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C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N
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The credits began to roll across the plain black screen. I felt Ashton's heartbeat in his chest as we just watched the tiny animations.
"So your comfort zone project?" Ashton brought up.
I lifted my head up to look at him, I just kinda sat there staring at his perfectly constructed facial features and ocean like eyes.
"I still have no idea what I'm gonna do,"I explain to him. "Mr. Williams wants me to show the class what a photogenic eye is."
"What's one thing you never thought you'd ever do?" He asked me. Trying to give me some inspiration.
I paused for a moment looking down at my hands. I remember the photo of my dad on my computer. He once showed me something that made my mom mad.
"Look, Danielle," he said, lifting up his shirt. My name and birthday were tattooed in black ink across the side of his ribs. He got it when I just turned twelve.
"Mark!" My mom yelled at him.
"That's so cool!" Tanner looked at it longer than I did. I paid close attention to my mom and dad as I felt the tension in the air.
"It's just a tattoo Mindy," he explained to her.
She glared.
My mom wasn't a big fan of tattoos, especially ones without a true meaning. I guess I understand that though. Why waste your money on something you're gonna end up hating later.
I looked at Ashton again after making up my mind. "A tattoo."
"Really?"
I sensed a surprised tone in his voice.
I kinda hesitated before speaking again, "yeah. My dad got one of my name tattooed on his side when I was younger."
"Well let's go get you a tattoo then," Ashton smiled.
I pulled the camera strap around my neck and locked the door behind us. Ashton started up the black vehicle and back up at of my driveway.
Another random rock band was playing on the radio, but it was quiet so I and Ashton could talk.
"I suggest thinking about what you want to get, it's permanent." Ashton reminds me.
I knew exactly what I wanted to get. Something to remember my father. We were really close, I know it's stereotypical, but I was daddy's little girl. I wish I could just see him one more time. Hear his voice outside of my mind. Talk to him one last time.
We pulled up to a small brick building surrounded by multiple shops. Blue and pink neon on lights shined inside when we walked in. Different tattoos designs hung up against the wall in glass picture frame and right under them was a long black sofa. A man with a red beard greeted us. Tattoos ran up his left arm and a small quote ran across his neck.
"Ashton my boy!" The red haired man called.
"My friend here wants to get a tattoo," Ashton tells him.
"Great," the man smiled at me. "Where would you like it?"
I took me a moment to process he was talking to me. Both of them were staring at me, waiting for my answer.
I lifted up my shirt reviling my side, I pointed. "Right here."
The same spot where my dad got his.
"Lovely choice, what do you have in mind?" The man sounded so excited to be giving my a tattoo. I bet he could see this is my first one and wanted to impress me enough to come get more.
I pulled out my phone a brought up a photo of a camera with a quote under it.
You don't take a photograph, you make it. By Ansel Adams.
I was told this quote by my father when he first gave me my camera. He told me it made him never give up his passion for photography and that he hopes it will help me never give up either.
"That's perfect," he smiled excitedly at us. "Go take a seat over there," he pointed to a chair, "I'll be over shortly."
I took my seat and got comfy, Ashton sat next to me.
"You're not nervous?" He asked.
Just him asking made my nerves tighten up. Why was I so willing to get a tattoo? I've never really wanted one yet I suggested it. Was its Ashton presence causing me to do the thing I've never done before? Or was it another part of me breaking their way out. The real side of me.
"Nope," I tell him.
"I was when I got my first tattoo," he tells me.
"What tattoo?" I let slip out of my mouth in curiosity. I'm slowly learning more about Ashton every day. Every minute. Every hour.
Ashton stood up lifting up his tee shirt. A silhouette of a wolf was permanently inked into his skin, just below the rib cage. He sat down again and looked at me.
"Does it mean anything?" I asked.
He smiled, "Well in native American mythology it's a sign of courage and strength, but in other cultures, it means trusting your emotional instincts."
"I remember when I tatted Ashton," the man came out with a fresh needle and ink. "He was as scared as a mouse that was face to face with a cat."
