All I Wanted

(Dakota.)

Vince instructed us to choose from the rings. He left us to prep his station.

Sky chose a silver barbell with rainbows on each ends. I rolled my eyes at him. I chose a black curved naval barbell with white gems on each end.

Vince came back to us once we chose and got our jewelry out of the case. He led us into the back. Chairs and tables were set up in little stations. It was really neat and clean. That made me feel a tad better about the situation. I was still shaking though. Sky decided to go first. He sat down on a reclined chair. The station had a small sink next to the chair. It kinda made me feel like it was there to clean up all the blood people expelled from getting needles stuck into their bodies.

Vince pulled a bottle of Anti-bacterial mouthwash from under the sink and a small Dixie cup. He poured some into the cup and handed it to Sky.

“Rinse and spit,” he instructed.

Sky complied and spit the mouthwash into the sink. Oh, that’s what it’s for.

He asked Sky to stick out his tongue and relax it. Sky complied and stuck out his tongue. As Sky was doing this Vince pulled on a pair of gloves. He grabbed a cotton swab and dried off Sky’s tongue. He took a marker and made a dot where the whole would be made. He took the sterilized clamp from the table and placed it on Sky’s tongue. I gulped.

It was so frightening. I was scared. Call me a baby, but I was afraid of needles.

Vince picked up the needle and placed it under Sky’s tongue, ready to pierce. “ Okay. When I say so, inhale deep through your nose. Then I’ll tell you to exhale deep. Ready?” he instructed. Sky nodded. “3, 2, 1, inhale.”

The needle was halfway through “Exhale” then it pushed the rest of the way through. Vince detached the clamp from Sky and set it on the table. He picked up the jewelry that Sky had chosen and unscrewed the bottom ball. He set it on the top of the needle to follow through the tongue. Once the ring was in Vince screwed in the bottom ball and told Sky it was done.

“Thanks,” Sky tried to say. It sounded more like “Anth” to me.

“No prob.”

He turned to look at me and led me to a bed like thing. He told me to lay down and pull up my shirt. I did and he swabbed my naval with topical skin prep. My breathing was shaky and I made Sky hold my hand.

“It’s ok. It won’t hurt as bad as you think,” he said.

Vince clamped the forceps on my bellybutton. He paused when the front door rang, signaling that someone had entered.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he called.

“Hurry up. I’ve got Micah with me,” a shrill female voice called.

Vince huffed and continued with his work.

I looked at Sky and he shrugged.

Who’s Micah?

Vince marked the spot of the piercing. Then he told me to take deep breaths and shoved the needle in. I flinched and screamed. It hurt. I’m a wimp though.

“Ouch,” Sky said because I had such a tight grip on his hand.

I looked down to see Vince smirking. I glared.

“You ok?” he asked.

I shook my head. He just laughed.

Then he slipped the jewelry in and tightened the balls.

It was kinda cute. But it hurt.

“Hurry up!” the girl from earlier shrieked. What the hell is her problem?

Then a baby cried. I was really confused.

Vince sighed again and cleaned my piercing. He stood and said, “Wait here. I still have instructions for you.”

I nodded and he walked up to the front. I looked and Sky and he mouthed, “What the fuck?” I shrugged. I had no clue.

The baby stopped crying and the bell rang again, signaling that the woman had left.

Vince stepped back into the back again. Only this time he had a cute little baby boy in his arms.

“Sorry about that. My bitch of an ex doesn’t get that I have a job. And it’s my weekend to have my son,” he apologized.

I nodded. I was fascinated with the kid. He was so cute. I just wanted to hold him. I bit my lip and held my arms out. Vince looked at me funny. I don’t think he got what I wanted.

“Can I hold him?” I asked.

Vince looked hesitant but gently handed Micah( I had concluded that was his name) to me. His head as in the crook of my right arm and I held his back side with my left. I bounded my arms lightly and he giggled at me. I laughed with him. Babies are so cute.

Sky awwed over my shoulder.

“How old is he?” I asked.

“About 5 months,” he answered.

“How precious,” I sighed.

Vince reached out to pet Micah’s hair. His fingers brushed along my arm too. My cheeks heated up. I’m not sure if Sky noticed what was going on, but Vince did. He smiled at me. I cleared my throat and put my attention back on Micah, who yawned. It was adorable. I giggled.

Sky rested his head on my shoulder. “You’re going to be great with our kids, some day.”

I scrunched up my face. “We’re having kids?” I asked.

“Yup,” he answered without skipping a beat.

I rolled my eyes.

“You guys are together?” Vince interjected.

Sky nodded enthusiastically.

Vince retracted his hand from my arm. He rolled his eyes.

Sky sighed from behind me. I giggled when the air hit my neck.

“We should get going.”

I agreed. I handed Micah back to Vince and got up.

“Do you have a job?” Vince asked suddenly.

“N-No,” I stuttered.

“Well, I need a babysitter. I’ll pay you. How ‘bout it?”

“I can’t right now,”

“Oh well, here’s my number,” he handed me his card. “Call me sometime.”

I nodded.

He sighed. “Are you sure you can’t. I mean, you can stay here and look after him. If you’d like.”

Sky stomped back towards us. “We have to go. We’re kinda on a date here,” Sky growled.

And then he dragged me out of the shop. A scowl was implanted on his face the whole time.

What’s with the ‘tude?