The Dramas Of Apartment 5B

The Tattoo And The Kiss

It was the tenth of December, it was getting colder and colder each day. "Today's the day!" I said running into the kitchen, "you're going to stop being sarcastic?" Finn said excitedly, "you're going to stop being annoying" Carter said sarcastically, "you're going to stop killing people!" Lisa said, "you're going to stop taking my food" Natalie said, "you're going to stop distracting me from getting a degree" Lara said sipping coffee, "you're going to realize that you are totally in love with" Jason began, I raised an eyebrow, "your bed" he finished. "No,no,no,no,no and no" I said, "what else could it possibly be" Carter said, "funny, I'm getting a tattoo!" I said. "Really? can I come?" Lisa said excitedly, "sure, I just booked an appointment for eleven forty five" I said, Finn looked at his phone, "that's in an hour" he said, "I know, I need to have a shower" I said walking to the bathroom, "wait up" Jason called walking into the bathroom, "don't you think a tattoo is a bit, permanent" he said, "that is the idea" I winked, "yeah, I know but" he began, "you're one of those people who hate tattoos" I said, "no, I just, I don't know" he shrugged, "where are you going to get it?" he asked, "it's a surprise" I said, "great, well you have fun" he said walking out.

Lisa and I arrived at the tattoo parlor at eleven thirty five. We entered the parlor, it was loud and filled with art on the walls, floor and ceiling. "Hi I'm Max, I'm here for the eleven forty five appointment" I said to lady behind the counter, she had several tattoos of images and words, "right through there" she said pointing to a separate room. "What can I get you" said a guy, he looked about our age, "a heartbeat line, right here, please" I said pointing to the upper side of my chest. "Sure thing, got a photo?" he asked, "yeah, right here" I said handing him a a piece of paper. He told me to take my shirt off and lie face down on the chair. I remember hearing the sound of the needle buzzing loudly, I wasn't scared, Lisa held my hand. Half an hour later and the tattoo artist said, "done". I was surprised how fast it went I guess it was only a small tattoo. "It's so pretty" Lisa said memorized as the artist put some sort of tape over it.

We got home about an hour later. "There's my little rebel" Finn said wrapping his arm around me, "getting a tattoo isn't rebellious" I said, "so you're telling us there isn't a little bit of you that got that tattoo just to annoy your parents because they didn't want you to get one" Carter said, "well, whatever" I said walking to the kitchen, "so was it painful?" Natalie asked, "do you regret it?" Jason whispered, "not us much as I thought and shut up" I said rolling my eyes at Jason. "Can we see it?" Carter asked, "yes, you can but not Jason since he disapproves" I grinned, "oh come on Max!" he called as I lead the others into my room. "It's nice" Carter said, "yeah" Finn agreed, "I love it!" Natalie said, "Lara?" I asked, "it's nice" she smiled. We walked back out, "really Max" Jason sighed, "yes really, dad" I added, he shook his head, "just you wait, I will see that tattoo if it's the death of me" he said leaning across the kitchen island, "I can't wait to see you try" I whispered back.

I should have taken him more seriously when he said he would try to see my tattoo, because seriously he did. At lunch he purposely spilt water on me, "sorry, I guess you'll have to take your top off" he said slyly, I rolled my eyes, "not happening, ace" I said. At dinner he turned the heat up to high, I was sweating a lot. "You know, I don't enjoy causing you pain" he said turning the dial up, "really, I would never had noticed" I said breathing heavily and fanning myself with my hand. He smiled and turned off the heat, "I'm not saying thank you" I said, "I didn't ask you to say thank you" he sat down at the pool table where we were eating dinner. "You guys are" Finn began, "I don't even know" he said, "just leave them be" Lara laughed.

