"Don't worry, it's almost done." The tattoo artist said with a smile.
"Yeah, you said that five minutes ago." Jade grumbled between her greeted teeth.
"Oh, come on! It doesn't hurt that bad." Kelly rolled her eyes.
"Sorry I'm not a strong, beautiful amazon of a woman like you." Jade scoffed.
"Are you hitting on me again?" Kelly raised her eyebrows.
"Maybe." Jade wiggled her eyebows.
Kelly snorted.
"And done." He said as he wiped the bleeding ink off with a towel.
"Really?" Jade asked, and he nodded.
Her lips spread in an excited grin as she waited for him to grab a mirror. He angled it so both Kelly and Jade could see his work.
They lapsed in silent amazement as they looked at her arm. The skin was red and inflamed, covered by a beautiful artwork that adorned her shoulder like it always belonged there.
"It's beautiful." Jade said quietly, amazed.
"Hey, Nathan." Kelly called him. "Come look."
Nathan quickly looked towards them, uninterested. "Yeah, it's nice." He gave a shrug before turning back to Simon. "Jesus, you smell good, do you wear perfume?"
Jade looked at him, flaggerbasted, while Kelly just rolled her eyes.
"Ignore him, he's a prick."
She leaned towards the tattoo artist. "Hey, I'd give you two hundred quid if you strap him to the seat and tattoo a dick on his forehead."
He chuckled. "As much as I love the idea, I'd pass."
"Too bad." Jade shook her head with a sigh.
Nathan remained glued to Simon while they paid and left, completely ignoring Jade. She didn't give it much thought, thinking he had just decided to annoy Simon.
"So, how about you and me go get a drink?" Nathan asked.
Jade smiled. "Sure, let's all go get a drink."
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, annoyed. "Who's asking you? I was talking to him."
Jade's smile fell as she looked taken off guard and slightly annoyed.
"Look, this is more of a boy's night. We're talking some quality man time. Beer, football... Maybe some wrestling ?"
"Why are you being such a dick to her?" Kelly hissed, and Nathan grinned as he wrapped an arm around Simon's shoulders.
"Come on, man. Let's go watch some wrestling. We don't need them."
Simon followed him, excited. They both walked away, leaving Jade and Kelly behind.
"Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw." Jade grumbled.
"You know what?" Kelly asked, and Jade tilted her head as a silent inquiry. "Fuck them, let's go get a drink too."
Jade nodded with a smirk. "Fuck them."
.
.
.
Her phone rang while she was drinking with Kelly, and she checked the screen.
"Why is Simon calling me?" Jade asked, and Kelly shrugged as she sipped on her beer.
She pressed the "answer" button and put her phone against her ear.
"Hey, what's u-"
"He kissed me."
"Huh? Who kissed you?" Jade furrowed her brows.
Kelly looked up at Jade, suddenly very interested by the conversation.
"Nathan did! He put his tongue... In my mouth."
"What?!" Jade yelled.
"He tried to take my trousers off. He said he wanted to do some... Dry humping."
"Oh, Simon. Honey." Jade sighed. "I'm gonna take care of him, okay? Do you know where he is?"
"He took me to your flat, but I left. Very quickly. I believe he's still there."
"Okay, I'm going right now. See you tomorrow morning."
"See you Jade."
"What's goin' on?" Kelly asked as she watched Jade finish her drink.
"Nathan sexually harassed Simon." Jade grumbled. "I'm going home to kick his ass."
"Make him cry." Kelly smirked, and Jade laughed.
.
.
.
"Nathan fucking Young!"
His head snapped towards the door, startled, as Jade burst in.
"Yes?" He grinned, and she tossed her bag on the ground in anger.
He recoiled in shock when she walked up to him with a finger pointed at him. "You better leave Simon alone, or help me god I'm gonna put you back in your bloody coffin!"
"You can't stand in the way of true love!" He protested. "He's the one, I can feel it in my scrotum!"
"Stop it." She hissed. "This isn't funny anymore, he hates it."
"I'm being serious." He furrowed his brows. "I've never felt something like that before, not even with you."