"Oh really?" I turn to Ashton in shock, with a smile on my face. The man took a seat next to me and lifted up my shirt to reveal the area I was getting a tattoo in.
"Hey! Everyone can be scared of something." He says defensively.
"So you're scared of needles," I say to him.
"No."
"Yes, yes he is." The man laughs slightly.
I chuckled a bit.
"Now try to relax your muscles," the man told me.
I took a deep breath while looking at the ceiling. I felt Ashton interlace his fingers with my hand when the man started to ink my body. I think he was a little nervous.
It felt like tiny needles repeatedly piercing my skin, but the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
I stared at myself in a mirror that touched the ceiling when he finished. I had my shirt lifted up so I could see the final project.
I love it.
"Thank you so much!" I tell the guy.
"Do you mind if I take a photo?" He asked. "I usually post my art on social media."
"Of course," I say to him.
He snapped a photo of my side and tagged me in the post on Instagram. In a matter to seconds, I got a text from Grace.
Grace: OMG, I love it.
There was a screenshot that she sent to me also. A screenshot of the post.
We got back into Ashton's car. He turned to me and smiled.
"Back to your place?" He asked.
I smiled too, "sure."
We pulled up into my driveway and I saw my mother's car parked outside.
"Who's home?" Ashton asked me.
"My mom," I looked down.
Ashton noticed my uneasiness. Again, I'm not afraid of introducing Ashton to her. It's my brother who I'm terrified of.
"Good, I've been waiting to meet her," Ashton got out of the car.
We headed up the stairs and opened the door.
My heart dropped.
My mom was sitting in the chair by the table. Tanner was glaring at me with his arms crossed. When both Ashton and I walked in that's when I noticed Liam sitting on the couch. A wave of guilt written on his face.
"What you guys doing?" I asked.
Tanner spoke up first, "so this is the guy you've been hanging with?"
Tanner seemed furious. This is what I was afraid of.
"Why him Dani?" Tanner yelled. "Why the bad boy of Riverside high?"
My eyes darted towards Liam. I felt a sense of betrayal.
"That's right Dani, Liam told us everything about your little boyfriend!" Tanner took a step closer to us.
I positioned myself in front of Ashton. I could feel the tension forming in the air.
"What's so wrong about me being with her?" Ashton questioned Tanner.
"I'm not gonna let my sister be heartbroken from a guy like you," Tanner told him. "I don't want to see you with her every again!"
"I don't care what you want!" Ashton yells at him.
"Tanner stop!" I yelled as he pushed me out of the way and swung at Ashton.
"Tanner!" My mother called to him.
Ashton didn't fight back. Instead, he took it like a man and opened the door, leaving all of us there inside.
I looked over at Liam and felt the tears forming in my eyes.
"What happened to be best friends huh?" I asked through the silent tears.
"Dani," Liam began but I didn't listen.
"No Dani!" I heard my mom call out while I shut the door behind me.
Ashton stopped backing up when he noticed me run to his car and slide into the passenger's seat.
"Drive," I tell him. "I don't want to be here anymore."
We drove in silence around the streets until the sun went down and the moon arose. We headed towards the canyon when the rain began to fall. I was staring outside the window watching the trees go past us.
"I'm sorry about Tanner," I finally say out loud. Breaking the silence.
"I know," he says shortly. "It's not your fault."
"Except it is Ashton," I say, letting the tears start up again.
"How is it your fault?" He asked me.
I looked out the window again. "Because I fell in love with Ashton Parker," I tell him, "I fell in love with you."
Those were the words I never imagined to come out of my mouth. I wanted to deny these feelings for him. I didn't want them.
Ashton's was silent for a second. I prepared for the worse.
"You know your brother is wrong," he finally says something. "I'd never want to break your heart. I'd never want to see you get hurt."
I heard a car horn blaring from the outside, followed with a couple wheels skidding across the pavement.
I looked up and saw two headlights shining on us. I felt Ashton's grab me.
"Dani!"
Then it went dark. Just simple darkness.