“They look so good,” I say with wonder in my voice. I can’t believe I just did that.
“Yes, they do,” Nate agrees before clearing his throat. He leans in once more, reaching out to adjust the barbells. My stomach tightens at the sensation, feeling raw.
“There isn’t any blood,” I muse aloud.
“There might be a little later. I’ll give you instructions for aftercare and go over everything, but I’m going to warn you right now, if you shower with those loofah things, do yourself a favor and throw it out now.”
“Okay…”
“There’s nothing worse than forgetting you have a fresh piercing and snagging it on one of those bitches. Trust me.”
“Ouch.” I hop down from the table, reaching for my clothes that must’ve fallen from my lap.
“I’d skip the bra for a week or two, too.”
Going braless at school for two whole weeks? Sure. That won’t be weird at all.
I pull my t-shirt over my head—sans bra—wincing when the fabric hits my chest. Nate rattles off instructions about how often to clean them and how long to abstain from certain…activities. And then we’re walking back out toward the lobby, with my bra stuffed into my waistband in the back of my pants.
Valen pops up from the couch and springs toward me. “That took forever. Let’s see it!” Before I can stop her, she’s lifting my shirt, exposing my stomach.
“You little wuss!” she exclaims, laughing. “I knew you’d chicken out.”
I pull my shirt back down, walking up to the counter with the cash register. We still have to pay, so the jig is up.
“Fifty for you.” He points to Valen, and she digs into her purse for cash. “And it’s usually forty-five each, but I’ll cut you a deal since it’s your birthday. Give me fifty and we’ll call it even.”
“Wait.” Valen’s head snaps around. “You got two piercings? Where?” Her eyes scan my body.
“Somewhere where nobody can see,” I tease, widening my eyes at her. I hand Nate a fifty and a twenty for a tip…which isn’t exactly chump change for me, but it’s the least I can do since he gave me a deal. “Thanks again,” I tell Nate, changing the subject as I walk backwards toward the door.
Once outside, I’m relieved to find the cluster of cars has left. Valen jogs to her car and hops in, but I can’t exactly run, so I opt for slow and steady steps, and I see Valen’s mouth drop from the driver’s seat.
“You little rebel.” She laughs when I pull the passenger side door open. “Show me right now.”
I slide in and close the door before angling my body toward her. I curl my fingers around the hem of my shirt, quickly lifting it to my chin.
“Holy shit, they’re perfect,” she squeals. I drop my shirt, then face forward. “How bad did it hurt?”
“Bad,” I admit. “But it was quick. You?”
She angles the rearview mirror down to admire her nose. “Surprisingly not bad at all. My eyes watered, but that’s about it.”
Valen starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot and begins the drive back home. We talk some more, but all the while, my thoughts keep drifting back to Thayer and how different he is. He didn’t even wish me a happy birthday, and I know that’s insignificant, all things considered, but it’s just another reminder that my life has done a complete one-eighty. Last year, I had Danny, Thayer, and Holden. I had Grey. Now, I don’t have a single one of them.
Valen’s car slows, snapping me out of my thoughts. When I look up, I realize we’re pulling up to her house instead of mine. I glance over at her with a questioning expression.
“Sleepover,” she deadpans, as if the answer is obvious. “It’s your birthday. You’re not spending the rest of your night at home alone. We’re going to order pizza, get drunk, watch shitty reality TV, and then I’ll probably make you flash me one more time.”
I crack a smile. “I’m in.”
She cuts the engine, then dangles her keys in front of my face. “As if you had a choice.”
Shayne
“So I’ve been thinking,” Mom says, in way of greeting as I walk through the front door after school. She came home on Sunday with a grocery store cake, but other than that, I haven’t seen her much, and I haven’t brought up seeing her with that random guy.
“Well, hello to you, too.”