I'll Be Holding on to You

spontaneous tats are the best

The following week I was browsing Pinterest on my phone for more quotes so I would sound interesting and amazing to Mara. I came across one and had a sudden moment of clarity, or insanity. I texted Mara. Will Gage tattoo me?

I could almost see her expression over the phone. I'm perplexed and intrigued and yes, of course he will.

I smiled. Awesome. When?

Before you chicken out you mean?

Uh, yeah lol. I waited a minute while she presumably called him.

Half an hour at my house?

I panicked. That soon? Shit. Uhhhhhh help. Okay.

Lmao see you in a few. Bring ya girl.

Better make it an hour.

Erika was still sleeping in my bed, on my side now. She lay on her stomach, head to the left, holding the top sheet in a fist next to her splendid face. I sat to the side of her and bounced a little. 

She opened her eyes and groaned. "Sleeping," she said. "Go 'way." She rolled over and pulled the sheet over her head.

"Coffee and Gage?" I asked in a sing-song voice.

She opened pulled the sheet back down. "The coffee'd better be here, and please leave the singing to me or Cameron."

"Drink." I held out the mug and she sighed but sat up and drank some. "Also, rude."

"Needs more milk."

I laughed. "You would bitch if they hung you with a new rope, my fren." I almost said my love. Oops. "Get up and get ready because we're going to Mara's in like forty five minutes so I can get my tattoo."

"I hate y-- wait, what?" She was getting out of bed but stopped with one leg on the floor and stared at me. "Your what?"

"Guess you'll have to get ready and come with to see. But shh; it's a secret." I held my finger to my lips and went back downstairs to put my makeup on. Or, rather, have Evie put my makeup on.

She was dressed as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, and it was perfect. "You're totes adorbs, Evie," I told her. "Just so you know."

"I know," she assured me, joking a little. "And yes, we watched the Harry Potters."

"Good job."

We got to Mara's at one and Erika was not excited about being at her house. "You'll be fine," I told her when we got there and parked.

She was practically hyperventilating. She'd woken up with extra anxiety. "This is a dumb idea. Just take me back home and come back and do your thing. I can't do this."

I sighed inwardly and fished in my purse for the vape pen and the cbd cartridge. I switched it with the thc one already attached and handed it to her. "Medicate, dude."

She did. "I hate being a person." She looked near tears. New place, too soon after waking up, jealousy, and she didn't love Mara to begin with . . . all mixed up for a nice anxiety cocktail.

I switched my iPod to Twenty One Pilots' song Forest, because it calmed her down, and put my hand on her knee. "You'll be fine." For distraction I told her what I was doing.

"What," she said again. "I fucking love it."

"I know. I just saw it this morning on Pinterest. That's what brought all this about. I didn't expect him to be available so soon. Hit that."