Whose Addiction? (Dave Navarro x Reader)

Chapter 4

For the week, I visited New York's most popular landmarks. I got to visit the Statue of Liberty, see the view from the top floor of the Empire State and even got to see Central Park. It was a very relaxing week, yet the relaxation started going away on the last few days.

Tyler and I talked on the phone almost every day. She updated me every few hours and I did too; mainly because she was bored. We were talking on the phone now, a printed copy of the email I had received in my hand. The email was basically my pass to the competition, and it also included the place and time I had to show up at. I observed the sheet of paper as Tyler talked to me on the phone.

"Okay, you're prepared for this, you hear me? You. Are. Ready. You're gonna do great. You have to. You will. I know it. Just please promise me that you're actually going to show up," She sighed worriedly through the phone.

"I already told you I will, Tyler! Don't make me rethink all of this," I bit my lip in a nervous matter.

"Fine, sorry. Just–" she stopped talking and laughed to herself, "don't freak out too badly when you see Dave, okay?" She laughed harder this time.

"Oh, shut up!" I yelled at her through the phone but laughed with her afterward. After we both eased down, we sighed deeply.

"Good luck out there, (Y/N)," She said sincerely.

"Thank you, Tyler. I promise I won't let you guys down," I replied with a soft tone.

"Update me every once in a while, please," She asked me.

"Of course I will. I'm on my way there now. I'll call you later tonight, okay?" I could hear her sighing one last time.

"Yeah, of course. Have fun," She replied and we both chuckled softly.

"How could I forget?" I said in a jokingly tone. There was complete silence on the line until I finally spoke up.

"Until later, Tyler."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Keep the change," I told the taxi driver as I paid him for my ride. He thanked me and soon drove away. I held my small-ish tattoo suitcase with me, as I stood on the sidewalk. I looked ahead of me.

The iconic Ink Master tattoo parlor was in front of me. Its surrounding glass panels shone against the morning light, giving the doors a heavenly look. The big sign that read 'TATTOO' above the doors was there, of course, and it looked even better in person. I could feel my lips form a large grin as I admired the entrance. A few seconds later, I snapped back into reality.

'I really need to focus," I thought to myself as I opened the backpack I carried with me and opened it, taking out the sheet of paper that the email was printed on.

"Okay, let's see. Address: Check. Time: 10 AM–" I brought my wrist up and looked at the watch that hung loosely around my right wrist. "Check," I replied to myself quietly. So... What do I do next? Do I knock? Is there a doorbell I can ring? I was about to knock before I heard a voice.

"Hey! You must be a contestant as well," A female said. I turned my head to her and my eyes went wide with surprise.

"T-Tatu Baby? I-I mean Katherine. Or do you prefer being called the other way?" Before I knew it, I was stuttering when all I meant was to say hi. I had seen her in an earlier season of Ink Master and I really admired her work. She replied with a cheeky laugh.

"Most people call me TB," She said casually. "Nice to meet you..."

"(Y/N). My name's (Y/N)," I said and we shook hands.

"Alright, (Y/N), I guess we should start heading inside," she said. I was about to ask her how we were going to get in, but before I could get a word out of my mouth, she simply went to the doors and pushed them open, holding one open for me. I quickly followed after her.

'Well, that was easy.'

As soon as I walked in, the atmosphere changed. All the realization suddenly came down on me. This was really happening. I looked around and saw that there was a generous amount of people inside, yet the room was big enough for everyone. I stood by the entrance, admiring the scene. I recognized the members of the behind-the-scenes staff by their black clothing, but they didn't carry any equipment. They all hung out on a side of the room, almost as if they didn't want to approach anyone that wasn't from the staff team. I really wondered why. Whatever the reason was, I knew it wouldn't be good.

I supposed the rest of the people were the actual contestants and many of them were covered with tattoos to some extent. Tatu Baby nudged me softly with her elbow.

"You okay there?" She asked with a smirk on her face. I turned to look at her, my eyes wide without me even noticing. I nodded and took a deep breath, trying to process all of this.

"Yep, I'm alright," I said breathlessly as I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Don't worry. I know it might seem scary the first time, but believe me, if you stand firm on your ground, no one should bother you," She advised me wisely. I knew I could believe her since she was a finalist last season. Of course, she knew all of this stuff, but I was still scared of what was in store for me.

The judges were nowhere to be found. Damn it, I shouldn't be thinking about that. I guess this is the little meeting event thing the email talked about. It was kind of absurd honestly. We're here to win a hundred thousand dollars, not to make friends. This isn't school anymore. That's at least how I saw it.

I spotted everyone's suitcases and bags placed in a distant corner of the room. I reluctantly walked to it with my suitcase rolling behind me. I placed it next to the pile and placed my backpack on top of my suitcase so it wouldn't get lost or something of the kind.

TB followed behind me and did the same. I felt slightly relieved that I had made somewhat of a friend, or at least an acquaintance. Once I placed my stuff down, I looked back at the crowd of people in the middle of the room. I noticed a snack bar that was set against the wall. I didn't really felt like interacting, so I approached the snack bar and stood there awkwardly, looking at the bite-sized foods that were neatly arranged into bowls. Tatu Baby appeared next to me. I glanced at her and smiled.

I wasn't sure whether she was following me or making me company or she was just coincidentally doing the same thing I was. Whatever it was, I was glad I had someone to hang out with for the meantime.

I was about to grab a cinnamon roll before the pair of doors from earlier burst open. My head turned to the direction the daylight poured from, where three figures stood. It was hard to see them since the light shone brightly from behind them, sculpting their silhouettes. All three figures stepped into the room and the doors closed behind them, the artificial light of the room illuminating them. Everyone gasped audibly. I looked at Tatto Baby confused, and she nodded her head over to the doors that were on the opposite side of the room, signaling to go that way. I nodded and made my way through the crowd as stealthily as I could. I knew where this was going. Once I found a decent enough place within the crowd to see properly, I noticed what the whole deal was about.

The judges. They... They were here.

Chris Nuñez, Oliver Peck, and Dave Navarro were standing before us.

Everyone cheered and started clapping. My whole body froze, and I could feel the goosebumps that were forming on my arms, and the hair sticking up on the nape of my neck. My hands were starting to get clammy. They were here; Dave was here. A smile instantly spread along my face.

These are going to be the best weeks 19 of my life.