Rebel Girl

8} For Someone With Pink Hair She Sure Isn't Very Sweet.

© Amber Kalkes 2014

Song: "If You Could Only See" By Tonic

Chapter Eight: For Someone With Pink Hair She Sure Isn’t Very Sweet.

Sutton is trying to kill me. I swear to god she is trying to kill me. If it wasn’t the way she drove or the way she stuffed me with food until I exploded, it was going to be this. I can feel my stomach drop to my toes as she pulls her shiny red but admittedly badass car and I feel the nail last in my coffin.

It’s a tattoo shop. Vaguely remembering the mention of a tattoo shop with the names Calvin and Lou I feel like I’m going to vomit. Which would be a shame considering how expensive Mr. Lau’s turned out to be. No matter that Sutton picked up the bill and tasted like heaven in soy sauce.

I turn to Sutton wide eyed, “Uh…”

“Yes?” She asks as she removes her aviators from her face.

“Why are we here?”

“We’re hitting two birds with one stone.”

I groan and drop my head in my hands. “What does that even mean? When was there an overpopulation of birds and a shortage of stones?”

Sutton snorts out a laugh before shutting the car off, “Babe, chill. We’re just here to grab Kate and go. She works here when she’s not hung over and ditching school. You need to meet her.”

“Why?” I ask, peeking through my fingers at her.

“Because she’s my other best friend and I need my best friends to get along.”

Memories of seeing Kathleen Holiday, street name: Kate, come into my mind. Images of her beating people up, getting caught with girls in the janitors closet and her drunk stumbling through the halls all make an appearance. Yeah, I’m sure we’ll get along great! A starved lion and a fat gazelle would be a good analogy.

“Okay.” I breathe, finding no way out of this.

“Great!” She chirps before climbing out of the car. Turning around and dipping her head back into sight through the open door she feels the need to add, “Oh and if Lou’s here don’t blame me.”

“What—“ Her shutting the door cuts me off.

Damn it.

Okay, I think taking a deep calming breath; it’ll be fine. You saw him, you liked him and he was nice to you. All you have to do is act cool and not embarrass yourself and you’ll be fine. Should be easy right? Right? I am so screwed aren’t I?

”Get your ass out here, Emerson!”

Yup, royally screwed.

Opening the door I make sure to toss the hood of sweatshirt up and the sleeves down. Its oddly reassuring to be hiding under the black cloth of my new, Carla gifted, sweatshirt. Its not invisibility cloak but its as good as us muggles are going to get, that’s for sure.

“What’s with the hood, Unabomber?”

“Screw you.” I mutter making Sutton laugh.

“Feisty is way better then shitting yourself so I’ll forgive that.”

I roll my eyes and make sure my tone is bone dry. “Thank god for that.”

“The sarcasm student is soon to become the sarcasm master at this pace.”