Ink (Book 1 of the Ink Series)

Undecided

I watched Karsen apply blush to her cheeks, sweeping the brush against her face, completely mesmerized by her conversation with me about Slade and his friends.

"They're so dark and brooding. You can totally tell no one is comfortable being near them. And I don't know why they are so hot. All of them." She set the brush on my vanity with a soft clink and raked her fingers through the sides of her hair.

"And I think that has to really suck for them, don't you?" I asked, trying to get her to think rationally. It seemed since she got here all she did was act like a girl with the sex drive of a porn star. And I knew this wasn't the usual Karsen.

"I think its captivating," she mumbled, shoving a clip into the right side of her hair. She turned her face towards me. "They don't care if everyone despises them. And that is hot."

I sighed. They didn't care because they were witches. Something she knew nothing about. Neither of us did. And it was probably the whole town's hunch that kept them far away from Slade and his pals.

"Everything can't be hot, Karsen. Slade has run into a lot of problems. Most of them having to do with Tucker." I pulled my rose colored t-shirt off the hanger.

"I know. Tucker told me." She stood, finally content with her hair and makeup. She unzipped her shorts, wiggling out of them. "Once the old Tuck Meister realized we were friends, he told me all about Slade. He said he attacked you and some other girl. That he is no good and that he hates that you are socializing with him."

I stared at Karsen as she squirted lotion into her palms, rubbing them together. She acted like it wasn't a big deal.

"So?" I asked, a bit disturbed. She slid her hands down each thigh, working the lotion into her skin.

"So, I know when a guy is trying to compete with another guy. It's obvious he likes you. So of course he is going to talk bad about Slade. Boys think with their penis. What better way to scare you away then to make up crazy stories about Slade and his dark following?" Karsen gave a satisfied smile and pulled a black skirt out of her duffel bag. She pulled the skirt up to her waist and then quickly slid her pink panties off.

I gave her a disgusted look when I realized she wasn't hurrying to swap her panties with another pair. "So, that's all you see it being?"

"Of course. I really don't think you would be running around with some guy who attacked you and some girl. Do I look stupid?"

I shrugged. "Well, you are wearing a very short skirt with no panties to a concert with a bunch of violent, thrashing metal heads." I gave a small smirk.

"Slade's friend is hot. Kidd. What a name. I'm sure something is going to happen, so this makes it easier. Besides, those panties are really expensive and I don't want to lose them."

I stood up, shaking my head at her. "Did you ever think it makes you look... um..." I couldn't finish my sentence; I didn't want to offend her.

"Easy. Provocative. Sexy. Savvy. Smart. Ready for sex?" She rattled off word after word. None of them was fitting my idea of right.

"Karsen, can we be serious for about five minutes?" I crossed the room, searching for my jean shorts. When I couldn't find them Karsen tossed me another black skirt, if you wanted to call it that. It was more a belt. I tossed it back.

"My dad would kill me," I assured her. I was pretty sure he would kill her too, but luckily he wasn't home yet.

"Go on about serious. I don't have all night." She plopped down on my bed.