These Marks You've Left On Me

Nebraska

"We should do something this summer, just the four of us. All four of us." Eli glared in my direction and angrily pointed his yogurt spoon at me.

I looked up from my drawing of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. I'm not really a fan of Yoko, but after she met John, The Beatles had better music, so I guess I have to give her some credit. I looked into Eli's deep brown eyes, and tried my best to fake a pout. He stuck his tongue out at me and made me giggle, which ruined my pout.

I glanced over to the other part of our Quartet, Joseph and William. William had his arms wrapped around Joseph, just tightly enough to say this is mine. Don't touch him. Joseph was in between the two of us, so William's inner left arm was facing me. I glanced down to his bicep, right under the hem of his t-shirt sleeve, where his images were.

When a person meets their soulmate, little images of what their soulmate loves shows up somewhere on their body in a little cluster. I'm not exactly sure how this happens. Sometime, while humans were adapting, their body decided to proclaim their love for their soulmate by automatically making little tattoos on someone's body.

William's images were two heads of dogs, one white, one black; Joseph's two dogs, Wayne and Molly. There was a small zombie because Joseph was addicted to The Walking Dead. A picture of my face beamed near a Twenty-One Pilots logo, saying that I've known Joseph since the first grade and gladly called him my best friend.

I had never seen Joseph's tattoos, so I believed they were somewhere that was meant to be covered up. Although, he said that he had a German flag; William's family was from Germany and he was very proud of his heritage. There was also a pair of beat up running shoes since William loved to run with a burning passion. William's family was heavily religious, so Joseph had told me that there was a small cross. But, ironically, there was also the gay flag right next to it, because above all else, William loved Joseph.

William caught me staring at his images, as I so often did. I was the only one out of our little group who didn't have the tattoos yet, so I often stared at William's since they were the only ones that were visible. I couldn't imagine loving someone so much, that the things they loved appeared on your skin. It baffled me, just one day, you're hanging out with someone you like, your best friend. And then you wake up the next morning and see a tiny image on your body of something that person loves, and you think to yourself, yes, this is the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.

"I'm in," Joseph said, regarding Eli's comment, "but what are we gonna do?"

Before Eli had a chance to answer, William blurted out "Road trip! Us four, let's go on a road trip. Let's go to all 48 states and visit the most beautiful places in that state."

By this point, I had gone back to drawing Yoko. I was trying to draw the Milk and Honey album cover, the one where it looks like John and Yoko were kissing, but they both began to smile, so they were slightly pulled away from each other. I always think of Joseph and William when I see that image.

"That sounds wonderful, what do you say, Elise?" Eli responded.

It was early June, the last day of school. My black jeans were way too hot. I squirmed uncomfortably, either from the heat or the confrontation.

"I was just planning on staying home this summer," I mumbled.

Eli opened his guitar case and set his guitar lazily across his lap. He began strumming random chords. 

"LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! Did you say no, because I didn't hear it! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!"  Eli smiled deviously at the other two and they caught on. Will and Joe started up with la-las  along with Eli. 

Those three always knew how to get a smile out of me. 

"Is that a yes?" William pushed, "because you know how my parents are, being religious and all. They won't let me go unless there is at least one female there. Because it is unholy for males to be alone together." 

The lunch bell rang. I scooped up all my art supplies and threw them into my bag while Eli put his guitar away and Joseph ate the last few bites of Eli's frozen yogurt. Because that's just the kind of friends we are. The four of us walked into the school building towards our lockers to get ready for 6th hour. 

"I will ask Laura tonight," I commented. 

The boys all high-fived each other.

"Under a few conditions." I glared at Eli in particular, since it was his idea. "I get to bring my books."

"Done."

"And my art supplies."

"Of course."

"And my violin."

Eli smirked. "Well, it wouldn't be fair if I brought my guitar, and I didn't let you bring your violin."

Him and William ducked into World History.

I turned into Joseph. "What am I going to do with you boys?"

He pretended to think about it, as if the right answer would win him an unimaginable amount of money. "You could sell us to buy a new set of strings for your violin. Or maybe a new set of colored pencils."

I laughed. "You know what, I just might."