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“Wait for us!” Natalie says behind me. “Oh, shot gun!” She sticks her tongue out at Mason playfully.
“Hey, you never opened your gift from Zayn. Are you going to?” Mason asks.
“Oh shoot, I totally forgot. Honestly, I’m enjoying the distractions from him. I already cried over him once today. That feels like it’s enough.”
They both nod. Mason turns up the volume of the radio and we all sing our hearts out to throwback 90s and early 2000s songs. My absolute favorite.
After about a fifteen-minute drive, we arrive at a place calledAdam’s Bats and Tats, INKorporated.
“Hmm, interesting business name. What’s up with the ‘bats’ part?” I ask right before we walk in.
Mason smiles mischievously. “You’ll see.”
We enter Adam’s parlor, and it looks like a weird combo of Hot Topic and a doctor’s office. If they were both celebrating Halloween. “Oh, okay. So, your man really likes bats, I take it.”
My eyes widen when a man dressed as a bat comes out to the counter to help us. I flash Mason an ‘Are you serious?’ look, but he doesn’t seem to bat an eye!Ha! Wish I could share that one out loud, but now’s clearly not the time.I look to Natalie for support instead and she seems equally terrified.Thank God it’s not just me.
“Hi, are you Adam?” I ask breaking the silence.
The bat shakes its head. “Adam will be right with you. In the meantime, I need an ID and for you to fill out this paperwork. Pens are here.” He points to a bat-shaped box holding pens that mimic vials of blood.
“Oh okay, cool.” I get out my driver’s license and turn towards Mason and Natalie. “You guys are getting tattoos, too, right?”
“Actually, no. We sort of told you that preemptively planning on you to say no. You certainly surprised us with agreeing right away,” Natalie explains. “But it’s on us. Happy birthday!”
I mask my discomfort with a smile. “Thank you, guys. I’m a little sad we aren’t all getting them, but—believe it or not—I’m looking forward to it. Once I realized Summer, even from the afterlife, was making me do this, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want.”
“That’s great,” Mason says. “Adam promised to make your first time super special. And we’ll be right next to you the whole time for support.”
“Thanks,” I say.
I finish filling out the paperwork and a guy without a bat costume comes out from the back. He extends a hand to me, “Hey there, you must be Autumn. Nice to meet you. I’m Mason’s boyfriend, Adam.”
I shake his hand with relief that a bat is not giving me a tattoo tonight. “So great to finally meet the one who’s stolen our Mason’s heart. Thanks for doing this for me.”
“No trouble at all. Let’s get you to the back and I’ll draw out a description of what you want, you tell me how to tweak it, and then once you’re happy and ready, we’ll get started.” Adam motions for us to follow him to the back. I leave the clipboard of paperwork on the counter for the bat and swipe my ID back before shit gets weirder.
Adam and I agree on one of his drawings and he tells me that he’ll be right back.
“Okay, so I know I’ve changed and was excited to do this, but I won’t lie, I’m starting to freak out. What if I hate it or it’s too painful? My anxiety is skyrocketing right now,” I tell my friends.
Mason offers me some water and Natalie offers me a Xanax. I give her a look because I usually stick to my Lexapro for anxiety, but I’ve also never gotten a tattoo before. Plus, I have gotten high with Zayn now. And it’s my birthday and almost a literal new year so . . . new year, new me, right? I accept it quickly before I change my mind. She hands me her water bottle, and I swallow it down along with the massive lump in my throat.
“So, let me get this straight. You’ve completed almost the entire WOLO list, but are chickening out with getting a tattoo?” Natalie asks.
“Did I ask for judgment?” I snap back at her. She flinches. “Sorry, I’m so on edge. And you’re right. I’ve done everything on that list, I’m not going to let a tattoo hold me back from accomplishing all of it now.” I take a few deep breaths when Adam returns with a handheld needle gun. I admit to myself that it doesn’t look as scary as I had been imagining.
My friends keep me distracted in conversation as Adam needles a design on my left arm. It hurt a bit at first, but honestly, I’m pretty used to the feeling now. I’m having so much fun with Mason and Natalie I sometimes forget I’m even getting a tattoo.
About two hours later, Adam says he’s finished. “Alright, my dear. Go ahead and check it out in the mirror. No colors or fill ins, right?”
“Right,” I say. “Just the black ink. For now, anyway.”
“Yup, you’ll soon discover how addicting tattoos can be. You’ll be back in here for color and then some,” Natalie says. “We should totally all get best friend ones next!”
“Maybe. Let’s see how my first one looks first before I make any promises on more.” I head over to the mirror to approve of Adam’s artwork. I take a look and my breath escapes me for a moment. It’s perfect.
It’s an orchid and a wildflower interlaced.
