The Fools

Chapter Two: The Piercing

Ryder

"I change my mind! Let's go back!" Galen yelled at me. I shook my head and laughed.

"Nope. We are already here. Plus I told you that you aren't allowed to make any more decisions today."

"But this is a big deal, Ryder... It's going to hurt. A lot."

"No it won't. They'll numb you up. Besides, it's quick."

He looks up at me with his big blue eyes. "Really? Are you sure?"

Is it just me or is he looking a bit cuter today than usual? Maybe its because he was crying earlier. I am a sucker for helpless crying boys (If you know what I mean). His face is still pink. "I'm sure. I have two of them so I would know."

"I guess... okay.. I trust you then.."

I can name several reasons why you shouldn't.

We entered the tattoo parlor, it being the only place in town that does piercings. Galen stayed behind me as I walked up to the counter. Down the hall, we heard someone yelling and Galen gave me a sacred expression. "Don't worry. That's just someone getting a tattoo which is more painful than a piercing."

"..Okay..." He grabbed the sleeve of my jacket and squeezed it like a child would.

I take a pen from the little pen holding cup and tapped it against the counter to get attention. "Helloooooooo. Anyone hooooooooome."

"Is that you Ryder? I thought I smelled trash." Clancy, a girl who looks closely like Ruby Rose, appears. She has more tattoos than I remember.

"Hey, Clancy."

"You in for another piercing? Or getting a tattoo this time? I remember when you cried like a bitch when I gave you that one on your shoulder."

From the corner of my eye, Galen looked even more worried than before. "For the record, I didn't cry. Also, shut up. I'm not here for me. For him." I pulled the poor boy in front of me. "He will be getting a lip piercing."

She nods and starts messing with things behind the cabinet. "How many?"

"Just one."

"No snake bites for him?"

"Nope. Just one. And be careful with his face. He's never had a piercing before."

"Hmm." She stops messing around and takes a look at Galen. He tenses up and backs into me. "I won't mess up his cute little face. Come on." She motions for us to follow and we do. She leads us to a room with a chair in the middle and makes Galen sit on it before leaving.

Galen looks at me with fear in his eyes. "Ryder, I'm scared.."

"Of?"

"Of the possibility of it getting infected.. of something going wrong and the clamp getting stuck.. what if she makes a mistake and pierces the wrong spot.. could I bleed to death?"

"..So many thoughts for such a small boy.." I mumble. "For one, you can't bleed to death from a lip piercing unless you have medical issues already, which you don't. For B, Clancy is a professional. She went to school for this kind of thing, unlike the other shady places in town. She's never messed up on a piercing or a tattoo. And come on. Why will it get infected if you're such a clean freak about it?"

"But.. it'll hurt.."

"Pain is a given for most things in life. You just have to embrace it for a minute. Are you afraid of being in pain for literally seconds?"

".. yes... no.."

"Yes?"

He sighs "...No.."

I smiled and patted his head. "Then you will be okay."

Clancy comes back in with gloves and starts to work. Fifteen minutes later, a crying Galen and I leave the parlor and start walking back to his house. "You lied... you said it would hurt for a minute.. it still hurts.." He's holding a napkin to his lip. It's not bleeding anymore but it makes him feel better.

"I have a high pain tolerance. The pain was gone in a few minutes for me so no, I didn't lie."

"Mhm.."

"But you like it right? If you don't, just take it out and let it heal."

He shakes his head. "No.. I like it.. I hate that I got it but I like it.. thank you.."

"You're welcome." We make it to his house just as his mom pulls up. She looks at us weirdly as she gets out of the car.

"Galen? Who is this? Why is there blood on that? Did something happen?" She was a tall woman with black hair and blue eyes like Galen, dressed in business attire and folders in her arms. She looks like an assistant. Galen looks like he would be one too.

Wait was he even allowed to get the piercing? Fear suddenly took hold of me. What if his mom hates me? She just met me and I just bought her son a lip piercing. What if she is like Galen with his weird ways?

Galen moves the napkin and smiles at his mom. "Look. I finally got one."

Her cold look melted at the sight of her smiling son and she beams. "I'm proud of you, hun! What or-" She glances at me. "Or who got you to finally do it?"

Galen gestured to me. "Ryder. He's the one who's been walking me to school and walking me home. He talked me into getting it so I did it!" He became more excited than he was moments ago. I guess he really is happy about it. "How does it look?"

"It suits you." She pulls him into a hug then shakes my hand. "Hello, Ryder. You're the one pulling my son out of his comfort zone?" Not sure how to respond, I just nodded. "Don't be so shy. I'm glad you're forcing him away from his routine. I've tried but he just gets mad at me. How did you get him to do it?"

"Oh.. uh.. I just told him to do it and just took him even though he said no.."

She laughs. "I wouldn't have been able to force him, being his mother and all. Are you staying for dinner?"

I shook my head but Galen nodded, ignoring me. "He is." His mom nodded and went inside ahead of us. I turn to tell Galen no but he shushed me. "You already said you were going to spend the day at the park instead of going home so instead of that, you can just hang out at my house until you do actually go home. Since you wouldn't let me back out of the piercing, you aren't allowed to back out of my dinner invitation."

I raised my hands in a surrendering motion. "Okay, okay. I hear you. I'll do whatever you want, Master Galen." He shakes his head at me but gestures for me to follow.

I could have probably talked him into letting me leave or came up with another excuse but truth be told, I'm enjoying this way more than I should. If I'm not too careful, I might make a move on this boy and knowing how I am with relationships, that might not go so well.