The Mentor

chapter 4

Chapter 4

    The next several days were difficult. Somehow Kyle and I started at the top of the competition with Kelly and Sam and now we were somewhere in the middle. The judges were not being very nice to him, Nunez specifically. Oliver and Dave were trying to be as professional as possible but Nunez was just straight up being mean to people, not just us. Jesse and his apprentice got sent home and so did Julia Carlson and her apprentice. It was apparent that the stress was getting to Kyle. He had all these conspiracy theories about how the show worked and would vent them to Tatu baby and Sam and I all the time. I spent a lot of time in his hotel room just keeping him company and discussing future plans and the usual confidence from him just wasn't there. He yelled a bit more than normal and got into more arguments with people like Sausage and Halo. I didn't want to get involved and just stayed out of it. Little hints about our next elimination tattoo were being thrown around and everyone was freaking out. I was in Kyle's hotel room the night before the big tattoo drawing some concept sketches up.

"So what're you thinking about tomorrow?" I asked. He was sitting next to me on the couch and staring at the ceiling.

"I have no idea. These judges play favorites, they always have." he mumbled

"Then why are you here?" I asked

"America voted me back. Guess they love my work."

"Apparently so, over someone like Scott Marshall? I'm surprised he's not here. Judges kissed his ass so much in the past that I'm so surprised they didn't suck him off to get him back here."

Kyle gave me a very confused look and sat up to look me in the face

"How far out of the loop are you?" He asked.

"I don't know...what? They liked him a lot. It's a solid prediction that they'd ask-" Kyle cut me off by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Scott's been dead for a little over a year now, hun..." he said softly.

I was a little shocked.

"Jesus I have been out of the loop. Why didn't anyone tell me? What happened?"

"Drug overdose. Died in a hotel room. Cocaine is a bitch." he said standing up to go look in the mirror.

"Damn...his poor wife."

"He was a cocky asshole, but no one deserves that. But he sure as hell didn't deserve that title of Ink master."

"I'll side with you on that one...but seriously what are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I have no fucking clue and I'm just ready to take the bullet to the head from these assholes."

"We need to have a plan, Kyle. This isn't child's play anymore. People are getting cut left and right."

"These judges are biased as fuck. They like you, not me. They like your work, not mine."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well to start with, they cut me last season cause I punched Nunez in the face cause he called me insane and a bitch."

"I guess that's one thing. But I'm learning so much. I don't wanna quit now. Especially after what Ashley said to me a while ago the night you popped off on her. I don't want to give her the benefit."

He came back over to the couch and sat next to me.

"What did Ashley say to you...?" He said hesitantly.

"I apologized for getting involved and she went on about how you're a cocky asshole and how all I need to do is fuck you to get to the finale because of what I said on the first day."