***Chapter Twenty-One***
The next day felt like it took forever just to get to the afternoon. I finally got the second part of my rough draft done with an ample amount of time to focus. I’ve been able to catch up with a lot today, making me feel productive. After all that work though, I needed to something fun. Luckily, it was about that time where everyone was done with their classes for the day. Every except Juliana, as she had dance practice every day this week and next.
Sitting in my dorm, I was packing up my laptop when Dillon came inside. Followed by Dre, Drew, Cameron, and, to my surprise, Kayla. We haven’t officially hung out with her yet, so this was exciting to see. They all had these weird looks on their faces that disturb me a bit. I did not know what they were up to, but I was gearing to find out.
Walking up to me, Drew leaned down toward my ear to whisper. “I was thinking we could go get that tattoo today,” he says. Even though it wasn’t anything, it made my knees buckle with his breath against my ear.
I didn’t show it, responding to him. “Sure, but do they have to come?” I point over at them.
Drew chuckled, looking back at them. “Unfortunately, but trust me, I didn’t invite them. Now let’s go!” He yells.
Off we went to the tattoo shop for me to get my first one and Drew to get his piercing. It was a lot easier to settle on who was sitting where since Kayla was with us. We took Dre’s car again and Kayla sat on Cam’s lap, this time while I occupied the middle seat. If it were up to me, I’d be sitting on Drew’s lap, but being this close to him was just as well.
As we made it to the shop, I was greeted by the sounds of needles everywhere and artwork on the wall. A lot of them were so intricate that they made me wince. There’s no way he was going to make me get something like on those walls. I would literally cry and embarrass myself in front of everyone. He said he was going to stick to it being little, though. I’m trusting him with that.
We all got settled in as Cameron and Dillon started looking over the art book, too. Dre and Drew said hi to the person who’s supposed to be doing the tattoo for free. It amazes me at how fast they make friends and connections. First the guy that owns the bar, now the tattoo shop owner. Their popularity hasn’t dropped an ounce since high school. Once you got it, I guess you always will.
After they said hi, I saw Drew tell the guy what to give me before smiling over at me. The nerves were clear on my face, but I tried to put my big girl panties on. It was just a tattoo. How bad could it possibly be? Drew has plenty of them, so it couldn’t be that difficult to get. But I’m a big baby, everything’s difficult for me.
Seeing my face, Drew walked over to comfort me. “Don’t be nervous, Annabelle. I promise you’ll love it.” He tried cheering me up.
I smile at him while nodding. “Yeah, I will. This is great.” Then I saw the needle and my face went pale again. I almost felt a little woozy.
Drew immediately grabbed my hand and turned my face toward his. “Look at me, it’s going to be ok. I’ll be right there next to you.” He reassured me.
Taking a deep breath, I gathered up the bit of courage I still had and made my way to the chair. Drew stood next to me as the guy asked where I wanted to get it. It took me a minute to answer, but after contemplating, I went with what Dillon suggested. It was risky, but worth it. I had to lift my shirt a little higher than expected. Only a bit of side boob was showing, so no one could see much.
On the flip side, it made it harder to see the tattoo being done this way. I was so curious about what he could’ve possibly picked. There were so many choices, it filled my mind with endless wonder. All I know is I couldn’t wait for him to get his piercing. It was going to be perfect for his face and we could say we did something wild together.
After I revealed the spot, the guy wiped it with a cloth and put something else on my skin as well. I did not know what it was, but it freaked me out.
“Drew, what was that?” I questioned, frantic.
He laughed, “relax, he’s just cleaning the area off.” Did he have to be so calm about this?
A few more minutes passed, and that’s when he drew the outline for whatever I was getting put on my skin. That was the easy part, since he was simply marking what needed to go where. It’s when the needle came out I had a panic attack. I hated getting needles at the doctor’s office. There was no way in hell this would be any different. Especially knowing how badly it’ll hurt. At least at the doctors it’s a quick pain. This was utter torture.
