Tattooed

“I was about to ask you that.” He smiled. “Come on.” We walked down the stair and into the kitchen where Jimmy was cleaning the dried blood off his face with a wet towel.

“Here. You missed some.” I took the towel and wiped above his left eye. It was already blackening.

“You guys can drop me off at home if you want.” Jim said once I’d gotten all the blood off.

“You are home, Jimmy.” I smiled up at him. He looked confused.

“She’s asking you to take some of this space off of our hands, man. This place is huge and we have enough room. Any of the spare rooms is yours.” Zack wrapped his arm around me.

“You guys aren’t just fucking with me?” A hopeful look in his eyes.

“Dude, you’re my best friend. I wouldn’t fuck with you like that. I know what it’s like living in an abusive home.” He looked down at me as realization dawned on him.

“I knew there was no way you were that clumsy. Why didn’t you tell me?” He said pulling me from Zack and into a hug.

“Didn’t want to worry you guys. There was nothing you could do but it’s over now. I’m out and so are you.” I hugged him back. “Now, let’s go shopping.” We all got in Zack’s new car and headed to the store. After 2 and a half hours and about $600 we had all the shopping done and put up in the house.

“I think I’m going to get some sleep.” Jimmy said putting the bread up.

“I think I’m going to do the same.” I yawned only to have my phone start ringing. “Guess not.” I sighed and flipped it open. “Hello?”

“Good morning baby girl!” My dad’s voice filled my ear.

“Hey daddy.” I smiled and hopped onto the counter as the guys were talking about something.

“I think it’s time I meet my son-in-law. What do you say to getting some lunch with your old man?” I could hear his smile.

“Hey baby, Dad wants to go to lunch, are you up for it?” I held the phone away from my mouth. He nodded. “Yeah. We’re in. Oh and do you mind if I bring a friend? I want you to meet him too.”

“That’ll be fine. Meet me at the place I used to take you on your birthdays in about 2 hours.”

“Ok. We’ll see you then. I love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart.” He hung up.

“Go get ready.” I said sliding off the counter.

“I’m going to bed.” Jimmy said starting to head up the stairs.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re going too.” I called after him.

“I don’t have any clothes.” He said looking down the stairs at me.

“Not true. I have some of your clothes from all the times you crashed at my place.” Zack said walking up the stairs after me.

“Damn.” Jimmy grumbled following us into our room. Zack dug through his closet and found Jim’s clothes while I got the shower ready. I heard them talking some more but couldn’t make out what they were saying because of the rushing water. I finished my shower before doing my hair and make up. I walked out of the bathroom in a fluffy black towel and started to look through my closet. I settled on a black and red striped tube top and a pair of ripped acid wash jeans. I pulled on the jeans then dug out my strapless bra and putting it on before the top.

“Have you seen my red and black chucks?” I asked Zack looking in the bottom of my closet.

“Here.” He said from behind me holding them. “They were in my closet.” I took them from him and pulled them on after my socks. There was a knock on our door.

“Ready?” Jim asked as Zack opened it. I grabbed the leather jacket and nodded. We all got into my new car, considering I was the only one who knew where we were going.

“Baby, where are we going?” Zack asked after about 30 minutes of driving.

“A place that my great grand father opened. It was passed down to my grandmother and now my father owns it. It’s been over 6 years since I was there.”

“Are you sure you know how to get there?” Jimmy asked from the backseat.

“Positive. It’s only another 20 minutes or so. It’s in the northern part of LA.”

“Oh yeah. I keep forgetting you lived in LA before you met us.”

“We all do.” Zack started to mess with the radio. We arrived in the length of time I said it would take and got out of the car.

“Tommy’s? There’s one in Long Beach, why didn’t we go there?”

“This is the original one. I’ve come here since I can remember.” We walked inside and I saw my dad sitting in a booth at the very back. I slid in next to him, Zack in front of me and Jim across from my dad.

“Hey baby girl.” He hugged me.

“Hey Daddy.”

“Let me guess, this one is my son-in-law?” He pointed to Jim.

“No.” I laughed. “That’s my best friend, Jimmy. This is Zack.” I grabbed his hand across the table.

“It’s nice to finally meet you two. She talks about you all the time.” My dad said shaking his hand then Jimmy’s.

“It’s an honor to meet you too sir.” Zack spoke.

“Hi.” Jimmy’s lack of manners made me laugh slightly.

“Let me see the ring.” My dad said holding his hand out for mine. I lifted it and showed him.

“Definitely not what I was expecting but it’s nice. Zack, if you hurt her, I can and will make you disappear.” He gave Zack a hard look.

“Yes sir.” I hear him gulp. He’d figured out what my dad did for a living on my 16th birthday.

“So sweetheart, what are you planning on doing once you get out of high school?” He asked like he hadn’t just threatened my husband.

“I’ve been talking to Ben and I’m going to start apprenticing under him to get my tattoo license.” I smiled.

“I’m glad to see that you have a plan. When are you going to start?”

