The Tattoo
Chapter 9
Opening the door, I came face to face with Derek. Keeping the door half closed, I raised my eyebrows at him.
“Derek, what do you want?”
Sighing he ran his hand through his hair, “When we were still together, I had promised you that I would be here with you when you got your tattoo. I know that we broke up and everything but I still wanted to be here.”
“Does your girlfriend know you’re here?”
He shook his head lightly, “No but I don’t care, after everything, you’re still pretty nice to me and I think it’s time I return the favor.”
Sighing, I opened the door the rest of the way, letting him in the house. I closed the door behind him and led him into the living room where Snow White was paused. He chuckled as he took in the room.
“What?” I asked.
He smirked and turned to meet my eyes, “You’re going to be 18 in two hours and you spent all day watching Disney movies?”
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him, “You’re never too old for Disney movies.”
Laughing he took his old place on my couch and grabbed the bowl of popcorn that I had left on the coffee table. I sat next to him and snatched the bowl from his grasp, causing him to laugh at me again.
“Amber?”
“Mmm?” I mumbled around a mouth of popcorn.
“Where is your boyfriend? One would think he would want to be here when you got your tattoo so he could see if it matched his?”
I sighed, “I invited him but he had a family thing and I respect that. I was supposed to call him as soon as midnight struck because that’s usually when the tattoo’s come in, y’know?”
He nodded and turned his attention back to Snow White. I glanced at him one more time before grabbing the remote and pressing play.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, Derek is poking me in the face.
“Amber. Amber.”
“What?” I murmured.
“You fell asleep. It’s 11:50. Ten minutes till your birthday.”
I froze. Truthfully, I was really nervous, what if I got some off the wall tattoo and my tattoo didn’t match Brandon? What if it didn’t match anyone at school? What if it didn’t match anyone at all? I know the last one isn’t possible, but still.
Seeing that I was freaking out, Derek pulled me into a hug. “Hey hey, calm down, I’m sure your tattoo will match Brandon’s and you’ll live happily ever after and all that good stuff.”
I took a deep breath and looked up into him soft eyes, “You’re right. I’m sorry, I kind of freaked out.”
He grinned, “Kind of? You looked like you were about to have a heart attack.”
His comment made me relax and I walked to the kitchen and sat down with him following me, “Why did you come tonight?”
He sighed, “Like I said, I promised you a while back and I know that when I got my tattoo, I was alone and it was scary as hell. Your entire life depends on that stupid thing.” He reached up and ran his fingers over his star.
“Thank you, again.”
The clock chimed, making us both jump.
I looked at him wide eyed and then I felt it.
The sharp burn started across my stomach, causing me to cry out. I held my stomach in surprise as the pain worked its way around my back. It felt like someone was taking a hot iron and running it along my skin. Derek rushed to my side and wrapped his arms around me, “It’ll be over in a minute. Shhh.”
Taking a deep breath, I pushed him off of me. “It’s over.”
I slowly lifted my shirt and there lay feathers that started on my back and ended just above my belly button, matching Brandon’s perfectly.
I looked to Derek in surprise and he smiled softly, “You better call him.”
Running to my phone I pressed a few keys and was welcomed by a ringing in my ear. After the second ring, he picked up. “Amber? Hello?”
“Babe, our tattoos, they match!” I squealed excitedly.
“Seriously?”
I was about to answer when a familiar sharp burn took over my right wrist, causing me to drop the phone and cry out again.
“Derek?” I whimpered.
He knelt beside me, “Amber, I…I don’t know what’s happening.”
I held my wrist tightly to my chest till the pain stopped before looking down at it.
A key.
With a heart shaped key hole.
An exact replica of Ian’s.
“Derek, what do you want?”
Sighing he ran his hand through his hair, “When we were still together, I had promised you that I would be here with you when you got your tattoo. I know that we broke up and everything but I still wanted to be here.”
“Does your girlfriend know you’re here?”
He shook his head lightly, “No but I don’t care, after everything, you’re still pretty nice to me and I think it’s time I return the favor.”
Sighing, I opened the door the rest of the way, letting him in the house. I closed the door behind him and led him into the living room where Snow White was paused. He chuckled as he took in the room.
“What?” I asked.
He smirked and turned to meet my eyes, “You’re going to be 18 in two hours and you spent all day watching Disney movies?”
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him, “You’re never too old for Disney movies.”
Laughing he took his old place on my couch and grabbed the bowl of popcorn that I had left on the coffee table. I sat next to him and snatched the bowl from his grasp, causing him to laugh at me again.
“Amber?”
“Mmm?” I mumbled around a mouth of popcorn.
“Where is your boyfriend? One would think he would want to be here when you got your tattoo so he could see if it matched his?”
I sighed, “I invited him but he had a family thing and I respect that. I was supposed to call him as soon as midnight struck because that’s usually when the tattoo’s come in, y’know?”
He nodded and turned his attention back to Snow White. I glanced at him one more time before grabbing the remote and pressing play.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, Derek is poking me in the face.
“Amber. Amber.”
“What?” I murmured.
“You fell asleep. It’s 11:50. Ten minutes till your birthday.”
I froze. Truthfully, I was really nervous, what if I got some off the wall tattoo and my tattoo didn’t match Brandon? What if it didn’t match anyone at school? What if it didn’t match anyone at all? I know the last one isn’t possible, but still.
Seeing that I was freaking out, Derek pulled me into a hug. “Hey hey, calm down, I’m sure your tattoo will match Brandon’s and you’ll live happily ever after and all that good stuff.”
I took a deep breath and looked up into him soft eyes, “You’re right. I’m sorry, I kind of freaked out.”
He grinned, “Kind of? You looked like you were about to have a heart attack.”
His comment made me relax and I walked to the kitchen and sat down with him following me, “Why did you come tonight?”
He sighed, “Like I said, I promised you a while back and I know that when I got my tattoo, I was alone and it was scary as hell. Your entire life depends on that stupid thing.” He reached up and ran his fingers over his star.
“Thank you, again.”
The clock chimed, making us both jump.
I looked at him wide eyed and then I felt it.
The sharp burn started across my stomach, causing me to cry out. I held my stomach in surprise as the pain worked its way around my back. It felt like someone was taking a hot iron and running it along my skin. Derek rushed to my side and wrapped his arms around me, “It’ll be over in a minute. Shhh.”
Taking a deep breath, I pushed him off of me. “It’s over.”
I slowly lifted my shirt and there lay feathers that started on my back and ended just above my belly button, matching Brandon’s perfectly.
I looked to Derek in surprise and he smiled softly, “You better call him.”
Running to my phone I pressed a few keys and was welcomed by a ringing in my ear. After the second ring, he picked up. “Amber? Hello?”
“Babe, our tattoos, they match!” I squealed excitedly.
“Seriously?”
I was about to answer when a familiar sharp burn took over my right wrist, causing me to drop the phone and cry out again.
“Derek?” I whimpered.
He knelt beside me, “Amber, I…I don’t know what’s happening.”
I held my wrist tightly to my chest till the pain stopped before looking down at it.
A key.
With a heart shaped key hole.
An exact replica of Ian’s.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hopefully updates will be more frequent but college keeps me pretty busy, sorry guys.. :(