Ever so slowly, he came close to my skin with the needle. I quickly grabbed Drew’s hand and squeezed it tight. He may be missing it after I’m done with it. Seriously though, after a minute of wincing, I realized I could hardly feel it. I could still feel it pressing into me, but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would. It was quite easy once we got settled in. Dare I say, I’m enjoying myself.
Even with the pain being at a minimum, Drew kept me distracted by talking with me. We’ve gotten so better at talking with one another that I asked him something I’ve been wondering. It wasn’t likely he’d answer, but even a vague one would be enough to satisfy me. I’m always so curious about him and his world that I want to know more. Only so I can understand him better. We were becoming friends and if you don’t understand your friends, how do you consider yourself as such?
Still holding his hand, I looked up into those piercing green orbs of his, nervous to speak. “Umm, Drew…” I say. He looks down at me, raising a brow. “You said you were angry back when we were growing up. Why?”
He chuckled. “Leave it to Annabelle to ask such invasive questions,” he said with a smile.
I knew he was joking, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was crossing a line. “I’m-I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be nosey. Don’t answer that.” My cheeks flush as I look away from him.
Drew stayed silent for a minute before speaking again. “My parents always had this thing where they’d compare Dillon and I to each other. Of course, I was never the favorite, so to speak, and it pissed me off.” He was opening up to me.
It caught me off guard that I had to look up at him. He wasn’t looking at me, though. “Did they? I never knew that.” It’s true, Dillon never mentioned it.
He sighed. “You know, I didn’t even care if they had a favorite child. It only bothered me so much because Dillon and I never got to connect the way siblings should.” His voice goes soft. “It does bug me sometimes till this day.”
I could see the hurt on his face as he looks to the ground. This was something that truly bothered him. It made sense with him explaining it. It also explains why she always felt indifferent to me having a crush on him. They didn’t have a relationship for her to be upset about it or get protective of her brother. They were pitted against each other and instead of being United as they should. It was odd when he said she’s never been in his car. I’m thinking them not speaking much had more to do with it than her making it a mess. It saddened me to think about. Of course, Dillon would never talk about it.
Just as quick as his sadness came, it left almost instantly. It wasn’t uncommon for him not to want to talk about this kind of stuff. The Tate children are good at shoving their feelings down when they feel necessary. The reason he stopped talking, though, is that my tattoo was finished. After about an hour, I couldn’t wait to see the finished product. The tattoo artist did some final touches and then I headed over to the mirror to see it.
Contorting my body in a way to look, I saw that there were 3 butterflies going diagonally across my side. They were little but so cute and in a blue shade with tiny stars in between them. It confused me why he chose butterflies, but everyone seemed to love them, anyway. I loved them myself. I can’t believe I have my first tattoo!
Smiling, I looked at Drew, who looked excited for me. “I love it, but why did you choose butterflies?” I asked him.
He shrugs. “Well, butterflies symbolize freedom, hope, and adventure.” He says. “With your free spirit and sense of adventure lately, it felt perfect.”
“I’d say it’s perfect. It looks great too,” Cameron complimented.
“I can’t believe Anna got a tattoo! What’re you doing to my best friend?” Dillon gushed.
I laugh, admiring it some more. It looked nice where Dillon suggested I get it. What I wasn’t expecting was Drew to take his hand and grab at my waist. His fingers lightly squeeze as he turns my body toward him. He wanted a better look at it, but all that did was make me quiver. His gentle touch always sent me into a frenzy. No matter if he was holding my hand or giving me a hug, my body craved him more and more. It sucked that he’s oblivious to that fact.
Still, his fingers traced just underneath the tattoo, sending a chill down my spine. He smirked, looking back up at me with those striking green eyes. If I wasn’t mistaken, I’d say Drew was blushing as he averted eye contact with me once more. It’s a good thing he did. I don’t know how long I’ll last.
Pursing his lips, he dropped his fingers to his side. “It’s looks….umm….sexy,” He mutters before walking away.
