ladies, I’m all yours. Oh, hey, Casey, what’s up, girl? Haven’t seen you in a while!” He goes to her and wraps her in his arms for a tight hug, then looks her up and down. “Lookin’ good, lookin’ good,” he mutters, smiling.
Casey laughs her perfect laugh. She bounces a bit. “Came in for tats! All of us!”
Shaggy nods in my direction. “New friends?”
Casey rolls her eyes. “Refugees from Minnesota.”
“No kidding?”
Kat steps forward. “Katherine Amundsen,” she says. Shaggy shakes her hand, flicking his fingers off of hers and bumping her fist. Kat follows his lead perfectly. I hope he keeps his weird handshake things to himself so I won’t humiliate myself. He does, merely smiling at me. His eyes are strangely compelling, and he holds my gaze for a little longer than seems usual.
“So what’s it going to be, then? Are you all getting the same thing?”
“We’re thinking of getting a butterfly, or maybe some of these little daisies on the back of our neck?” Sammi points to a page in the book she is looking at.
“Sammi Richards? Seriously?” He laughs. “Wow, you have changed!”
I see the flash of shame that flickers across Sammi’s proud features. “Yeah, well, that was a long time ago,” she says.
Casey is oblivious. “I know! Isn’t she hot? Gastric bypass, baby!”
Sammi’s eyes narrow and flick over in my direction. “Anyway, about the tattoos?”
Shaggy nods. “Sure. So, butterflies and daisies all around, then?”
Kat clears her throat. “Can you show us any lotus blossoms that are a little more…delicate?” She gestures up at the gaudy magenta and blue designs, all full of bright flames and glowing jewels. “Something smaller, lighter? I’m thinking sort of wispy and a little stylistic.”
Shaggy’s face is thoughtful. “Sure, yeah…hold on.” He slides into a rolling chair and rolls over to his computer. Within moments, he beckons us over to see some images on the screen. “Maybe find a particular angle you like in one of these photos, and then I’ll do a drawing based on that.”
He moves out of the way, and we share the chair to look over the images, scrolling through the pages in silence. My chest is so tight I can barely draw in a full breath. “Are you sure about this?”
Kat smiles and doesn’t even move to twist pigtails into her dark hair. “I think it’s a great symbol.” She pauses and then reaches for my hand. “It will be our vow to each other. Forever friends.”
My phone beeps, and I pull it out to discover a text from my dad. It’s late, but that doesn’t surprise me since he’s always been a night owl. You won’t be alone anymore , he says. For a second I’m confused, but then I see that he’s responding to my text about God refusing to leave me alone. Still, it’s kind of funny the way it arrives right now. I hold the phone up for Kat to see. “Dad says go for it.” I glance back over my shoulder at Shaggy, hoping he won’t ask for my ID, since I’m not quite eighteen. And I doubt this cryptic text message would count as parental consent.
“Have you two settled on a butterfly, then?” asks Shaggy, moving to the other side of the desk to where Casey and Sammi are poring over the book. They point and discuss the relative merits of several pictures while Katy and I peruse the lotus flowers.
Kat clicks on to a new page, and the image that pops up on the screen makes both of us catch our breath. We look at each other.
“It’s perfect.” I can’t find any other words. “Absolutely perfect.”
Casey is right. Shaggy can do much more than trace a pattern onto skin. He transforms the photo of the lotus blossom into something almost ethereal—delicate, yet containing the promise of strength within its mysterious depths. He finishes the drawing with a subtle rendering of the om symbol from Tibetan Buddhism, a nice touch. The curves of its strokes melt into the petals of the lotus as though he just discovered
Casey laughs her perfect laugh. She bounces a bit. “Came in for tats! All of us!”
Shaggy nods in my direction. “New friends?”
Casey rolls her eyes. “Refugees from Minnesota.”
“No kidding?”
Kat steps forward. “Katherine Amundsen,” she says. Shaggy shakes her hand, flicking his fingers off of hers and bumping her fist. Kat follows his lead perfectly. I hope he keeps his weird handshake things to himself so I won’t humiliate myself. He does, merely smiling at me. His eyes are strangely compelling, and he holds my gaze for a little longer than seems usual.
“So what’s it going to be, then? Are you all getting the same thing?”
“We’re thinking of getting a butterfly, or maybe some of these little daisies on the back of our neck?” Sammi points to a page in the book she is looking at.
“Sammi Richards? Seriously?” He laughs. “Wow, you have changed!”
I see the flash of shame that flickers across Sammi’s proud features. “Yeah, well, that was a long time ago,” she says.
Casey is oblivious. “I know! Isn’t she hot? Gastric bypass, baby!”
Sammi’s eyes narrow and flick over in my direction. “Anyway, about the tattoos?”
Shaggy nods. “Sure. So, butterflies and daisies all around, then?”
Kat clears her throat. “Can you show us any lotus blossoms that are a little more…delicate?” She gestures up at the gaudy magenta and blue designs, all full of bright flames and glowing jewels. “Something smaller, lighter? I’m thinking sort of wispy and a little stylistic.”
Shaggy’s face is thoughtful. “Sure, yeah…hold on.” He slides into a rolling chair and rolls over to his computer. Within moments, he beckons us over to see some images on the screen. “Maybe find a particular angle you like in one of these photos, and then I’ll do a drawing based on that.”
He moves out of the way, and we share the chair to look over the images, scrolling through the pages in silence. My chest is so tight I can barely draw in a full breath. “Are you sure about this?”
Kat smiles and doesn’t even move to twist pigtails into her dark hair. “I think it’s a great symbol.” She pauses and then reaches for my hand. “It will be our vow to each other. Forever friends.”
My phone beeps, and I pull it out to discover a text from my dad. It’s late, but that doesn’t surprise me since he’s always been a night owl. You won’t be alone anymore , he says. For a second I’m confused, but then I see that he’s responding to my text about God refusing to leave me alone. Still, it’s kind of funny the way it arrives right now. I hold the phone up for Kat to see. “Dad says go for it.” I glance back over my shoulder at Shaggy, hoping he won’t ask for my ID, since I’m not quite eighteen. And I doubt this cryptic text message would count as parental consent.
“Have you two settled on a butterfly, then?” asks Shaggy, moving to the other side of the desk to where Casey and Sammi are poring over the book. They point and discuss the relative merits of several pictures while Katy and I peruse the lotus flowers.
Kat clicks on to a new page, and the image that pops up on the screen makes both of us catch our breath. We look at each other.
“It’s perfect.” I can’t find any other words. “Absolutely perfect.”
Casey is right. Shaggy can do much more than trace a pattern onto skin. He transforms the photo of the lotus blossom into something almost ethereal—delicate, yet containing the promise of strength within its mysterious depths. He finishes the drawing with a subtle rendering of the om symbol from Tibetan Buddhism, a nice touch. The curves of its strokes melt into the petals of the lotus as though he just discovered
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