Tattoo || Joshler

Taxi Cab

*Chapter 15*

I had decided to go out and relax by myself for the day, maybe pick something up on my way home as a gift for Josh.

Just everything that had happened over the last couple weeks had tired me out. It was a chill time with classes, seeing as it was nearing our Christmas break and was getting colder, so the teachers just let us chill.

I mean, we always just chilled in music anyway, sometimes having to perform or play an instrument or sing in front of the class, but aside from that,
Mr. Armstrong just let us chill and play our own stuff. Sometimes he would have a jam session with the class.

He said how he had a band with a couple other teachers, Mr. Dirnt and Mr. Cool. I thought that was, I guess, pretty cool.

I wanted to just get out there and relax a bit since we had a few big exams coming in the following week. Yes, it was chill but it was also exams week coming up.

Another reason the teachers let us chill out. We could use the time to study.

I was driving down to this nice little lake with a little bridge, a place where I always spent my childhood after we moved.

When my mum died, I would always come out here to relax. It wasn't that far of a drive from campus, but my old house was closer.

I arrived and parked the car on a patch of grass, before getting out and silently walking over to the little bridge.

It was old, you could tell that, but still very sturdy. It wasn't a large river, only small with a very slight current, but still enough of one to make a gentle splashing noise against the rocks below.

It was really calming, and I couldn't help but lean against the railing of the bridge of close my eyes, just letting the sounds lull me for a few moments.

It was like a mini forest, with trees surrounding the river, nice grass patches where I could sit quietly and listen to the birds in the trees and pick at the little flowers in the grass. It was magical.

It was like a dream.

I opened my eyes and looked over, deciding it would be better to sit on a nice patch of grass near the edge of the river.

I sat there just thinking, and maybe half sleeping, for a few hours before I decided to get some food, since my stomach grumbling woke me up.

I headed further into town, a fair away from the college, to a Chinese food place, getting takeaway so I could go and eat it somewhere else. Keep relaxing a bit. Clear my mind before I had to be stressed about exams once again.

I knew Josh was stressing with having to study for his science exam.

Science exams were always harder than English, that's why I wanted to get him a gift. To take his mind off exams for even just a moment.

On my way to finding a place by the park to eat, I saw a cute little shop that had jewellery, clothes and other little random trinkets.

It was a cute little shop.

I decided to go in, maybe find a ring or necklace, or something for Josh. I know he liked necklaces.

As I entered the store, a little bell went off. I smiled at the slight sound it made, really calming.

"Hello there! Can I assist you in any way?" A nice lady clad in a long, flowing purple, black and blue skirt, with a nice blue and black small strapped tank, her thinning out brown hair tied into a bun with a couple wooden things that looked like chopsticks stuck in it, and a small pair of glasses sitting around her neck.

She was a little old, her skin sagging and noticeable wrinkles on her face, but she wasn't like super old.

She was really sweet.

"Uhm yes actually. I was looking for a ring or necklace for someone." I stated, looking around a moment before looking back at her, seeing a smile on her face that I couldn't help but smile at too.

She was a really happy person.

"Ah a gift I presume. Family? Girlfriend? Friend?"
I coughed a little awkwardly at the word 'girlfriend'.

She was sweet enough. Surely she wouldn't judge me or be a stupid homophobe.

"Uhm actually it's for my- uh- b-boyfriend.." I stuttered while scratching the back of my neck and feeling a sudden warmth in my face.

"Oh I get you! Hey don't feel awkward. I get you. My wife loves rings. Can't stop buying them for her," She chuckled out. "My name is Jannett. What is your name love?" She asked while leading me over to a cabinet at the front with some necklaces and rings.

I smiled at the mention of a wife. Made a happy feeling spread through my body

"Oh that's awesome. Sounds like you two are very happy," I smiled at her, images of Josh and I's future running through my mind. "And my name is Tyler. It's nice to meet you." I put my hand out to shake, which she gladly returned with a smile.

"Right so back to you. Anything in particular you think he would enjoy?" She asked, bringing out a little tray with various chains, another with various rings and the last one with various pendants for a necklace.

"Uhm maybe something with blue and some nice patterns? Some sort of ring?" I asked, looking at my options.

She nodded before speaking again.

"Follow me over here. I have a nice collection of rings here." She led me to the other side, pulling out another tray with more rings, but with more colour than the last.

"Here I think one of these would be nice," she motioned to a little box with some nicely patterned rings, some with coloured gems or beads. "And this one matched something like you were going for."

She held up a silver ring, that had a small pendant like tøp to it that was a moon, with some blue gems lining the base of it. Beneath it was one identical but a sun, with red gems lining the bottom.

"It's gorgeous.. how much for them both?" I asked, touching them and having a feel of the rings.

"Only 47 dollars. Best thing about this store, going to other places will cost you close to close to one-hundred dollars, while we charge cheaply." She said with a wink.

I laughed and gestured that I would take them.

"Uh could I also maybe get a couple chains for them?" I asked, walking back to the tray with the chains.

I chose two that were similar, and kind of thick but also thin that would suit the rings perfectly.

After half an hour in the store with choosing, buying and having the items gift wrapped, one set with the sun ring already around my neck, I finally got to the park and enjoyed my still, thankfully, warm meal.

After I was finished with the food, I started getting pretty tired, my mind and body beginning to feel drowsy. That's when I figured it was a good time to drive back to campus.

Guess I should have seen what happened next coming.

I stood up, discarding my rubbish in a nearby bun, before heading to my car.

I started the engine and backed out onto the street, starting to head back to the dorms, struggling to keep my eyes open.

I was about to pass through an intersection when I felt a very heavy push slam into the car, before I slammed into something else, making my vision even fuzzier.

I made out the images of broken windows, people running to help, and a stick of metal stabbing into my leg, before I blacked out and let the drowsiness and blackness consume me.

*Yo! Kind of a dark chapter at the end. Sorry about that. I needed to throw some action in I guess. But hey it's nearly my birthday! July 18!

•safe place to rant and talk•

~XOjay
[Edited: 6 July, 2017]