Reading the Music

Love Ink

I just wanted everyone to know that I got this idea off of one or two tumblr posts a while back and I can't really cite it but kudos to whoever did it, thank you!

I scratch my wrist, uncomfortable with all the staring eyes and surrounding faces. I know my birthday is today, but not the time I turn nineteen. The tension makes my jaw stiff and I can see small beads of sweat roll down Ronan's face. We are sitting at a large round table at an unfamiliar restaurant my mother insisted on. Everyone's food is cold already and I have the feeling it will be coming soon. I look down at my wrist, and then to my mother's, which read "Darling, I'm one hundred percent sure I can see into the future and you are all I see."

I smile at my dad's witty words and look over to his wrist, "Do they have a gluten free line here or is this school as unaware of students' needs as the last one?"

I have decided that like Charlize, I will cover the words once I have shown them to my closest friends and family at the restaurant so that I can find my soulmate myself, and not stress about the whole thing. Shamefully enough, the other reason is the sliver of hope I have that it will say the words, "Can I have a cookie too?"

I know it sounds silly, but years ago when I first met Ronan that is what he said and we both have the secret desire for us to be together. Ronan is two weeks younger than me, so he has not received his "gift" yet, and so it is all dependent on me.

I wipe my hot and sweaty hands on the olive green tulle of my skirt.

"Calm down." My mother hisses the command as she grabs my tan arm away from my skirt and clutches it, her dark skin whitening at the knuckles from the pressure of squeezing my hand. I gasp at a sharp pain on my left wrist and everyone leans forward to see the words being etched into my skin, changing my life forever.

"You're... going to... catch a cold if you... don't get out of the rain."

I drop my hand into my lap and stare at everyone in shock, so many things going through my mind at once. So, it isn't somebody from my past. It's not Ronan. Why am I in the rain? He sounds like a sweet guy, somebody who cares about my well being. It's not Ronan.

I grip the sides of the table, and then my hair, pulling at it so I don't scream. I look at my mother, her talking excitedly to her sister, obviously happy with the results. I stare at Ronan, looking for support, answers, anything at all, but he is staring at his burger with such intensity, I wonder when the burger will burst into flames. I let out a small moan and clutch my stomach.

"Candy?" My dad looks at me with worry in his eyes. He expected me to be happy, to be less nervous; he never suspected a problem could arise beforehand. I shake my head and jump up, stopping all conversation at the table with the sudden movement and the knocking over of my glass of cider.

"Sweety?" my mom's big and dark eyes try to catch mine, but I have gotten up too fast and my head gets dizzier, my the corners of my eyesight a foggy white. Before I even know it, I am pulling open the heavy back door a couple of doors away from the table. A waiter passes by and gives me a strange look with his round eyes and a frown too big for his small lips.

"Candy!" my mom stands up and calls for me, "Candice come back! What's wrong with you?"

"Darling, let her go, it's raining outside."

I open the door and stumble out, not caring if my mother heard what my dad said or not. I run over to a dumpster and throw up. By then, I am soaked to the bone by the onslaught of rain pounding down on me. I kneel by the dumpster for I don't know how long, but my head has not cleared yet. I do not notice the back door opening or a voice calling out until a warm hand places itself on my shoulder and I hear:

"You're going to catch a cold if you don't get out of the rain"

I look up instantly, wiping rain and tears and sweat from my face, sanguine filling my head. I blink in surprise, it's the waiter that looked at me a moment before. His hair is a dark brown with a hint of grey, and his brown eyes stare right through my soul. He is bending down to get my attention, but I can tell he is tall. Cute, but not what I expected.

"Shut up." I retort.

He stands up and chuckles. "I have been looking forward to this moment for... two years now? I've been trying to draw up a picture of what you would like almost nonstop. I like the sass though, I think our personalities will match just fine. I'm Leeroy, by the way. What's yours?"

I stare at him, wheels turning. This cannot be right. He stares back at me for a few seconds, and then winks. No.

"Shut up!" I bark and he moves back in surprise.

"I didn't even say anything! Honey I know it's a lot to take in, but maybe if we go for dinner after I finish my shift, you will be less angsty." I can't believe it. I can't believe him.

"I said shut up!" I get up, dirtying my hands in the process, "I am not your "honey"! You know what, I'm sorry, but this is not going to work out. Move."

He stands there in shock as I push him aside as much as I can manage, his pale skin cold and wet from the rain. I get back into the restaurant and stride over to the table with me family and friends.

"What's wrong Candy?"

"Did you meet him?"

"Your hands are filthy."

"Get back out there and find your soulmate!"

"Ronan!" I call out to him, ignoring everything else. He understands and gets up to clutch my hand. I do not care who sees as I turn to walk out the front door, knowing Ronan is right behind me. My family is getting riled up and talking louder and louder to accommodate for my red face and angry, black, dripping, hair. I hear the back door and know it's Leeroy; this is my chance. I stop and grab Ronan's other hand. Leeroy calls out for me, but all I hear is Ronan's steady breath escaping his lips and watch his eyes search mine for the answer to a question he silently asks me. I nod my head and he pulls in and we kiss our first public and possibly last kiss.

It is definetly my favorite kiss, and it warms me through and through. I do not know what will happen, but I have him. I smile with absolute certainty as I pull back and watch the world collapse around us.

Leeroy collapses to the ground, unconsious. The words "Shut up" on his right wrist erase and are instantly replaced with the words, "I adore your curly hair!" I am glad that it happens, for as much as I disliked him, he still deserves happiness.

Suddenly Ronan grabs my hands so tight that I barely realize a growing pain on my left wrist. The words just put on my arm less than an hour ago erase, being replaced by the words "CONTAMINATED" in big black letters. Ronan's right arm has the same words, and I watch in absolute horror as the black ink on our wrist spreads through the veins under the skin, webbing its way up the palms of our hands and up our forearms. A burning sensation passes through with it, like acid, and Ronan and I turn and run out of the restaurant of full on havoc.

After running for a few seconds, he collapses to the ground, taking me with him. I scream in agony and start to wish I never chose this path.

"Candy," Ronan looks up at me. I see his veins turning black further up, almost to his neck and know I must look similar. He continues, "Candice, now we can be together."

I smile and nod, tears streaming down my face, and I know it's worth it.