My mouth curled up into a smirk as I took in what he said. Did Drew just say something on me was sexy? I must’ve been dreaming, but surely that couldn’t be missed. We were around the others too, yet he still said it. It’s hard to tell if any of them heard, but doesn’t change what he said. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding thinking about it. What was he doing to me?
Despite that, it was time for Drew to get his piercing as he sat down next. I thought long and hard about where to put it. Ultimately, I decided he should get an eyebrow piercing. It’ll look so good with his already attractive aesthetic. He didn’t seem to mind all that much sitting patiently. I, for one, couldn’t wait to see it when it’s done. Drew was already attractive to me, but this was going to set me over the edge.
“Annabelle, what are you doing?” He asked me with a wide grin.
I looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?” I giggle. “I’m waiting for you to get the piercing.”
He looked at me like I wasn’t getting it. “I mean, why aren’t you holding *my* hand? This’ll hurt you know,” he was lying.
I snickered. “Oh please, you have tattoos all over your body. I doubt a little pinch will phase you.”
“I’m pretty positive that’s just an excuse to hold your hand, Anna.” Cameron, the peanut gallery, chimed in.
I didn’t think that was true. Why would Drew make excuses just to get a handhold out of me? It made little sense and was so out of character for Drew. If he wanted to, he would’ve just did it. There wasn’t much need for him to ask because I would oblige to do anything Drew wanted. However, it shocked me he agreed to what Cameron suggested. In front of everyone at that.
“He’s right, Annabelle,” he says calmly while sticking his hand out to me.
I looked perplexed and hesitant about the whole ordeal. What the hell was happening? Why would he make such an excuse to do something so simple? It felt off for him and me. Our relationship was already confusing, but this made things complicated. I couldn’t tell what he wanted from me anymore. However, I was going to keep thinking he wanted to be my friend. Maybe even a best friend. There isn’t much reason to read too deep into it.
Looking over at Dillon, she gestured for me to go with her eyes. If she thought it was the right move to make, then I was going to do. It felt different this time because everyone was watching. Everyone except Julie, yet everyone egged me on to do it. Maybe they saw it as a friendly gesture, too.
Regardless, I grab his hand in mine as he got ready to get the needle through his eyebrow. Quickly, it happened and I could feel Drew wince a little as they pulled it through to put the ring on. The way he squeezed my hand showed me it hurt. I highly doubt as much as my tattoo, though. Truthfully, I felt nothing, but there is the aftereffect.
Once we were finally finished getting both our works done, we headed back to campus. After we got there, Drew and I walked at a slower pace than everyone else trailing behind them. It was awkward at first, given the events that happened at the tattoo shop. I didn’t know what I should say to him other than a thank you. He’s really been helping me come out of my shell a lot. I haven’t felt this alive in all my life. Drew was changing me in a good way.
Taking in the light breeze, Drew picked at his piercing as if he were a child. “I can’t believe you picked an eyebrow piercing,” he said with a slight chuckle.
“Hey, you picked butterflies as a tattoo,” I remarked.
“At least it had a purpose. What was the purpose of this again?” He questioned in a joking manner.
My cheeks flush once again. I didn’t want to say the exact reason. “I-I don’t think I should say,” I stutter.
Ironically, Drew raised his brow, stopping us both as he turned me toward him. “Come on, Annabelle, don’t hold out on me.” He pleaded.
I crossed my arms, looking away. “Mmm, I-I wanted you to get it because,” I pause for a moment. “I thought it’ll look good on you, ok?”
Silence encompasses us as he stood there processing what I said. Either he couldn’t believe what he heard or he liked it. It was stupid of me to even say anything. That was telling him I found him attractive, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. What was he going to think if I did, knowing he had a girlfriend? The nerves built up inside of me as the silence continued on. *Great job Anna*!
Suddenly, Drew smirked, looking down at me intently. “Did you accomplish your goal?” He wondered.
I nod. “Yes, yes, it looks just how I thought it would.” I admit.
He chuckled, looking away once more before we walk again. “Good,” he simply responds.
I’m not sure how to take that, but the good news was that he didn’t seem bothered by it. He looked like he enjoyed that very idea.