MORE.//XXXTENTACION

Switching Sides

I closed the menu as I sipped on my raspberry lemonade. I was currently out at lunch with Ginger, I had called her separately since she was the one I considered myself closest with. Me and Ginger knew of each other in 6th grade but didn't start becoming friends until 8th grade, she kinda became a voice for me once she found out I had anxiety issues and was a little shy, this then brought in Alexis and Shy which is how we all became a friend group.

It had been 1 week since we got our tattoos and they were healing quite well. We would facetime one another and apply ointments together just to make sure we were all doing everything right.

Since Shy's mom was a nurse, she would usually lead us through.

"So, what's been up with you my girl?" I shrugged still having these intrusive ass thoughts about Jahseh.

"Nothing. Just chilling. Working. I got a raise at the cafe which is always nice...preparing to start this travel job." I chose not to go to school despite the offers I got and the scholarships.

I wanted to instead get paid to travel. I had interviewed with this prestigious traveling agency as one of the people who worked for the travel agency was a regular at the cafe I worked at and my co-worker who was serving them overheard them looking for new hires. I took the chance and placed my application on my lunch break.

I went through a gruesome interview process and several background checks through these systems I had never heard of.

I ended up getting the job and telling them I would be able to start in January as that was around when my friends would be leaving for school. My first travel assignment would be Dubai, I was gonna be getting paid to write about my experience in these places, the culture, the food, and the environment.

I would be at each location they assigned me to for a week, and I could vacation once every 3 countries I travel to, which wasn't bad. Of course, the more countries you travel the more vacation days you have if you choose not to use them, but I don't plan on using them until Christmas, Thanksgiving, or spring break so that I could hang out with my friends.

This was the first time I was doing something big like this and I felt like a real adult since this job would provide me with money to live the lifestyle I have always wanted. I had always worried about what my next steps would be since I knew I didn't wanna go to school, school was just something that I was gonna have to do just in case nothing else worked out.

I'd probably become a doctor or something. Either way, I knew I was gonna be rich somehow, and getting paid thousands in every country I visit is something that I definitely didn't mind.

"I'm so proud of you! Hell, I'm so proud of us! I know this is a big deal for you but, don't lie to me I always know when something is up with you. Every time we get into the group facetime, you don't even talk anymore and you're always the first one to dip out.." I hadn't even noticed my behavior, I had kinda just zoned out.

I usually would facetime them off of my computer so that I could still use my phone and I spent most of my time stalking Jahsehs' tattoo highlights on the "INK-N-KOLORs" Instagram page. I was so desperately trying to find his actual Instagram page, all of the other artists' were always tagged except for him, even in the shop's group photos. I had gone through the likes and the comments were asking the same questions as I was..it was like he was a damn NPC character.

"I mean...I don't know. If I'm being honest, I kinda felt some type of way that night when Shy got that tattoo guy's number...he was kinda cool I guess." I was always downplaying things that I knew I wasn't okay with. That's probably why people were always walking all over me and I just let opportunities in my life fly by.