“Same!” Shay replied, stepping back, she spoke to me and Sheelin, “So I’m not sure if you guys know, but I’m Mila’s cousin and I agreed to be the ‘adult’ for you guys,” Me and Sheelin nodded.
“So who’s first?” Sheelin asked.
“I will,” I said. I didn’t even realize I had said it, but it was too late to turn back now.
“So,” Shay said, sitting me down in the chair, “What do you want?”
“I want L4L here,” I said, pointing to my inner hip. She nodded and drew it on in sharpie. I looked at it and nodded my approval. Then I shut my eyes and prepared for the pain to begin. Thousands of bees. All stinging at once. I decided to just invite the pain in. It’s like whenever I’m cold; I stop shivering and just invite the cold in. I’m not as cold, and I’m not shivering.
I closed my eyes and smiled. I could hear Sheelin laughing in the background. Then I heard a noise from a camera. Opening one eye, I saw Mila taking a picture with her phone.
“You look stoned,” she smiled, “but don’t worry, we’ll all have pictures,”
When I was done, Sheelin got hers next. I took a look at the picture Mila took of me. They were right; I did look stoned, but then again, Sheelin did too. I smiled and took a picture of her. She looked up and flipped me off. When she was done, she lifted the edge of her shirt and saw her tattoo.
“Very nice,” she said, “your turn Mila,” Mila smiled and sat down. She pointed to the same spot where we all had our tattoos and Shay got to work. Again, we took a picture of what we would look like drunk and/or high. People could have their opinions, but if you wanted to be in Lakas for Life, there was no way in hell you could drink or get high. If you did, you were instantly out. No exceptions.
The door opened as Mila got out of the chair. Her eyes narrowed and I looked back to see why. A guy walked in with lots of tattoos. He was balding and had a potbelly. Mila thanked Shay and asked if she could leave through the back door. Shay caught on to her discomfort and lead them to the back. Mila handed her a bundle of rolled up bills.
“Thanks again,” she said and led us down the alley to the street.
“Care to explain?” Sheelin said, catching up to Mila’s right side.
“Yeah,” I said, catching up to her left side, “What was that about? Do you know him?” Mila ignored us.
“Qu’est-ce qu’il y a?” I pressed.
“Rien,” she finally replied. We walked in silence until we got to the corner.
“Well,” Sheelin said, “I have to get home,”
“Me too,” I said, “Will you be alright, Mila?” she nodded. Me and Sheelin looked at each other and shrugged. Mila stood on the corner waiting for the light to change, Sheelin turned right, and I headed left.
“So who’s first?” Sheelin asked.
“I will,” I said. I didn’t even realize I had said it, but it was too late to turn back now.
“So,” Shay said, sitting me down in the chair, “What do you want?”
“I want L4L here,” I said, pointing to my inner hip. She nodded and drew it on in sharpie. I looked at it and nodded my approval. Then I shut my eyes and prepared for the pain to begin. Thousands of bees. All stinging at once. I decided to just invite the pain in. It’s like whenever I’m cold; I stop shivering and just invite the cold in. I’m not as cold, and I’m not shivering.
I closed my eyes and smiled. I could hear Sheelin laughing in the background. Then I heard a noise from a camera. Opening one eye, I saw Mila taking a picture with her phone.
“You look stoned,” she smiled, “but don’t worry, we’ll all have pictures,”
When I was done, Sheelin got hers next. I took a look at the picture Mila took of me. They were right; I did look stoned, but then again, Sheelin did too. I smiled and took a picture of her. She looked up and flipped me off. When she was done, she lifted the edge of her shirt and saw her tattoo.
“Very nice,” she said, “your turn Mila,” Mila smiled and sat down. She pointed to the same spot where we all had our tattoos and Shay got to work. Again, we took a picture of what we would look like drunk and/or high. People could have their opinions, but if you wanted to be in Lakas for Life, there was no way in hell you could drink or get high. If you did, you were instantly out. No exceptions.
The door opened as Mila got out of the chair. Her eyes narrowed and I looked back to see why. A guy walked in with lots of tattoos. He was balding and had a potbelly. Mila thanked Shay and asked if she could leave through the back door. Shay caught on to her discomfort and lead them to the back. Mila handed her a bundle of rolled up bills.
“Thanks again,” she said and led us down the alley to the street.
“Care to explain?” Sheelin said, catching up to Mila’s right side.
“Yeah,” I said, catching up to her left side, “What was that about? Do you know him?” Mila ignored us.
“Qu’est-ce qu’il y a?” I pressed.
“Rien,” she finally replied. We walked in silence until we got to the corner.
“Well,” Sheelin said, “I have to get home,”
“Me too,” I said, “Will you be alright, Mila?” she nodded. Me and Sheelin looked at each other and shrugged. Mila stood on the corner waiting for the light to change, Sheelin turned right, and I headed left.
