you to be hurting yourself from fainting."

I'm suddenly imagining him shirtless and my mouth goes dry.

I laugh to distract myself from the perfect mental image my brain has put together. "Faint? Don't kid yourself."

"I did warn you about my eight-pack. It's literally all perfection under this," He gestures to his outfit, his face completely deadpan.

I laugh again, turning away from him and taking a step down the stairs. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Shut up."

"I actually think it's very rude that you don't believe me. I'm very offended right now, Faye."

I roll my eyes even though he can't see my face. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

For some reason I can tell he's smiling right now.

"Where are the others?" I say.

"Just outside the gates." Marlo's beside me now.

"Why didn't you wait by the gates?"

He shrugs. "Just didn't want you to be too overwhelmed by everyone all at once."

As if on cue, Jonah shouts my name as soon as he sees me. I'm kind of attacked, rather than hugged by him, and he then gestures to the girls he's with once he's stepped back. "You've met Emily, but that's Becca."

They both smile, but don't go in to hug me.

Understandable.

"Sorry, what was your name?" The blonde one - Becca asks.

"Faye." I reply to her.

"Faye," She repeats, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Um -

"Okay, enough introductions, let's go." Jonah points in the direction of the bus stop.