“I was thinking right after graduation. The guys are starting to book gigs out of town so I might as well find something useful to do while all of my friends are gone.” I shrugged.

“And what do you plan on doing?” My dad turned his attention to the green eyed man in front of me.

“I have a scholarship for baseball, but if our band takes off, I’m going to do that instead.” Zack sounded slightly unsure.

“So it’s either sports or music? No solid back up plan to support my daughter?” I could tell my dad was just giving him a hard time but I don’t think he could.

“Sir, I’m being scouted by many teams this season and our band is doing well for just being a few months old.” He tried to sound polite but I could tell he was slightly upset.

“Chill baby. Daddy lay off.” I defused the situation quickly. The rest of lunch went smoothly.

“Danni, I want to talk to you alone for a minute.” My dad stopped me as we got ready to leave.

“I’ll meet you guys in the car.” The guys left. “What’s up Dad?”

“If he hurts you, you better not hide it from me.” He gave me a stern look.

“I won’t.” I promised. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”

“What’s up baby girl?” I looked at me questioningly.

“Give this a listen and if you like it see who you can give it to, to help the guys out a bit.” I gave him the puppy dog eyes handing him a copy of the demo the guys had made in November.

“Sure thing sweetie. I’ll call you when I hear something about it.” He kissed the top of my head before I went out to the car.

“What was that about?” Zack asked once we were on the road.

“Talking about where to hide your body.” I shot him an innocent look before turning the music up.

The school year came to a close quickly. We had our senior prank planned for tomorrow night after graduation. We were going to put tons of plastic forks into the football field in the shape of a giant deathbat, the symbol the guys had adopted for the band. But for now, we were all partying in the basement. More like 200 people plus us were partying either in the basement or outside. We’d locked up most of the rooms on the first floor and all on the second.

“Heartbreaker!” I heard call over the music. I whipped around to see David, Pierre, and Chuck standing near the stairs.

“David!” I ran and jumped on him. The guys had come for graduation.

“Why is it always him getting the first hug? It’s not like I’m your cousin or anything.” Pierre huffed.

“You know you’re my favorite older brother.” I laughed hugging him.

“What’s that make me?” Chuck asked as I hugged him.

“My lesbian lover.” I laughed only to have someone land a playful punch on my arm.

“I thought I was? Are you cheating on me?” Devin pouted.

“Shhh. You didn’t hear that.” We all laughed.

“I see the rest of the party is here.” Eliza said walking over.

“And there is the happy couple.” Chuck said as she and Matt B walked over. Matt had proposed to her a week ago. They all hugged just before a drunk Jimmy showed up and tossed me over his shoulder and running up the stairs.

“Hold your breath.” He warned before both of us hit the water. I surfaced only to see David and Pierre stripping to their boxers and cannonball in with us. I guess it was a good thing I was already in my bikini but had a skirt on over the bottoms.

“Under you go!” David yelled and dunked me under. We all fought to get the other under but considering I’d been drinking, they were winning. David took me under again and I swam over to the water fall ad came up there to catch my breath. We’d been at this for about an hour. Jimmy had made his way to the hot tub that was located in the top of the water fall but the water was kept separate because the water didn’t flow over the top. It started under the first rock and went into the pool.

“I give up!” I called swimming back into the open. They laughed at I pulled myself up onto the edge of the pool. David got out with me as Pierre found a girl in the pool to keep him entertained.

“Want one?” David pointed to the shot glasses on the kitchen counter once we were inside wrapped in towels.

“Duh.” He poured us both a shot of tequila. I licked his right wrist -it tasted like chlorine and David- and sprinkled salt on it. I licked the salt off and down the shot before he placed a lime in my mouth. Once the taste was gone he did as I had. We had done about 3 shots before I realized I was still wet and cold.

“I’m cold too.” He laughed noticing my shiver.

“Come on. I’m sure Z won’t mine if you steal his clothes tonight so you won’t have to get yours.” I said and he followed me up the stairs. I ran my hand above the door and grabbed the key to our room. I tossed him some clothes before I shut the door and dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top in the bathroom. I hung up our wet stuff before we walked out of the room. I locked it behind me.

“What was that?” He asked as we entered the hallway.

“I thought we locked all the rooms.” I said walking over to the one across the hall from ours. It was locked but there was defiantly someone in there. I got the key from above the door and opened it. Water stung my eyes at the sight in front of me.

“Danni.” David touched my shoulder. Zack’s eyes snapped off of topless girl on his lap kissing him. I turned on my heels and raced down the stairs grabbing my keys to the his mustang. I was out of the driveway speeding down the highway before I realized that David had made it into the passenger seat before I’d taken off. His hand was on mine. The stereo was blasting ‘’Dinosaurs Became Extinct And You’re A Fossil’ by Atreyu - a band the guys had met doing their first show- as I turned off the exit. I hadn’t slowed my speed or seen the red light but I sure as hell felt the pain shoot through my body as the door slammed into it. My head slammed into the window and blackness veiled my eyes.