She stiffened, and her lips collapsed in a frown. "That's really mean." She said quietly.
"I'm sorry, Jade." He shrugged. "It's the truth."
"What's wrong with you? You're being weird." She asked.
"We should break up." He blurted.
Her eyes widened as she felt like she had taken a blow to the stomach, she slowly sat down on her couch, in shock.
"Are-are you serious?" She stammered, and she looked up at him. "Why? Did I do something wrong ?"
"No, no. You did nothing wrong." He said as he sat down and grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry, I just realised that I love Simon, and I can't be with you anymore."
He patted her hand before getting up, and he left the flat. Jade did not even see him walk away since she was staring at the wall facing her with wide eyes. She just heard the door close shut.
What the hell just happened?
.
.
.
"If you open your heart," Nathan spoke the words he was writing out loud while sitting in a camping chair on the roof. "I know we could have something really beautiful. Yours... Forever, Nathan."
He failed to see Kelly shuffling towards him, her face stuck in a mask of fury. She kicked him in the side, and he collapsed to the ground with a yell.
"Ow! Jesus! Stop kicking me!"
"Why the hell did you dump Jade, you fucking prick?!" She yelled, and he groaned in pain as he got on his feet.
"I couldn't stay with her!" He protested. "I wanna be with Simon."
"What is wrong with you?!" She snapped. "You're a dick!"
"Do my feelings for him offend you? Well, I'm sorry. Cause they're true, and pure..." He smirked. "Well, they're true."
Kelly stared at him, angry and flaggerbasted.
"I can't pretend any longer. I won't. I never felt like this about anyone. He completes me."
"Er... That's from Jerry Maguire." Kelly scoffed.
"Yeah, I know. I watched it four times last night. It's like he's Torn and I'm Renée. Someone else is the ugly, speccy kid." He sneered as he looked up and down at her.
He yelled when she slapped his arm.
"You're a fucking prick, you know that?" She hissed. "Jade doesn't know what the hell is going on!"
"Nah, she understand." Nathan shrugged.
.
.
.
Jade did not fucking understand.
The others kept sneaking worried look while she wasn't looking. She was silent as she picked up the litter in the street and put it in her trashbag with a blank face. She was working on autopilot as her mind was completely elsewhere.
Nathan was completely ignoring her as he followed Simon around like a lovesick puppy, and it hurts. She had no idea if he was just playing a sick joke on her or if he was being genuine, and it was torturing her.
The day passed in a blur, and Jade was already getting ready to leave when Kelly pulled her aside.
"Did you know he had a tattoo done with Simon's name in it?" Kelly whispered, worried.
"Uh..." Jade responded dumbly with a blank face.
"Snap out of it!" Kelly slapped her on the back of her head, and Jade whined.
"Bloody hell." Jade grumbled as she rubbed her stinging scalp. "I don't know when he could've gotten it, it's weird. But nothing is really surprising me at this point."
"I think it's the guy that tattooed us." Kelly said with a frown. "Maybe he's got powers."
Jade's eyes widened. "Now that you're saying it.... Nathan started to act weird when we were there."
"We should go there."
.
.
.
"You fucking arsehole!"
He raised his brows when he saw Jade barge in like a madwoman with Kelly on her heels.
"Hello to you too, girls." He chuckled, and Jade threw him a scathing glare.
"Whatever you did to my boyfriend, undo it!" Jade barked.
He chuckled. "That lanky guy is your boyfriend?"
"He's not lanky, he's gracefully tall." She grumbled. "And very heterosexual."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to undo anything. And you..." He smiled as he pointed his tattoo gun at Kelly. "I've always liked you."
Kelly gasped as she felt a stinging pain on her shoulder blade.
He was too focused on Kelly to noticed Jade's fist flying towards him, and the punch he took in his stomach left him breathless.
"Leave her alone." Jade hissed.
Her eyes widened when he pointed his tattoo gun at her, and she threw at Kelly a scared look.
"Huh... Kell." Jade said, but Kelly was ignoring her as she stared at the man with a lovesick smile.
