Everything I Didn't Say // 5SOS

With a Cherry on Top

 My head was spinning, my thoughts racing through my brain at a million miles a minute. Of course, the first thing I did was call my brother Daniel.

It rang four times, but he did not pick up. He was jet lagged and probably completely exhausted from travelling from America to Australia, so my best guess was that he was asleep.

I heard Luke's drunk and clunky footsteps as he climbed the stairs and I immediately got out a suitcase, stuffing all of my clothes in it and a phone charger, my laptop and its charger, and a few other essentials. I could come back to get the rest of it when Luke was away, but for now, I was scared and currently very helpless.

Luke opened the door to my room just as I was about to leave. He looked me up and down, seeing my suitcase. "Where the fuck are you going?" He asked me. He was already sobering up, and the sight of my tearstained face seemed to make him snap back into reality faster.

"Somewhere away from here," I said and tried to push past him but he held me back.

"No, Holly," he said sternly. "What happened? She was a mistake, I didn't mean for it to happen again." His eyes widened as he heard his own words, and I immediately clenched my jaw. My headstrong, ruthless, and brave side was coming back, the side that had faded to grey these past few months.

"Again, huh?" I asked and raised my eyebrows. "Luke, once might be a mistake, but more than that is a decision. So fuck you, and get out of my way."

As soon as I was finished speaking, his heart visibly broke. I knew he didn't want to lose me, and that he probably didn't mean for it to happen. I almost wanted to change my mind...

But no. This had gone on for too long, and I had to get out of here.

And so, without another word, I pushed past the blonde "love of my life and ran down the stairs with my suitcase in hand, forcing back tears.

--------------------

I ran onto the rainy sidewalk and down the road a few blocks before collapsing on the curb, bursting into tears. I didn't care who saw me, I didn't care about anything. Nothing mattered anymore.

I must have been crying on the city sidewalk for ten minutes before I heard footsteps behind me and felt a tap on the shoulder. I looked up to see a girl, probably around my age. She had jet black hair that was cut to her shoulders and bangs. Her left arm was completely covered in stunning tattoos, with just a few on the other arm. The mysterious and downright stunning girl was wearing two choker necklaces, a black, faded crop top, black skinny jeans, and beat-to-hell black converse.

I tilted my head up at her and she immediately plopped down on the curb next to me. "What's wrong, kid?" she asked me. She had a British accent, and I could already guess that she had a kickass attitude, but there was something gentle and warm about her raspy voice.

"My boyfriend cheated," I mumbled and stared down at my feet. The girl immediately stood up and took my hand, practically yanking me up with her. I stared at her, confused.

"You're exhausted, desperate, and crying on a street corner," she began. I started to protest but she held up her hand.

"You need a new tattoo, a bottle of beer, and some Chinese takeout. You can stay with me or in my shop, I don't care. As long as you end up feeling better." She looked down at me. "You in?"

I was taken aback, to say the least. What the hell was she doing with me?

"Wait, I don't even know your name," I said as she began to walk, my hand still in hers.

"You're right. I'm Cher, short for Cherry." She shrugged. "I don't know what the fuck my parents were thinking, honestly." She glanced down at my suitcase then back up at me. "And you're Holly Jameson. Let's go." My eyes widened until I realized my name was written on a little luggage tag on my suitcase.

Oh, fuck it, I thought to myself before following her down a couple more blocks. The rain had pretty much subsided, and the air was clammy and humid, but still had to be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cher led me into a dark shop, and quickly flipped on the lights. I looked around with a confused look on my face, recognizing it as a tattoo shop. She threw her keys onto a countertop and walked into a back room, coming out with two beers and a cell phone pressed to her ear. I recognized the mumbles she was saying into the phone as a delivery order. It had only been less than five minutes, and she had already delivered on two thirds of her promise. Now I guess came the tattoos?

Cher set down her phone and sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"What do you want? It's on the house, by the way." She asked, gesturing to the walls full of designs. I stared at all of them, practically in shock.

"You don't have to do this..." I said slowly and looked at her. The girl promptly rolled her eyes.

"Of course I don't. I don't have to do anything. I could sit on my couch, not make a living, only eat and drink and pee in a bottle every once in a while. But since I don't feel like watching my world crumble down around me, I do stuff anyway. Just like how I am going to give you a tattoo right now because I want to." Her face turned into a cheeky grin and she sat in the chair next to the table people lay on when they get the actual tattoo.

I laughed. I decided I liked this Cherry girl, and until something really bad happened, I was going to stick around her.

I thought for a moment before biting my lip and looking at her, pointing to a beautiful design on the wall that I had been eyeing since I got into the store. "That one," I said and she nodded, putting on some gloves and cleaning my skin. In no time, she had the design drawn onto my naturally darker skin.

I shut my eyes, awaiting the pain...

And then, the tattoo gun hit my skin.