Unseen

Chapter 4: Inked

The smell of mum's home cooking filled my nose as I walked through my front door, making my stomach rumble. My mum doesn't know what's been going on the last couple of days, I should really tell her. I walk into the kitchen where she's cooking and sit on the table next to her.

"Did you have a good time with your friends, hunny?" she asks me.

"Yes thanks, but I have quite a story to tell you!"

I start from the beginning, and she listens carefully. I'm so lucky that she's so trusting. I noticed that she smiled when I got to the part where Kyle stuck up for me, she really likes Kyle and I don't blame her to be honest, it's probably part of the reason she trusts me so much, he'll protect me to the earth's end – he deserves someone so much better.

"... and that's you up to date." I smile at her.

"Thank god you're not friends with her. I never liked that bitch." She said with a poker face, I let out a laugh.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I ask in reply.

"I couldn't tell you to break friends with her over gut instinct, it wouldn't make any sense." She starts dishing up the dinner onto the four plates. I pour myself a glass of cola and grab a fork making my way to the table.

"A mother's instinct is never wrong!" I say matter-of -factly, pointing my fork at her for added humour.

My brother and dad join us for dinner and we talk about usual family dramas and have a bit of friendly banter, but I wolf down my dinner because I hadn't eaten in a while – I did stop off for breakfast with the girls, but I haven't eaten since then.

After dinner I had a shower, brush my teeth and change of clothes to refresh myself. I put clean pyjamas of a baggy pink top and white shorts and pink slippers and I let my waist-length, blonde hair down. I pull a pink cardigan round me and begin to pack for Kyle's house. I remember all my toiletries, change of clothes and my laptop and phone. I open the front door to leave.

"Going to Kyle's now! Bye!" I shout up the stairs to my family, I received a unison of grunt and acknowledges in reply and I leave to cross the street to Kyle's house. Thank God he lives so close.

~♥~  

As soon as I open the door I'm enveloped into a hug by Jules, Kyle's mum.

"Oh, Marissa it's so good to see you again!"

"You too, Jules!" I say with a smile. "Is Kyle up in his room?"

"Is he ever out of it? Go on up" She joked and she let out a light hearted giggle.

I creak open the door to Kyle's room and I see him at his high-tech computer talking to some people on 'Call Of Duty', he hasn't noticed that I'm here so I crept up behind him.

"BOO!" He jumped so high he got air and turned around.

"What the?! Oh my God, Marissa, you gave me a heart attack!"

I pull up a chair next to him and watch him play for the rest of the game. I'm really bad at gaming so I like watching him play because I get the enjoyment of playing well. After a while I pull up my laptop and sprawl out over his bed and begin updating my bucket list. I could check off "Pull a prank", "Skip school". I was scrolling through, checking the other activities on my list when Kyle joined me. He crossed one off for me. It read "Be given a promise ring." I looked at him questioningly.

Smiling, he pulls out a little box that contained a little silver ring that held a rose heart, which is my birthstone. I feel a smile grow on my face and he holds my hand putting it on for me. It takes me a while to process what's happening, and I have a sudden overwhelming rush of happiness. I spring forward and give him the biggest bear hug and knock him over so he's on his back and I give him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you so so so so so much! I love it, I love it, I love it!" I thank him over and over.

"It's alright, it's our 3rd year anniversary soon." He says sitting back up, blushing slightly.

"We can cross that one off too, tomorrow if you like?" He points at the bullet point that read "Get a tattoo". I look at him to see he's serious.

"OH MY GOD, YES".

~♥~  

The next morning, we're walking hand in hand to the tattoo parlour. I know what I'm getting I've been planning it for a long time and it really suits the position I'm in at the moment. The woman that greeted me was so lovely and friendly. She had short white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, one arm was covered in beautiful illustrations that reached up to her neck, they framed her jaw perfectly. I looked closer at her tattoos and see beautiful butterflies and vines weaving up and down between the pictures. I sit in the chair, stencil placed, ready to be inked. Three quarters of an hour of gritting my teeth and the tattooing was over, the thrill of getting it outweighed the pain by far and Kyle was holding my hand the entire time. The woman, I found out her name was Claudia, led me to a mirror to see the finished tattoo. Three, small, silhouetted birds in flight were using my shoulder as a canvas.

"They're so beautiful, thank you so much!" I say while staring and the illustration in the mirror.

"No problem, we'll get them covered up and you're done!"

They wrap my arm and round my shoulder in cling film after adding a treatment, I pay then leave the shop with Kyle. We decide to head back to mine for a change of scenery, but it's very quite when I enter the house. I walk into the living room and drop my bags by the stairs when I hear the TV blaring:

Breaking News! Eve Strand, 17 year old resident of Sunthorpe has been found dead in her back garden 10am this morning. Police have ruled her death a homicide that took place 24 hours before the discovery of the body.