Angel With A Devilish Angle

A blinding light disturbed me from my comfy sleep, leading me to, with eyes still rebelliously shut against the wide awake world, turning over and burying my face into the pillows. The darkness was welcoming, the darkness was my friend and I sighed with content, knowing I could go back to sleep in peace.

"Faith Annalisa Baker!" I suddenly heard from my grandmom, her Italian accent thick, and I realised what she could be possibly yelling at me for. I rolled over onto my back so she could no longer see it and grinned at her, pulling my white tank top further down my toned stomach.

"Morning Nonna," I greeted, tugging at the gauze stuck on the small of my back. I didn't have to wear it, I just did for fear of my grandparents seeing it. It didn't matter that Zack had sleeves on my both arms, just so long as I didn't permanently mark my skin since they didn't think it right for women to have tattoos.

"What is that on your back?" She scowled.

"Erm, nothing," I tried to dismiss it, knowing it wasn't going to work anyway. I could always hope though, couldn't I? I was twenty-two, working as a tattoo artist, and had only just got any sort of major ink. My darling twin, however, was covered in the things along with his band mates. Thanks to me on many an occasion too. I guess I'm just more keen to produce them than to wear them.

Nonna scowled at me further before leaving my room. I flopped back down onto the bed, sighing that she had gone. I reached a hand out to the clock to find the little blue LED light read '08:37'. Ergh, I had to be at work in 53 minutes. Not a possible task when the night before I had gotten a little friendly with the drink.

I dragged myself from bed anyway, ripping the gauze off and throwing into the bin beside my desk. I moved my bright green eyes up to my calendar to see that in his scruffy writing, Zack had written 'the bestest brother in the world comes home' on todays little square. Chyeah, "bestest" my ass.

Once I had showered I dried out my wavy black hair and slicked on some make-up before pulling on underwear, followed by a pair of ripped loose fitting jeans and a plain black wifebeater. I loved being a tattoo artist; I could wear what the fuck I liked and no-one gave a shit.

After pulling out my Zacky V Presents baseball cap and had pulled on my Chucks I rooted round for my car keys and my bag. I really wanted to avoid Nonna if I could since I knew what she would say if she saw what was really on my back. Thankfully, I found my car keys on my sketch pad which was by my bag.

Smiling I gathered it all together, before grabbing up the sunglasses Zack had bought for me - I didn't ask him; he just came home one day and handed over this really nice pair of black crystal-trim Roberto Cavalli aviator sunglasses. I didn't ask about the price tag, just accepted them.

At first I had hated Zack buying me expensive gifts since I felt bad I couldn't get him anything nice in return. So I had tried to refuse, but Zack would refuse too and so I had long gotten used to it. It was alright for Sarah being his long-term girlfriend; it was more acceptable for her to receive all the things he's ever bought for her without people accusing her of being a gold digger.

Besides, the sunglasses were my favourite and most used gift. Closing my bedroom door behind me, I jogged down the stairs into the airy entrance hall. The small cabinets that matched the decor were well adorned with family photos; the particular one that caught my eye was of two small children both with dark hair and the most vibrant green eyes, ripping at Christmas wrapping paper. Namely Zack and I. Which was pretty much 90% of the photos on display.

Mom and dad were proud of us both and were more than happy to show it to the world. They didn't care that one child had become a hero to kids all over the world through his music, and the other was but a tattoo artist in their home of Huntington Beach, because they were proper parents and supported us through our choices. It didn't matter what path we took so long as it wasn't illegal or dangerous.

I glanced towards the kitchen where I could hear Nonna and Nonno singing some Italian song; with that I decided to get some breakfast on the way to work or just have a really big lunch. Or to wait until I ended up at Johnny's after work with Zack and the guys, and get something to eat there.

Quietly I closed the front door behind me so as not to alert them to my leaving and headed through the shadow cast by the house, across the gravel which crunched under my feet to my car. My silver Audi Q7 was one of the few luxuries working as tattoo artist afforded. Okay, I'm lying I've made myself a small fortune - nothing compared to my brothers - but the car had cost an arm and a leg.

But despite making a comfortable living and being perfectly capable of living by myself now, mom and dad were happier to have me live with them. Sometimes I would seethe that they didn't make Zack live with them until further notice, but the rest of the time I didn't complain because it made life easier I guess.

Hopping up into the drivers seat, I plugged my iPod in, the music soon filtering out as I started up the engine and pressed my foot down on the gas. The car began moving forwards towards the gate that lead onto the main road, the gravel under the tyres crunching as I edged forward the sun glaring in my eyes. Tha in mind, I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes so I could see better; I may have been wearing a baseball cap, but sometimes they didn't always work.