"Now, you're cute too, but I'm a loyal man..." He tilted his head with a smirk. "I'm going to do you a little favour, okay?"
Jade gasped as she felt a stinging pain on the inside of her arm, and she slowly felt her consciousness slip away.
.
.
.
"I don't remember having that done." Nathan said as he looked at the tattoo on his back.
"Yeah, neither do I." Kelly added as she looked at hers. "I don't regret it, though. Not one little bit."
"I think the tattoos are controlling you." Simon noted with worry. "The tattoo guy must have done them."
He looked at Jade as she entered the locker room, she barely paid attention to them as she hummed to herself.
"Vince wouldn't do that. He loves me."
"That's your tattoo talking." Simon protested as he watched Jade sung to herself as she rummaged through her locker.
"Oh, cute and clever." Nathan winked.
Jade did not even react as she applied some eyeliner.
"Is everything alright, Jade?"
She turned around and smiled at him. "Just a bit tired, but I'm good. How about you Simon?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Nathan is being controlled by the tattoo on his back."
She tilted her head in surprise. "Oh, really?"
She looked at Nathan's back, and she seemed unaffected. "That sucks. Well, see you tomorrow!"
The next day Curtis and Simon watched Jade and Nathan completely ignore each other. It felt weird to see them go from affectionate and attached to the hip to acting like strangers.
"We need to get him to remove the tattoos." Simon said.
"I really don't think he did it." Kelly rolled her eyes.
"I need to find Alisha." Curtis frowned. "We had a big fight."
"Oh no." Jade patted his back. "I'm sure you guys are going to make up."
"Hey, man. Love hurts, okay?" Nathan scoffed. "It chews you up and spits you out... Like a big ball of mucus."
Simon looked at Jade, expecting her to get angry at his words, but she just nodded with a serious look.
"Preach, brother." Jade told Nathan.
"Brother ?" Curtis repeated in confusion.
"Oi! It's him!" Nathan pointed at the masked man, who was looking down at them from the roof.
"We can see that." Curtis deadpanned.
"What does he want?" Kelly asked.
"Hi, masked man!" Jade waved at him. "I'm sorry I didn't stop Nathan when he wanted to shit in your bed!"
Nathan gasped. "Don't tell him!"
They watched him throw something at them, and he left.
"It's peanuts." Simon said as he bent down to grab the bag. "Dry-roasted."
"Why is he giving us peanuts?" Curtis asked.
"Maybe he knows I missed lunch." Nathan smiled.
Curtis threw Nathan a tired look.
"We should go to the tattoo parlour." Simon said, he then turned to Curtis. "Are you coming?"
"Where are you going?" Jade asked, and Simon furrowed his brows.
"He just told us we should go to the tattoo parlour." Curtis sighed.
"Oh! I wanna get a tattoo!" Jade grinned.
"You already got one." Simon said.
"Uh?" She raised her brows. "No."
"Look." Simon said as he pulled up her sleeve to show her her tattoo, but he paused his movement when he noticed some fresh ink in the inner part of her arm.
An interrogation point was inked in her skin.
"He got her too?" Curtis huffed. "Let's just go and talk to the guy."
Simon noticed Nathan was looking at the tattoo, and it almost felt like the old Nathan was back as he looked awfully worried. He looked at Jade with a soft look, his lips curled in a frown.
Unfortunately, it lasted only a few seconds, and he seemed to slip back into his daze.
Jade paid no attention to him as she studied the ink on her skin with a scowl.
"Oh dear, my mum is going to be pissed."
.
.
.
"Oh, there he is! Mr dick!" Nathan scoffed. "Because of the tattoo, on your cock."
"So, what is this?" Vince sighed as he got off his chair.
"We know about the tattoos." Simon said.
"When did I get this bloody thing?" Jade grumbled as she scratched the inked skin.
"I told them that you didn't do it!" Kelly yelled.
Jade looked at Nathan, and she suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that something was missing. Something truly important.
A scream broker her daze as she looked up in shock.
