Delinquents

Chapter 4

I had my eyes clenched tightly as I held Bella's hand. "Almost finished little darlin just a little longer." The tattoo man said to me. "First tattoo you said ?" He asked me. "Yep." I said as I cringed in pain. "Your doing good for your first one. I had a lad jump completely out the chair just the other day. I didn't even get to finish ." He said to me. His story made me feel a lot better about the pain I was in.

"It's looking pretty good baby girl." Nijah said as I felt his hand on my other arm.

I was getting Arabic text on my shoulder. It stung a little at first but I got used to it. It still hurt when he went over it again but I was dealing. 

"You doing alright mama ?" I heard Jason ask me. "Yea." Is all I could get out as I felt him go over the letters again.

"Anndd your done." The man said as he sat up and looked over his work. "I think I did a pretty bang up job don't you think ?" He smiled at me as he handed me the hand mirror. I looked at it and I couldn't believe it. I .. Nina Brit had a tattoo. It looked funny on my skin. Good funny. I actually liked it.

"Well do you like it ?" Nijah asked as he stood over me. "I love it." I said breathlessly. It was just the right size. No one could see it when I had on a shirt but it was still small bold an beautiful. "Ay thanks Chuck man." Nijah said as he took a picture of it.

"Bella that ho really live. Can I get one ?" She asked the man. "Course mama get in the chair. Once darlin gets over that she has a tattoo." He said a small laugh.

I moved to the chair Bella was sitting in and she took my place. I never took my eyes off of it. I was so surprised in myself. I felt badass lowkey. My eyes bucked at what I had just thought.

"It looks good mama. So when your getting your next one ?" He laughed.

"Maybe next week. You never know." I smiled at him as I turned around to my best friend.

"I want this rose on my hip please." She said as she smiled at me.

"Anything." The man said as he took the book from Bella and began drawing.

I felt a new sense of rush in me. I felt like I didn't have so much weight on my shoulders... knowing in all actuality that all the weight is on me.

As Bella squeezed my hand as her reaction to the what I'm guessing for her is excruciating pain all I could think about is ... Would my dad like it enough for him not to kill me ?

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"Your shoulder still hurt ?" Nijah asked me as we sat in the booth. "A little when I move it." I said as I bit into my pizza. "Nick on the way to see it." He told me.

I looked at him with my head turnt. "Why !?" I asked him in a low scream. "Because if he liked it then pop ain't gone trip .. be bool man." He said to me in a calm manner.

I took a deep breath. Maybe about five or six deep breaths but anyways I took them. My heart started racing when I seen Nicks truck pull into the parking lot. He had his friends with him. He probably wouldn't trip so much now.... I didn't even believe that.

As he walked in with Mark, Chris, and Frank following right behind him he smiled at me. I scooted over to the window as they all piled into the booth. Nijah looked at me and smiled big. If looks could kill he'd be six feet under right about now.

We both got out of the booth to greet our oldest brother.

"Heyy baby girl." Nick said as he wrapped his arm around me. "Sup bro." He greeted Nijah. "Hey baby." Frank said to me from the other side of the table. "Hey Frankie." I said in almost a whisper. I was trying my hardest to play it cool but I was close to losing it.

The small waitress came to our table and greeted herself. "Hi y'all my name is Cat and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you boys anything?" She asked them. "Uhh yea mama get me a uhhh baby back rib with the corn." Chris said as he handed her the menu. "I'll take the Barbecue burger." Nick said next. "I want the same as Nick but with a side of you." Mark flirted.

The lady just laughed and continued to rapidly chew her gum. "Hamburger pizza for me." Frankie said as he handed her the menu. "Alright I'll be back out with your orders in a bit guys." She smiled and then disappeared behind the big grey door.

"Alright so baby girl what was the big surprise Nijah called me about." He said as he sipped on my pink lemonade. "Uhh oh it's nothing special." I tried to play it off.

"Well what is it ?" Chris asked. "Me an Jase took her to get a tattoo." Nijah said as he scrolled through his phone. "You took her to Chuck yea?" Nick asked.

"Of course man." Nijah had finally looked up. "I was tryna get her to get the sleeve but she was scared."

After Nijah said that it was like all eyes were on me. Chris , Mark , Frank , and Nicks eyes were glued to me. "Baby girl you didn't." Mark laughed.

I couldn't look at them.

I kept my head down until I felt Nick reach across the table and pull at the rim of my shirt down to see my shoulder. "It's nice." Is all he said as he fixed my shirt. "Bro yo pops bout to blow when he find out." Frank said. "I mean it's not bad. It's not even big and you can't even see it when she has a shirt on ." Nick said as he looked back at me and smiled softly.

Him smiling at me lifted 1000 pound weight off of me. I thought he was gonna beat me upside my head with the pizza pan or something. But he actually liked it. I smiled to myself.

My phone buzzed and it was a text from Nijah saying. I told u so.