Is This Reality

You Know It Feels Good

For once I was enjoying myself on warped today. I was side stage watching Sleeping With Sirens set and talking about tattoos with Matty from Memphis May Fire.

"So you really do tattoos huh" he asked still surprised that I am a tattoo artist. A lot of guys here are and its so funny. They are so surprised when I tell them what my profession is.

"Yes Matty I am. I work at Personal Ink in LA. I love it there" I said and he nodded his head as we watched their set. I nodded my head along to the song Do It Now Remember It Later. I remember my sister showing me that song. Speaking of my sister we hung out last night and she told me all about her and Tony. Its seriously adorable. Mean while me and Alan, I don't even know. He avoids me all day and then apologizes for it and is really nice to me the next day.

"So have you tattooed anyone yet in warped" Matty asked me an I nodded. "Yeah but mostly just touched up tattoos so they don't fade so bad" I said and was kinda sad about it. I would love to do a piece on someone.

"Your in luck. I have a friend and she ha been talking about getting her first tattoo. What do you say we come by your bus after our set" he asked and I gladly accepted. He headed to his stage to get ready and I turned my Attention back towards Sleepings stage. This was their last song. If I'm James Dean Your Audrey Hepburn. I swear Justin was looking at me for most of the song but I was probably just being dumb.

They headed off and all gave me a sweaty hug. "Good job guys. Way to kill it out there" I said and high fived all of them.

"Looks like I have to head to my stage boys. Anyone wanna come with?" And Justin gladly accepted.

"So what did you and Matty talk about" he asked as he put his bass up and followed me to Of Mice and Men's stage.

I found them by the trailer getting ready. Alan and Phil were messing with their guitars while Aaron was talking to one of the techs. Austin had ear buds in and was eating​ something. When he saw me he smiled and motioned for me to come over to him. I let Justin talk to Phil and Alan and went to Austin. He hugged me and took one ear bud out. "Hey there Mr. Hot stuff" I said and smiled.

"I know" he said dramatically. Oh I have to tell him. "Guess what" I asked impatiently. "What" he said and laughed. "A friend of Matty's is going to come by after their set and let me give her her first tattoo!" I said with enthusiasm. I am really so excited. He spun me around. Finally setting me down and congratulating me we headed to where everyone else was. We all got in a circle and put our hands in.

"Are you guys ready" I yelled. They yelled "hell yeah" back and Alan said "then let's do it. Let's fucking kill it. Of mice and men on three" we all counted down and screamed "of mice and men" and they all went to line up. The crowd was cheering their name and it was amazing.

"Can I have a good luck kiss" Alan said and I rolled my eyes and smiled as I kissed his cheek. "Oh I didnt mean there" he said and I cocked an eyebrow. He came to me and kissed me. Of course I kissed back and all the guys whistled and told him to get some. "I really am sorry" he said as he looked into my eyes. Those brown eyes can make me do anything I swear. "For everything. I mean it and I would love it if you would become my girlfriend" hr said and I nodded my head and pulled him to me so I could kiss him. It was time for them to go on stage and he smacked my butt before running out in stage. Austin gave me a kiss on the cheek and ran on stage. They started up with their first song: The Depths. I love this song so much so me and Justin were banging our heads and jumping around to the beat of the song. When it was over me and Justin. We rocked out the entire set and it was so much fun. When they were done we got attacked in hugs. We laughed and he said he had to head out so I hugged him and he left. Alan gave me a questioning look and I returned it.

"What Ashby? Looking for something" I said while trying to be a smartass. I smirked back and said "oh I already found it" and walked away. I blushed and hurried to the bus so no one would see me all flustered. I had to go get set up soon anyway. I made my way to the bus and put in the code and walked into the bus while shutting the door behind me. I made my way to one of the spare bunks and took my stuff out to put in the back lounge to set up but decided to do it in the front lounge because there is more room there. So I went and started setting everything up when the guys came in with Matty and a girl that looked to be about in her late teens. She had a dark almost maroon hair color that was in a pony tail and she had glasses  and she was fairy pale. I walks up to her and shook her hand.

"Hello I'm Marylin.  I'm going to be doing your tattoo today" I said and she smiled. "I'm Ashleigh. I'm one of Matty's many cousins" she joked while I sat her down in the spot I needed her at.

"So what are you going for today" I asked so I could get an idea. She smiled and said "I want a bird on my shoulder blade with the word 'freedom' under it " and I smiled.

"Is there a story behind it" I asked and she nodded and the smile just kinda faded. "It's in representing my aunt. I lived with her for a while and I would watch her get beat all the time and she was sick a lot. She just went though so much that when she died it felt like she was finally free" she said and I smiled. "That's amazing " I said and gave her a hug.

I took my earbuds out and said  "So I'm gonna draw some things out in the back lounge and I'll be back soon okay" and I went to the back lounge to draw out my ideas. I put my ear buds in and hit shuffle. Outcast by I Prevail came on. I started drawing different designs that I think would look good but I really wanna capture the freedom she has. I started drawing and I think I was done with the stencil so I walked back out there with a few that I had drawn up. I sat back down and laid them on the table. "So these are just some of the designs that I came up with" I said as her and Matty were looking at them. She Smiled at the last one I drew up and choose that one. "So where do you want it" I asked and she pointed to her shoulder. "Can you take your shirt off" I said and she did as I asked.  I cleaned the spot off with soap and water and put some rubber gloves on as I got my gun ready and the ink set up. Austin came over to watch and soon enough everyone was over here watching me tattoo. I got started on the outline and she tensed a little bit. "Sorry I forgot to warn you. They might hurt a little bit at first" I said as I was working.  I got done with the outline about 30 minutes or more later and started on the shading and this is what's going to take the most time. Finally I wrote 'Freedom' underneath and I was done. I set my gun down and took my gloves off. "Ready to see it" I asked and she nodded. I guided her to the bathrooms and she smiled so big before coming back out to the front lounge and hugged Matty then me. I put the plastic wrap on her and she put her loose shirt back on.

"You really did an amazing job" she said and hugged me. I smiled and hugged her back. This is what I love. Meeting people and tattooing them. Listening to their stories. Its an amazing thing.

After she left I put my things away and changed into black spandex and a sports bra with a cut off slipknot shirt. I grabbed my vape and went outside. I was leaning against the bus when I saw it. Alan. Kissing his girlfriend whom I thought he broke up with.

"You know you can do so much better than him right" someone said. I turned my head and it was Austin. Go figure. "Yeah well I want to think that too. But I can't" I said as I took another hit. "But you can you just choose not too" he argued. "Austin I can't argue with you right now. He pissed me off. Look. He is over there with her. What the fuck. Do I not mean anything to him" I said as I teared up. I put my vape in my waist band and wrapped my arms around Austin's torso. He wrapped his arms around me and we stayed like that for a while before we both went inside. We went to the back lounge to have some best friend time and pigged out and watched so many movies. I was laying next to him and his arms were subconsciously wrapped around me. He was drawing patters into my lower abdomen. I smiled and cuddled into him. Within minutes I could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest and I knew that he was asleep. Soon enough I fell asleep to the rhythm of his heart beat.