"You stabbed me!" Curtis gasped as he pulled up his shirt to reveal a knife tattoed on his skin.
She unconsciously reached to grab Nathan's arm in fear.
"She stays. You go." Vince said as he wrapped an arm around Kelly's waist and he pointed his tattoo gun at them.
Jade raised her eyebrows in confusion when they all seemed to act like he was pointing a weapon at them.
"Remove the tattoos... " Simon began as he reached in his pocket. "Or I open the nuts!"
His eyes widened in fear. "Listen... I'm sure we can work this out, yeah? Don't open these nuts."
"What the hell is going on?" Jade grumbled.
"Drop the nuts, or I'll take her eyes out!"
"Drop the gun!"
"Drop the nuts!"
Simon gave a loud war cry as he opened the bag, the peanuts flew everywhere. Vince pointed his tattoo gun at Simon, who started to choke as he held his throat.
"Simon !" Nathan cried as he craddled him in his arms. "Please don't kill him! My beautiful boy!"
"Jade!" Simon choked. "The peanut!"
Jade watched in confusion the nuts on the ground, then she saw him weakly point at the wall.
No nut zone, allergies.
"Oh!" Jade's eyes widened in realisation.
"Don't try anything !" He barked, and Jade bent down to grab the nut.
"I don't know who you are..." Jade narrowed her eyes at him. "But die, bitch."
She threw the nut at him, and it flew into his mouth as he was about to yell. He gasped, and he released Kelly as he started to choke.
Meanwhile Simon had found an epipen, and he was holding it as he glared at the tattoo artist.
"Remove... The tattoos." Simon growled.
Vince seemed torn, and he finally caved after a few seconds.
Jade gasped as her memories resurfaced. Everyone seemed to snap out of it as they looked at each other in confusion. Simon stabbed the guy with the epipen, and the man sighed in relief.
He then grunted in pain when Kelly kicked him in the stomach.
"If you want to spunk all over a girl's tattoos, just ask them, yeah?" She hissed.
Jade raised her eyes, and they met Nathan's bright green eyes. He seemed in shock as he gazed at her.
"Let's go." Kelly said as she walked past them, disgruntled.
Jade followed her outside in silence, not knowing how to process everything that just happened.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Simon nodded, and they all said their goodbyes as they split up.
Jade and Nathan walked home side by side in awkward silence. She wanted to get rid of the tension between them, but she had no idea how.
She heard Nathan loudly sigh. "You know that me breaking up with you and going after Barry was because of that guy, right?"
"I know." She answered, but she still wouldn't look at him.
"Jade." He said as he grabbed her hand gently, and she flinched away.
He frowned as he watched her all but flee him as she walked faster.
"I'm sorry..." Jade sighed. "I know it's stupid and it's not your fault.. But it still hurts."
Jade heard him sigh, and they lapsed in silence again as during the whole walk back home. He slumped on the couch while she left to take a shower.
She let the water soak her as she stared at the tiled wall in silence, her mouth stuck in a frown.
She didn't know why it was upsetting her that much, and it was driving her crazy.
She curled up in a ball in the shower, and she let out a tired sigh.
Suddenly the door burst open, and her heart almost leaped out of her chest in fear.
"Candyfloss! I think I love you!"
She yelped as she slipped and ended up sprawled in her bathtub, and Nathan's head appeared as he gazed down at her.
"Shit, you alright?"
"What did you say?" She asked, her eyes wide.
He seemed to not have heard her as his eyes remained glued to her naked breasts.
"Nathan!" She yelled, and he blinked.
"Oh, right." He said. "You got upset because I told you I loved Barry when I never told you I loved you, right?".
Jade blinked a few times as realisation dawned on her.
He cackled. "I'm a fucking genius."
She gazed at him in awe, and she grinned.
"I love you too." She said softly, and then she pointed at the door. "Now get the hell out."
"How about a nice round of makeup sex in the shower?" He wiggled his brows.
He let out a high pitched scream when Jade sprayed him with cold water, and she loudly snickered.
"I hate you."
"Liar."