Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

30 ∞ the choice

Note: This chapter may be considered slightly mature [PG-13].

Day Seven ∞ Thursday evening

"I CAN'T BELIEVE you actually did it—and all in one go! I love it! It's gonna look so cool when it's healed. The guys ain't gonna believe their eyes!" Toni said as she waited for her change and the kit to take care of Lora's follow-up treatment.

Lora was not hearing her; her focus was entirely on the tender, intensely tingling sensations on her back and waist that radiated out to her extremities. She felt different—like she was walking and breathing from within someone else's skin. Like she had just been reborn, supercharged and energized by cold fire.

She drew a deep trembling breath, closing her eyes as she stood there, acutely aware of every sensation in her body.

So this must be what a clean slate felt like.

Amazingly free.

Toni faced her with an excited grin. "You're gonna need some outfits to show it off... Girl, you gonna turn some heads!"

Lora's attention snapped back to the present; she looked confused. "What?"

Toni took her by the arm. "Don't you know that guys think tattoos are sexy?" she said in a confidential tone. "I know my brother already likes you. Did you do that hypnotizing thing on him?"

"Brother?"

"Yeah. Sleek. He's my brother."

"Oh." Lora thought for a moment. "Not Jagg?"

"No, not Jagg. You could say we grew up together, though—since our grandparents are Jamaican..." Toni noticed Lora's puzzled expression. "Yeah, well, I don't know Jamaica either—none of us do. He likes you too, by the way, though it's difficult to tell with him. He's always been a loner." She studied Lora with glittering eyes. "You... like anyone?"

Lora looked back at Toni, her lips curling in amusement, and shook her head once. She had no answer for that one.

"You know what I think? I think you—" Toni broke off when the tattoo artist returned with the change and a bag with the care kit.

"Are you going to help her with the aftercare, Toni?" he asked. "You know the routine. She'll need help to take proper care of her back tattoo."

"No worries—I'll take care of it. Lora, you should listen to this."

But Lora zoned them out while the man reminded Toni of the best procedure to prevent infection. She turned to the mirror as she carefully pulled on her jacket. Then she lifted the bottom of her blouse to expose the dressing that came from her back around her right side to encircle her navel. She smiled in satisfaction: this would be the mark of her transition.

"Let's go, Lora."

Lora paused at the top of the steps as the door to the tattoo parlor closed behind her, staring into the distance. She could not shake the feeling that she was inside someone else's skin. The tingling sensation was more intense with exposure to the warm evening air. She raised her head to the evening sky and smiled, taking a deep breath. Then she looked down to Toni and saw there were two motorcycles waiting for them.

"I asked Sleek to come along since Ram has the van," TJ said as she came down the steps to join them.

Lora met Sleek's gaze without turning her head. He wasn't trying to hide his admiration this time.