marked.

Once Upon a Time...

A week has passed since Quinn's heart stopped beating... Since he took his final breath. 

It's Monday morning. No school.

I stood up off my bed in a daze. For the past week, I had exactly zero hours of sleep. Coffee became my best friend, and my bedroom was my home. But today was different. I got up from my bed and opened the shade a little. I slipped into some black leggings, switched into a white tank top, and threw on my Tims. Today was my memorial for Quinn.

I had took the last seven days to wallow in my room. My tears were silent but my heart ever so painful. My headed pounded with so much anger, I couldn't contain myself; so I contained myself in my bedroom. Every once in a while, you could probably hear a yelp or tiny scream from me, for I had been having Night Terrors. It always ends with my mom coming in to shake me from my daze and me screaming like hell was burning my skin. But I had to be the odd one... To have Night Terrors while awake. But I carry on. 

I called up a fellow tattoo artist to help me out with my mournful state. I had taken a photo of Quinn before he was in the hospital, sitting comfortably on the counter, elbows propped on the table smiling. I knew he was from Puerto Rico (just like me) so I also brought the flag with me. My friend Argent was going to do my new piece. It was to be Quinn's picture with the Puerto Rican flag kind of burning in the background... Fading away.

I brought my ideas to Argent. She was the only one to understand the way I wanted my artwork on my body and why it was there. No one but her and a guy named Romeo Lacoste had done my tattoos. I go over to Argent so much, she doesn't even need my mom's signature anymore.

"So where you want him, Dani?" Argent asked, holding up the stencilized version of the two pictures combined in such a delicate way.

I lifted up my tank a little. "My lower back... Away from all the exciting stuff." I looked at her as she placed the stencil in the desired area. "He needs his own space to grow."

Argent raised an eyebrow. "You plan on expanding this piece, Daniella?"

I looked down at my phone. "Yeah... I'm thinking about getting his stone, but I'm not sure yet. Gotta think about some things first."

She only nodded. "Got you, hon." As she prepared the equipment, I got myself settled on the gurney-type thing and laid flat on my stomach. "Color or shading?"

"A little bit of Color. I want his smile to really stand out."

I know I couldn't physically see Argent as she tattooed me, but I practically felt her both sympathic and empathic gazes. You see, me and Argent have a secret language: You learn the story as you create artwork. I never have to say a word. As she tattooes me, she gets to know the story.

Once Upon a Time...