SAMANTHA
~
The tattoo parlor wasn't what I expected. Based on movies, I'd imagined a grimy hole-in-the-wall with neon signs and biker dudes covered head to toe in ink. Instead, 'Electric Skin' was surprisingly clean and professional, with sleek black furniture and framed artwork covering every wall.
It smelled like antiseptic and essential oils, not the cigarette smoke and regret I'd anticipated.
"You sure about this?"
Rafael asked as we stood outside the entrance. The evening was warm, but I'd been shivering slightly all day, the familiar precursor to a fever I was desperately hoping wouldn't materialize. I'd doubled up on antibiotics and used my nebulizer twice before leaving home.
"Positive," I replied, with more confidence than I felt. "Unless you're the one getting cold feet, Shade?"
He rolled his eyes, pulling open the door. "Just giving you an out. Don't blame me when May murders us both."
"May doesn't need to know....yet." I said, stepping inside. We'd perfected the art of avoiding my sister's radar recently, though she'd caught us after the skinny-dipping adventure, I'd managed to convince her I was being careful.
A woman with vibrant purple hair and full sleeve tattoos looked up from the reception desk. "Can I help you?"
"We have an appointment." Rafael said. "Moreno, seven o'clock."
She checked her computer. "Right. You're seeing Kev. He'll be out in a minute." She gestured to a waiting area. "You can fill these out while you wait."
I stared at the consent forms, my stomach churning with nerves. This was really happening. Item number three: Get a tattoo.
"I can still feel you freaking out," Rafael murmured beside me, his shoulder pressed against mine as we sat on the leather couch. "Look, if you want to bail—"
"I don't," I interrupted, gripping the clipboard tighter. "I Do want this. I'm just...processing."
His expression softened. "What design did you decide on again?"
"You'll see," I replied mysteriously. I'd been researching designs for weeks, wanting something meaningful but not obvious. Something that would mark this summer, this time with Rafael, this brief period of rebellion before....
I pushed the thought away. No dwelling on endings tonight.
"Moreno?" A tall man with intricate tattoos covering his arms appeared from the back. "I'm Kev. Come on back."
Rafael stood, then paused when he realized I wasn't moving. "Sunny?"
I took a deep breath, ignoring the slight rattle in my chest. "Coming."
Kev led us to a small room with a tattoo chair and various equipment I tried not to look at too closely. "So, who's going first?"
"She is." Rafael said, nodding toward me.
"Actually," he continued, "we're both getting something. Different designs."
My eyebrows shot up. "We are?"
"What, you thought you were just moral support?" He teased as I tried to hide my nervousness. "Item three is for both of us."
"You... didn't mention that part..." I said, but I wasn't really annoyed.
Kev looked between us. "Couple tattoos?"
"No!" we said in unison, then glanced at each other awkwardly.
"We're friends," I clarified, heat rising to my cheeks. "Best friends."
"Right," Kev said, clearly unconvinced. "Well, let's see these designs."
I pulled out a folded paper from my pocket, carefully smoothing it out. "I want this constellation. On my left wrist, about this size." I indicated with my fingers, showing roughly two inches across.
Kev examined the drawing. "Cygnus. Nice choice. Any particular reason?"
I hesitated, aware of Rafael watching me intently. "It means something to me," I said vaguely.
What I didn't say, that Cygnus was the swan constellation, symbolizing both flight and death, the legendary bird that sang most beautifully right before it died.
It felt appropriate, somehow.
"And for you?"
Kev asked Rafael, who was staring at my design with an unreadable expression.
"I uh... didn't really have anything prepared," he admitted. "Mind if I look through some designs?"
"I have some flash sheets you can look through," Kev offered, pulling out a binder.
Rafael flipped through it halfheartedly, then looked back at my constellation. "Actually...." He seemed to make a decision. "I want a sun. Simple, just outlines. Here." He touched his right inner wrist, directly opposite where my tattoo would be.
My breath caught. The significance wasn't lost on me, Shade and Sunny, our nicknames for each other since we were kids.
"I can work with that," Kev said. "Who's going first?"
"I will." I said quickly, before I could lose my nerve.
As I settled into the chair, Rafael pulled up a stool beside me. "You good?" he asked quietly.
I nodded, extending my wrist. Kev cleaned the area with antiseptic, the cool sensation making me shiver.
"This your first time?" Kev asked, preparing his equipment.
"Is it that obvious?" I tried to joke, but my voice came out shakier than intended.
"Everyone's nervous their first time," he assured me. "It'll sting, but most people find it manageable. Wrists can be tender though."
When the needle first touched my skin, I gasped, instinctively reaching out with my free hand. Rafael caught it immediately, letting me squeeze his fingers as the initial shock gave way to a steady burning sensation.
"Breathe Sunny." Rafael murmured, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. "You're doing great."
I focused on his face instead of the needle, counting the tiny scar on his eyebrow from when we were twelve and he fell out of the oak tree in my backyard. The small chip in his front tooth from a skateboarding accident at fourteen.
The exact shade of his eyes, not quite black, but the darkest brown, like coffee without cream.
"Almost done." Kev said, pulling me from my reverie. "You've been very still. That helps."
I glanced down at my wrist, where the constellation was taking shape, five stars connected by delicate lines, forming the shape of a swan in flight.
It was smaller than a credit card but perfect in its simplicity.