The Proof I Needed

Studio

Monday Morning
December 7th

Jpov

My phone started to ring. I quickly answered it before it could wake Hayley. "Hello?" I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Hey it's Alex. Someone requested one of your more complicated tattoos. Also Happy Birthday bro!"

"Haha thanks. I'll be there in 10. I was gonna help you with the shop today anyways. Sorry I've been taking off so many days."

"It's okay. Busy?"

I glanced at Hayley still sound asleep "Yeah you could say that."

"Well get yo arse down here dude. See you in a bit!"

"Thank you Alex." I hung up.

It was 8 o'clock. Hayley had band practice in an hour. I knew she'd want time to eat before hand so I put a timer on her phone to wake up in 30 minutes.

I brushed a piece of her hair to the side and kissed her forehead. I covered her with the blanket and wrote a little note saying I had left to work.

I put on an extra jacket when I saw it had already begun to snow a little. I closed and locked her door checking it twice and then started walking to work. I had a spare change of clothes and a toothbrush at work incase I had an triggers. Alex knew about my OCD and he was the most understanding of my friends when it came to my symptoms. He was like the brother I never had.

I made it to work and walked in the back door. Alex was helping another customer. I quickly got changed in my little office. I changed into a clean tank and a flannel with some ripped jeans. I quickly brushed my teeth and then went out.

"Hey Alex!" I hugged him real quick.

"Cassie is getting your tigerlily tattoo."

"Okay. Cassie?"

A young girl came up to the counter. "Is this the one you want?" I held up the photo

"Yep."

"Sweet! Can you go have a seat in the back. I'll be right there."

I was about to go in the back when Alex grabbed my arm. "Bro you wearing foundation?"

I blushed a little. I had put on another layer to try and cover up Hayley's marks.

"Erm yeah. Alex I gotta go. Cassie's waiting."

He let me go still confused and got the next customer ready.

"Hey Cassie. Let's get started. Where do you want it?" I said sitting on the stool.

"On the back of my right shoulder."

"Okay." Luckily she was wearing a tank that wouldn't get in the way. Sometimes I'd have to make our clients remove their shirts in order to have a tattoo get done.

I disinfected the area and then started on her tattoo putting the outline on first. I got out the ink and started filling in the details of the tiger and worked my way into the flower.

Alex had come in a while ago and was working on a customer.

"So you gonna tell me why you're wearing makeup?" Alex said prodding me

"Maybe, but probably not ya goof." I said still focused on the tattoo.

"Come on Bro. You didn't get into a fight did you?" He said a little more worried

"Calm down. Nothing like that. I'll tell you some other time."

After an hour I finished her tattoo. She had already gotten a tattoo before so I didn't have to go over how to take care of the area for the next week or so. She paid and I checked the sign up sheet. There were three more people waiting and it wasn't even 10 o'clock. Geez it's gonna be a long day.