the only one that didn’t want a tattoo. She didn’t understand, though, why this was no big deal to these girls. Was getting a tattoo an ordinary occurrence? It was as if nothing fazed these girls.
“A unicorn!” Taryn pointed to a picture of a unicorn on the wall. “This is it, I’m getting it!”
“Are you sure?” Rachel heard herself ask.
“Um, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Taryn said, with a little attitude.
Rachel didn’t reply. She didn’t know why she even said anything in the first place.
Rachel watched as Taryn sat down in the chair and the tattoo man rubbed her back with alcohol. The smell infused the room. Rachel cringed as the man took out his tattoo pen, changed the needle and filled it with black ink.
“Hold my hand.” Taryn said.
Jen went over to hold her hand.
Rachel listened as Taryn was screaming with pain.
“It’s not that bad, T,” said Ben. “Man up!”
After an excruciatingly long 45 minutes, Taryn was finished. The man put a white bandage on her back and taped it up on the edges.
Rachel looked at Taryn and thought she looked a bit out of it. Her face was flushed.
“You okay?” Rachel asked.
“Been better,” Taryn replied.
Ben and his friends were still getting their tattoos when Taryn said she felt sick and wanted to leave.
Rachel looked at her watch: 10:45pm.
Oh no .
How would she ever make it home in fifteen minutes? Rachel felt bad that Taryn was sick but she was also relieved that they were heading home. As the girls walked towards Taryn’s BMW Rachel tried to hurry them up. Emily and Jen walked slowly down the block looking at the many things the street vendors were selling.
“C’mon guys, Taryn’s sick.” Rachel kept prodding.
As they approached the car, Taryn said, “I can’t drive, my back hurts and I’m dizzy.”
Now what? Rachel thought. Who was going to drive them back?
Rachel didn’t have her license and wasn’t turning 16 until November, and Jen and Emily did not have their license yet either.
“Maybe Ben will drive us,” Taryn said.
Taryn took out her cell phone and began texting with Ben.
“He’ll take us, but we have to wait for them to finish their tatts,” Taryn said.
I’m done. My parents are going to kill me. My life is over.
Time crawled by slowly as they waited in the Starbucks for Ben to finish. Rachel kept checking her watch. 11, 11:05, 11:10, the time was rolling on and she was late for curfew. At 11:25 Rachel’s phone buzzed.
1 New Message:
Dad: Where are you, young lady?
Rachel didn’t know what to do; she wished she could be transported from that Starbucks in NYC to her house in Bedford, New York.
Rachel: I’m running a little behind, movie is just letting out.
Rachel didn’t know what to respond, but she knew if she didn’t respond, her parents would drive to the theater to look for her.
Dad: When are you going to be back?
Rachel: ASAP, I’m sorry.
The text conversation ended and Rachel’s nerves grew. How could this be happening to her?
Rachel heard a knock on the window of the Starbucks; she looked over and saw Ben standing there with his friends. Ben poked his head in and said, “I need to stop by my dorm quickly. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
Rachel felt a panic attack coming on. She’d never had a panic attack, but if she were ever going to get one, it would be tonight.
“Hurry,” said Taryn, “I’m really feeling nauseous.”
As Rachel sat there and watched Ben leave towards his dorm, she wondered how long he was going to be. For a second Rachel thought maybe she could offer to drive Taryn’s car home; she didn’t think it would be that hard to learn. Then she realized that was a terrible idea.
Ben returned to the Starbucks twenty-five minutes later smelling of smoke.
“Ready?” he said.
The girls got up and headed to the car. Taryn sat in the front and Rachel, Jen and Emily sat crammed in the back seat. The car reeked of smoke and Rachel knew she was
“A unicorn!” Taryn pointed to a picture of a unicorn on the wall. “This is it, I’m getting it!”
“Are you sure?” Rachel heard herself ask.
“Um, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Taryn said, with a little attitude.
Rachel didn’t reply. She didn’t know why she even said anything in the first place.
Rachel watched as Taryn sat down in the chair and the tattoo man rubbed her back with alcohol. The smell infused the room. Rachel cringed as the man took out his tattoo pen, changed the needle and filled it with black ink.
“Hold my hand.” Taryn said.
Jen went over to hold her hand.
Rachel listened as Taryn was screaming with pain.
“It’s not that bad, T,” said Ben. “Man up!”
After an excruciatingly long 45 minutes, Taryn was finished. The man put a white bandage on her back and taped it up on the edges.
Rachel looked at Taryn and thought she looked a bit out of it. Her face was flushed.
“You okay?” Rachel asked.
“Been better,” Taryn replied.
Ben and his friends were still getting their tattoos when Taryn said she felt sick and wanted to leave.
Rachel looked at her watch: 10:45pm.
Oh no .
How would she ever make it home in fifteen minutes? Rachel felt bad that Taryn was sick but she was also relieved that they were heading home. As the girls walked towards Taryn’s BMW Rachel tried to hurry them up. Emily and Jen walked slowly down the block looking at the many things the street vendors were selling.
“C’mon guys, Taryn’s sick.” Rachel kept prodding.
As they approached the car, Taryn said, “I can’t drive, my back hurts and I’m dizzy.”
Now what? Rachel thought. Who was going to drive them back?
Rachel didn’t have her license and wasn’t turning 16 until November, and Jen and Emily did not have their license yet either.
“Maybe Ben will drive us,” Taryn said.
Taryn took out her cell phone and began texting with Ben.
“He’ll take us, but we have to wait for them to finish their tatts,” Taryn said.
I’m done. My parents are going to kill me. My life is over.
Time crawled by slowly as they waited in the Starbucks for Ben to finish. Rachel kept checking her watch. 11, 11:05, 11:10, the time was rolling on and she was late for curfew. At 11:25 Rachel’s phone buzzed.
1 New Message:
Dad: Where are you, young lady?
Rachel didn’t know what to do; she wished she could be transported from that Starbucks in NYC to her house in Bedford, New York.
Rachel: I’m running a little behind, movie is just letting out.
Rachel didn’t know what to respond, but she knew if she didn’t respond, her parents would drive to the theater to look for her.
Dad: When are you going to be back?
Rachel: ASAP, I’m sorry.
The text conversation ended and Rachel’s nerves grew. How could this be happening to her?
Rachel heard a knock on the window of the Starbucks; she looked over and saw Ben standing there with his friends. Ben poked his head in and said, “I need to stop by my dorm quickly. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
Rachel felt a panic attack coming on. She’d never had a panic attack, but if she were ever going to get one, it would be tonight.
“Hurry,” said Taryn, “I’m really feeling nauseous.”
As Rachel sat there and watched Ben leave towards his dorm, she wondered how long he was going to be. For a second Rachel thought maybe she could offer to drive Taryn’s car home; she didn’t think it would be that hard to learn. Then she realized that was a terrible idea.
Ben returned to the Starbucks twenty-five minutes later smelling of smoke.
“Ready?” he said.
The girls got up and headed to the car. Taryn sat in the front and Rachel, Jen and Emily sat crammed in the back seat. The car reeked of smoke and Rachel knew she was
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