My Understandings

When I woke up I was nestled in Austin’s chest. His arms were wrapped around me and mine were on his chest. I fully opened my eyes and seen Austin still sleeping. He was very lightly snoring. He looked so peaceful and vulnerable when he was sleeping. I looked at all his tattoos. I wanted to trace them with my finger. There were so many. I had none. I wanted one though. Maybe he’d take me to get one someday. I didn’t want to disturb his sleeping so I stayed still until he woke up. It was about another hour when Austin woke up. He yawned slightly and then opened his eyes. He probably thought I was a creep just looking at him like this. “Hey, how long have you been up?” He asked groggily.
“About an hour. I didn’t want to wake you up.” I replied.
“Oh thanks.” He looked at his arms. “Oh crap! Sorry!” He said. I smiled.
“It’s no problem.” He let go of me and I crawled out of the bunk. Austin came out after me. The first thing I heard was Alan asking, “Did you two hook up last night?” I laughed and shook my head.
“No, I just slept in his bunk.” I said and stretched. Alan shook his head unbelievingly.
“Right. So you just slept together in the bunk?”
“Yes Alan! That’s all we done! Calli and I are just friends!” He said and laughed.
“Dude, you gave her a nickname!” He said. Austin blushed.
“That doesn’t mean we hooked up!” He said. I went over to where Alan was sitting and he scooted over so I could sit down.
“Thanks.” I whispered. He nodded in response and gave me a small smile. Austin sat down on m lap and swung his legs over mine. I looked at him like he was crazy. Alan was too.
“Isn’t that right Calli?” He asked.
“Sure Austin.” I said and laughed. “Now, do you plan on crushing me?” Everyone laughed and Austin got off me and sat next to me. He put his arm around the back of the seat.
“So what’s the plan for today?” Austin asked.
“For now nothing. We have the day off and we’re in Jersey.” Said Tino. Jersey?
“Jersey? We traveled that far all night?” I asked.
“Yes we did little lady.” Said Aaron. “We travel a lot in one night.”
“Wow, I can tell. I would have never thought we went all the way to Jersey.” I said.
“Hey, you model in Florence.” Said Austin.
“But that’s totally different. That’s in a plane.” I said.
“Florence?” Asked Alan looking astonished. “God, what kind of model are you. I mean you really do look like a model but I thought you had to work in America.” He said. I shook my head.
“I wanted to work in Paris but I don’t think I look good enough yet.” I said.
“Oh please, a modeling agency would be grateful to have you as their model!” Yelled Austin. I smiled.
“Thanks.” Everyone was looking at us.
“Romance. I feel it in the air.” Said Aaron. I laughed and so did Austin.
“There is nothing between us!” I said.
“Sure there isn’t!” Said Aaron.
“There isn’t!” Austin agreed.
“Anyways!” Said Alan. “Forget that Austin had a model and none of us do and let’s focus on what we’re doing today.” We all just looked at each other. Austin and I decided to ignore the model comment Alan made and just smiled.
“I wanted to get a tattoo.” I suggested. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.
“You? A tattoo?” Phil said. “You really don’t seem like the type of girl to get a tattoo.”
“You really don’t know me then.” I said and smiled.
“Ooo Phil. She burned you man. I like her.” Said Alan and smiled. I laughed. “I say we take the girl out to get a tattoo if she wants one.” Everyone shrugged.
“Why not?” Tino said.
“You sure you won’t cry getting it done?” Austin asked. I nodded. “Really? You look like you don’t even have any piercings on you.” He said. I raised my eyebrows.
“Oh really?” I said and got up. I went to my suitcase and fished around. I pulled out a hand mirror and put in all 5 of the piercings on each of my ear lobes. Then I put in my industrial. Then my tragus. Then my nose stud on each side. I put in my snake bites, my Madonna, my Medusa, and my Monroe. Next were my cheek piercings and finally my tongue piercing. I went over to them and all their jaws dropped. “I told you when I came here I changed my look.” I said and laughed. When I laughed it pulled on my cheek piercings so I took them out. They had almost closed up but thankfully I’d reopened them.
“I couldn’t even see the holes.” Said Austin.
“God Lord, how many do you have?” Phil asked.
“Probably more than all of you combined.” I said.
“Well, I think she’s proven herself.” Said Tino. “Let’s go. The tattoo is on us.” I smiled and nodded.

When we got to the tattoo shop the man asked who was getting the tattoo. Everyone pointed to me and the man looked a little surprised. Not too surprised though. “Well, I can guarantee she’ll probably do better than any of you sissies done with yours. Grunting and hollering. You all sounded like a bunch of little kids.” Apparently the guy was a friend of the bands and he’d done a lot of their tattoos. “But then again females do have a higher pain tolerance.” He said and brought me to the back.
“Hey, I didn’t do as bad as them!” Austin said.
“Oh sure Austin!” Said Alan.
“But anyway Hun where do you want it?” He asked.
“Um, I want to do my whole back so can you start in the corner of my back?” I asked.
“Sure. What do you want?” He asked.
“I was thinking some skulls and flowers.” I said. “Surprise me with the colors though.” I said. He nodded.
“Alright. Can you take the shirt off?” I raised my eyebrows at the boys and they held up their hands and went into the waiting area. I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it to the ground.
“That good?” I asked.
“Uh, I need you to take the bra off too.” He said and laughed. I blushed a little but took it off. I used my arms to cover my chest. “Alright, just lay down on your stomach and I’ll get started.” He said.
“Okay, thank you.” I said. I laid down on the lounge chair and let myself drift off.

By the time he was done it had been at least five hours but it was totally worth it. “The ink may stain your shirts at night.” He said. “Keep some soother on it or some Vaseline works too.” He said. “Oh and boys she done better than you all by well an immeasurable amount. She fell asleep!”
I put on my bra and shirt and headed out of the room. The way he’d done the tattoo so intricately and perfectly was amazing. All the boys were standing up and waiting for me.
“Wanna see?” I asked. They all nodded excitedly. “Austin pull the back of my shirt down.” I said.
“I love how she told Austin to do it.” Said Alan. I laughed.
“Wow! That’s amazing!” Said Austin.
“Holy crap! How’d you sleep through something like that?” Alan said.
“I don’t know. I fell asleep before he started doing it so maybe that’s it.” I said.
“You can come back anytime and I wont charge you since you’re a friend of a friend.” Said the tattoo artist. I nodded and smiled.
“Thank you.” I said to him. He nodded.
“Oh my gosh. That’s art.” Said Aaron.
“I’m glad we brought her.” Said Tino.
“She has set us a bar for tattoos.” Said Phil.
“And a pain bar.” Said Austin.
“That none of us will ever reach.” Said Alan. Austin let go of my shirt and I turned around.
“Thank you for all the compliments.” I said and smiled.
“Yeah, well, let’s go back to the bus now.” Said Austin putting an arm around my shoulder.
“Ow.” I said when he touched my tattoo.
“Ha! She said ow!” He shouted triumphantly.
“Austin when someone touches your tattoos when you first get them done you scream.” Said Alan laughing. I laughed too.
“Crybaby.” I said and laughed.
“Yeah sure, whatever. I think you just like to agree with the guys.” Said Austin.
“Maybe I do Austin. Maybe I do.”