After dinner I left to my bedroom and lay on my bed, the pain from the tattoo wasn't too bad, it was more of a sting, I peeled of the tape so I could put on the tattoo cream.Jason knocked on the door, it's funny how you can tell who a person is based of how they knock. "Yeah" I said putting my shirt back on, the door opened. "Hey" he said, "Hi" "you know I was only joking with the whole tattoo thing" he said, "yes, Jason I know" I smiled, "okay, okay, good" he said turning to leave. "Wait" I said,he turned back and I took my shirt off. His eyes searched my body for the tattoo and finally found it on the side of my chest. He moved forward looking from the tattoo to me, "may I?" he asked quietly, I nodded. He placed his hand on my rib cage, he traced the tattooed heartbeat lines with his thumb sending chills through my body.Stupid. "So?" I asked, "I like it" he said, "really?" I smiled "No" he said looking up at me, "I love it" he whispered leaning in. The door swung open. Unbelievable. It was Finn, "hey! you decided to show him the tattoo" he said obliviously. We nodded, "yup" Jason said giving Finn an annoyed look, "anyway, Max, Lisa says she needs your help or something" Finn said walking away, Jason removed his hands from my waist and looked away, "I'm going to go" he said, "yeah sure" I nodded although I didn't want him to leave, not for one second.

"What's up?" I asked Lisa, "she has a problem" Carter said cautiously watching Lisa dig into an ice cream tub, "shut up" Lisa said, "what you've never seen a girl aggressively eat ice cream before?" I asked Carter, "hey before I met you girls I had never even seen a girl" he joked, "what's the matter anyway?" he asked, me and Lisa looked at each other and then at him, ""you don't want to know" we said in unison. "Right, that's my que, see ya" he said walking to his room. Lisa offered me the spoon, "thanks, hey I've got a question" I said, she nodded, "what does it mean when someone" I stopped myself, "actually, never mind" I said shaking my head, "no tell me" she pushed, "no never mind" I said, "Max" she said, "fine, it was a writing question you wouldn't understand" I lied, "no it wasn't" she laughed, I rolled my eyes, "fine, I think something nearly happened with me and-" "Jason!" she said loudly, "how did you" I began, "no, Jason, hi Jason!" she said loudly, I turned around and Jason was standing there. "Hi" he said slowly avoiding eye contact with me. "Everyone we're watching a movie!" Natalie called from the kitchen, she was holding a huge bowl of popcorn. "You can not make us watch the Notebook again" Carter said, "hey that was just Nat, none of us three liked that movie" I stated, "well last time you picked so now it's our turn again" Lisa said. We picked a romantic comedy called The Proposal.The movie tune started and Jason sat next to me. "So what are we watching?" Finn asked, "you'll see" Natalie grinned, "please, not the Notebook" Jason sighed.

Halfway through the movie Jason whispered to me, "I don't get it" he said quietly so the others couldn't hear, "get what?" I asked. "You love romantic movies but you don't believe in love or marriage", "hey, who says I like romantic comedies" I said defensively, "please this is the only time you haven't complained about a movie. How is that possible?" He asked, "because a movie isn't real, love in a movie is nothing like love in real life" I whispered back, "it is if you want it to be" he said quietly. I would have never admitted it but he was right, I know that now. The others left to the kitchen to get more food. "Do you know what I think, I think you're scared, to be loved" Jason said. I stood up quickly, "I'm not scared" I said angrily, he looked alarmed at my sudden outburst and so did the others. I left the apartment slamming the door behind me. Jason came after me.

"Max, wait up" Jason called after me, "I can't talk to you right now" I said turning around, "oh come on Max you know I wasn't being serious" he sighed. "I don't know anything anymore" I said loudly, "Max, what are you trying to say?" Jason sighed, "you know exactly what I'm trying to say, you seem to always know" I said raising my voice. "Max" Jason began quietly, "No you're not allowed to speak to me like that you can't just try and-" he cuts me off, "try and what,try and understand you,try to help you!" He was raising his voice now too. "God dammit Jason,see that's what you do you just say these stupid things and then you just come out and say something perfect, of course typical, Jason!" I yelled, "would you just shut up!" He yelled back,I stepped back "what did you just say to me" I said quietly my body shaking angrily, "for one freaking second Max! shut up and let me kiss you!" He yelled, he didn't stop to see my reaction. He pulled me close to him his hands on my cheeks.And then he's kissing me, again and again his hands were firm, like he knew what he was doing, like he wanted this for a long time. I knotted my fist in his shirt pulling him in closer and I felt his heartbeat against mine and it felt like something I had been pushing away for so long and I finally gave in.