The Glass Dance

Chapter 4: Clean Getaways

CHAPTER 4 Clean Getaways

     Stacks of clean laundry cluttered the spread of Dani's bed.  Folded stacks, and a heap of clothes yet to be folded.  All lay forgotten as Dani stared, dumbfounded, at what Tyler was revealing.

     "I can't believe you did that!"  Dani spewed the exclamation, letting the clothing in her hands drop, forgotten for the moment.

     Letting her shirt fall back into place around her waist, Tyler sank into the desk chair, grinning broadly.  She, herself, was astonished that she had gone through with it.  Getting her naval pierced had not compared, in any way, to when she had gotten her ears pierced so long ago.

     "Why did you do it?"  Dani's gaping gaze was still trained on Tyler's stomach, even though it was no longer exposed.

     Why indeed?  She had almost come up, off of the table, at the first cold swab of antiseptic on sensitive skin.  Ashleigh had been with her, and Erin, so she hadn't chickened out.  Instead, she had concentrated on the steady flow of flirtatious conversation, between her two friends and the guy with the piercing gun in his hand.  "I think it's hot, and I think, I hope Jared will too."

     "Did it hurt?" Dani's frown was curious.

     The simultaneous click of metal and sting to her skin.  Ashleigh and Erin moving in closer for the first view.  As these recollections drifted through her head, Tyler admitted, "Not really.  But it's pretty sore right now."

     "Did you show your mom yet?"

     "No!  And I won't."  Tyler shuddered to even imagine what her mother would say, and haphazardly creased a pair of clean shorts, before adding them to a pile of folded laundry.

     “So how did you?  Don't you need a parent to sign?”

     “I signed it myself.”  Tyler felt a flush of shame at forging her mother signature on the permission form, required of underaged patrons, at the body art shop.

     "What about Jared.  When are you going to show him?"

     Tyler pondered that question.  Even though she had blatantly pulled up her shirt to show Dani, she wanted Jared to discover in a less obvious way.  "I don't know.  Can I borrow one of your half shirts?"  Tyler was not allowed to own any shirts that did not completely cover her stomach, and then some, but Dani had several.

     "Sure,"  Dani agreed readily.  "Take your pick."

     A week later, when it was no longer sore to the touch, Tyler pulled Dani's shirt from her own dresser drawer.  It was one of the last summer nights before school would start.  She and Jared were to meet Erin, Zack, Ashleigh, Josh, Dani, and Cole, at a local pizza joint.

     Once she was dressed, she stared at a reflection in the mirror that she barely recognized.  The legs extending, from the short shorts, were toned and tan.  Her hair was a few inches longer, and streaked, not only from the sun, but from a highlighting kit as well.  She was making up her face different these days, with dark eyeliner rimming her eyes, and a deep color on her lips.  Now, on her stomach, resting on tanned skin rejuvenated from a week in a tanning bed, the jeweled ring winked.  All of these changes were the result of one short summer.

     Grabbing a long tee shirt, randomly from her dresser, she stuffed it into her should bag.  Her mother was working tonight, but it wouldn't do to be too careless about her newly acquired ring.  Aunt Caryn had taken the twins to McDonald’s, but would be home and possibly awake when Tyler returned from her date.