Barely anytime of driving had led me to my destination and I rolled my car to a stop round the back of the shop in the employers car park. For a moment I sat in the seat, plugging my iPod into my ears instead, before grabbing my bag and sketchpad, and jumping down to the asphalt and closing the door.

I locked it up and headed to the back door of the building already propped open with a chair from the front reception to keep the room at the back cool. I stepped in, glancing further into it to see a burly guy covered with ink setting up. Pulling out an earphone so I wouldn't shout, I smiled at the man. "Hey Rory," I greeted.

He turned to look at me and smiled through his greyish beard. "Hey kid, how's that tattoo holding up?" He asked, pointing towards me to indicate what was now permanently marked on my lower back.

"It's awesome," I grinned happily. "My nonna, I mean my grandmother, almost saw it this morning which meant I left with no breakfast."

"Is it that bad?" His eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Just a bit since women shouldn't have tattoo's according to her," I shrugged before he waved his arm dismissively, letting me walk into the tiny corridor that led from the front reception to the three rooms off it at the back where we did our work, and furthermore the employee's lounge.

I moved into the room right opposite the reception to see everything as I had left it the night before, save the cup of coffee sat at my desk with a note beside it. I put my bag and sketchbook down on the chair, before having a proper look.

Hey Faith, sorry I got you so drunk last night, here's a coffee to make you feel better, Nori x

I laughed. Noriyuki Haga was my Japanese workmate and drinking buddy. I'd known him since highschool when he first moved to America from Japan, though back then he was just another curiosity to the student body of Huntington Beach High and I was no different. It wasn't until we were both employed here - me as a tattoo artist, him as a body piercer or whatever they're called - that we actually started talking properly rather than only talking at parties we both found ourselves at.

He was the one who first lured me into a sushi bar, surprise surprise, where we spent many a night gossiping endlessly about everything and anything. We were close, close enough that he cut it very close to being my best friend in the times when Brian and myself weren't talking; we weren't attracted to each other, though, since I was lacking the anatomical stuff in my pants, the stuff that attracted him to Zack. No, Nori was just my good gay friend and had acted as a shoulder to cry on on various occasions.

I turned towards the door and saw his scrawny frame leaning up the door jamb, his arms folded and his black hair falling into his eyes that were hidden behind his thick rimmed glasses. "My hero," I smiled appreciatively, raising my cup and drinking the coffee. "Aww, and you remembered how I take it too!"

"Someone has to save you before your brother and co. return and drag your ass to Johnny's to get you drunk all over again," he laughed, moving further into the room and sitting on the chair.

"Mmm, and whose fault is it I got drunk in the first place?" I retorted as I sat on my stool and began setting up my own things.

"You love me, Faith," Nori answered dramatically which made me laugh more.

"Go away he who shares his name with a crazy Japanese motorcyclist," I grinned at him and he stood, his honey coloured eyes trained on me. He smiled and walked out mumbling something about maybe he was said motorcyclist. I laughed once more before I finished setting up and went through to see my first client.

The day slowly passed without me getting even one call or message from Zack to let me know that either they had arrived safely back home, they were safe but were lost, or that all but one of them had been brutally murdered by an axe wielding maniac. Okay so not the third option but you know what I mean?

I chewed down on my lip as I wiped away more excess ink from the arm of the guy I was currently working on, trying to push bad thoughts of what could possibly have happened to my twin from my mind. "Aww Sister Vengeance finally got herself inked!" A familiar smirking voice said behind me.

"Mmm, just because my brother looks like a childs colouring book doesn't mean I have to Brian," I replied with a grin, keeping my eyes and my right hand on what I was doing. The fact that Zack was left handed and I was right, was one of the few things that separated the two of us.

"You went out drinking last night didn't you?" He then asked. Brian had the annoying habit of being able to know things without being told, which was even more annoying when we were having our downs. One day we could be the best of best friends but the next we would be the worst of arch enemies. Our friendship was weird, I know, and none of the guys bothered to say anything anymore since they knew it wasn't going to change.

"Err, maybe," I shrugged as I changed ink colours.

"Are you coming out after work?" He then asked.

"You bethcha," I mumbled. "Johnny's right?"

"Hell yes, babe," Brian answered; he didn't even need to because we always went to Johnny's; we even went there before we were legal. "I shall see you later then," he said kissing my cheek, barely distracting me at all.

"You will do," I grinned. "Oh and Brian? Tell Sarah to make the most of the last few hours she has with Zack because he's a dead man when I see him."

"Err, okay then," Brian said slightly unsure before leaving and letting me get on with my work.