for your 21st birthday, you decide you're going to gift yourself. you don't celebrate, but you wanted today to be a little different.
you decided that you were going to get a tattoo. not just any tattoo, but your first tattoo.
you were told that this was a very painful spot, but you didn't care. it's what you wanted. you finally walk into the tattoo shop and look around.
"can i help you with something?" you look at the front desk to see one of the artists tapping a pen.
"i was wanting to get a tattoo. it's my birthday!" she looks you up and down.
"we're appointment only. do you have one?" she looks at you.
"no, i don't. but i only wanted one thing." you show the paper of the drawing to the girl.
"yeah, this tattoo is cool, but it takes longer than an hour. you'll have to make an appointment and come back a different day." the girl says in a rude voice.
"uhm. can i talk to your boss or something? i can pay you guys extra for taking me into today. please?"
"no." the girl throws a clipboard down. "fill this out, when you're done put it on the desk." she walks over to one of the other guests.
"i just wanted a tattoo." you whisper quietly to yourself and put the clipboard down and walk out of the shop. as you walk out, you bump into a girl.
she was tall with chocolate skin, curly hair and dark eyes.
"i'm sorry. i was just leaving." you move out of the way to let her through. "you're okay. are you not getting a tattoo?"
"i wanted too. but the girl here said it was appointment only, and that i'd have to come back." you play with your fingers while looking at the girl.
she grabs your hand and walks to the same girl. "Cassidy, did you tell this girl she couldn't get a tattoo?"
"we do appointment only, it says so on the website. besides, she wants her whole spine done. it's not small enough to be appointment only." the girl works on a person doing an arm tattoo with dragons.
"it's not busy today, you could've told her to wait. the shop says Zee's body work and art. not cassi-can-do-what-wants."
"you're such a bitch bro." she wipes the tattoo.
"sit down right here. i'll draw up the tattoo and z can tattoo it. but if you're going to whine about it, just leave." cassi gets up and walks to the front.
"actually, i already had the tattoo drawn up." you hand the tattoo to the brown-skinned girl.
"cas, just do your job. i got her." she sits on the chair by you. "hop up here. i'll draw it up, and take a picture so you can see."
"you have to take your shirt and bra off for a spine tattoo. so do that before you lay down." says cassi.
"don't worry about her" z pulls the room divider in front of you to hide from everyone.
"let me get the paper. when you're done, lay down on your stomach." she walks to the front to get the printer.
you undress the top half of your body and lay down on your stomach onto the table.
a few minutes later, the owner comes back.
"you know, most people come with somebody for a back tattoo. or a tattoo in general." the girl says tracing the drawing on your back.
she starts doing the tattoo as you start shaking.
"i don't have anyone who would go with me. this was a birthday gift to myself."
You can't tell if she heard you or not, but she changed the subject. "well, most people don't get their first tattoo on the spine, because it's painful. but you're doing really well for this being your first tattoo." you hum to yourself while laying on the table. "thank you."
"so, you're 21. that was a cool age. you're legally able to do whatever." you both laugh. "i'm Z by the way. i'm sorry about Cassi. she's such a bitch."
"no it's okay, i was just going to leave until you offered too do my tattoo."
"well, cassi is my ex. we broke up over a year ago, but she still thinks i'm her girlfriend."
"oh, can i ask why you guys broke up and why she still works with you if you guys broke up?" you ask the girl.
"I just outgrew her. we fought for like 4 months straight, and i was tired of it. she's a good person, but she's a bad girlfriend. i have her work with me, because she's one of the best artists in town. she's amazing at marketing." she says while finishing the tattoo.
"well, it's good that she can still work with you." you say to her nicely.
"oh absolutely. she just hates females, so she'll try and scare them away. do you wanna see your tattoo?" she asks calmly.
"oo yes please. wait it's been like 15 minutes, how are you already done?" you look at her.
she laughs while grabbing the mirror "it's 5:30. the shop closed an hour ago, you've been in here since noon." she hands you the mirror.
you put your bra back on. "i've been in here for 5 hours!?!?" you look at her with your jaw dropped. you look at your back with the mirror. "i mean, thank you really. this was the only thing i could ask for." you smile big and hums jumps around happily.
"yes, it's crazy what can happen when you talk to someone." she pushes the wall back and picks up the area.
"z come on, we need to go." cassi walks over.
"oh, how much do i owe you?" you grab your purse taking out some money.
"give me the money, cus you made me wait AFTER close to get food." cassi puts her hand out.
"cassi stop, this is why customers don't come back." z smacks her hand away and looks at you.
"how much do i owe you? 600? 700? 1000? i can pay it."
"don't worry about it." she says grabbing her wallet.
"bro are you serious?" cassi says with her arms crossed. "that's 1000 dollars that we can use to go shopping on."
"i'm serious, i can pay. i promise it's not an issue. i don't mind really." you hand z the money.
"i don't want your money. i do this because i enjoy it."
"i made you stay here after close to do my tattoo. please take it." you say frustratedly.
"i don't want your money. keep it. think of it as a birthday gift." she pats your shoulder and you all walk outside.
"are you done yet so we can go?"
you look down at the money in your hands and stare at z.
"yes cassi i'm done, can you be nice for once."
"i wanna go shopping dude."
z looks back at you, "do you want to go shopping with us?" cassi death stares z. "really!?!?" you ask and z nods.
"yeah, i'd love to go!"
you all walk together to the mall.
word count: 1215
