60 seconds

9). Tattoo Encounter

Ro's POV-

We all finally pile into the tattoo shop after getting lost a few times. I'm a little upset that the only people who know their way around bolted ahead without us but then again I didn't follow right away either.

I look around and there are two giant walls with glass designs covering them. They seem to be organized by categories. There's a faction category, it has symbols and tribal stuff, an animal section, a scary section (it's all skulls and creepy stuff) and surprisingly a flower section but there's not a lot of options. There's a whole other wall but I never look over to it.

My feet start moving before I tell Elena and Terrence that I'm going to the wall but they just follow. They're a little distracted with the rest of the room. It's not a huge area but big enough for two back rooms, three chairs up front and a front desk. There's some sort of music I don't recognize playing, we weren't allowed to listen to the same type of pre war music that Dauntless is, I used to write my own songs to cope but I haven't thought of those in a while.

I get to the wall and look up and realize I still want the sword Lilly tattoo but I also want to get a lyric of my own somewhere. I have no idea what lyric and honestly I think I'll just get the one on my hand and then wait till after initiation. It might be a bad idea to get a palm tattoo before we have to punch bags and basically use our hands but I figured they would've told us to not get something like that done before they left us to go do who knows what.

I keep staring at the wall and I'm finally actually looking at the choices. There's all sorts of roses and daisies and some other choices but none are the sword Lilly. That's kinda strange, you'd think if they had flowers at all they would have one signifying strength not love and girly Amity flowers.

I sigh when I give up looking for the specific one I want and turn around to see Terrence looking at a dead rose. "They don't have the one I want" I admit and he just keeps looking at the flower. "You like that one don't you?" I blurt out and it finally gets him out of his trance. "Ya actually" He grabs the back of his neck and it looks like he wants to say something but doesn't. Maybe he's not ready to open up, I mean I'm not either. I look back at the flower and realize I love it. He moved onto a rose in bloom that is very much alive and I take down the dead rose. Rosey his voice still haunts me. I look over my shoulder with goosebumps going up my arm. He's not here. He can't get you. You're free. I look back to the rose and it hits me. I need this. Rosey is gone, she's dead. The girl that got beat up and pushed around isn't here.

I'm Ro. I'm strong and Independent. I will never rely on other people again and I will be stronger than anyone ever has been.

My mind is made up and I head to the desk. I through a wink at Terrence and show him the design and he just smiles. I'm glad he doesn't think I'm stealing the one he wanted. I make it to the desk and an older guy with a Mohawk see's the glass plate and asks where I want it. I think for a second and respond with my heart. "I want it to go diagonally across my heart please" he just nods and points to one of the back rooms since Uriah, Lynn, and Sam are occupying the front three chairs.

We walk to the back silently and when he pulls back the curtain that divides the room he tells me to take my sweatshirt off. I go a little blank. He's going to see the bruises! "Uhm" I start to mumble, "if you see something weird you won't go telling everybody right?" He took that better than expected and just looks up with a slight chuckle, "trust me I've seen it all but rest assured your secret will be safe with me." He full on smiles and I feel all the anxiety from before slowly go away. It's still a nagging bell in the back of my head but it's bearable for right now. "I'm Steve by the way" he says as he gestures for the chair. "Ro" is all I say due to the fact I'm taking off Uriah's hoodie right now. He chuckles again as I slightly fall over. I can't see a thing with this contraption over me.