Give Me Strength 》 Teen Wolf

2 - Tattoo

   I lean up between the two front seats, forcing my way between the two boys. "Remind me again why I'm coming with you to get a tattoo." I raise an eyebrow at Scott in the passenger seat. "Isaac is still missing and I need to be out there looking for him."

   Scott turns his head to face me. "Derek is looking for him. You've been out searching for Isaac every day this week. You need one night to yourself."

   I rest my left forearm on his seat. "Okay, but this night is for you. Why am I here?"

   "Because I get squeamish and Scott needs support." Stiles drives in to the tattoo parlour's parking lot. 

   I unbuckle my seatbelt once Stiles shuts off the jeep. "How do you know I'm not squeamish?" 

   "Then Scott's screwed." Stiles deadpans as he climbs out.

   Scott shrugs while climbing out and moving the seat forward to let me out. I duck as I maneuver my way out of the backseat. Scott offers his hand. Smiling in appreciation, I grab his hand to jump down. I may be a hybrid, but I'm still uncoordinated at times. I jump straight down in a puddle, water soaking the bottom of my skinny jeans. I quickly step out of the puddle, groaning. 

   "Are you sure you don't want to back out of this?" Stiles rests one hand on the hood of his jeep. 

   Scott slams the door shut, releasing my hand. "I'm doing this." 

   Stiles sighs. "Fine. Let's go then."

   Scott leads the way inside of the tattoo parlour. I slide closer to the two boys as I step inside of the dark building. A girl covered in tattoos sits behind the desk with a book of tattoos in front of her. This place is so not my scene. Stiles grimaces at the tattoos on the wall. He's been really against this idea ever since Scott annouced he wanted one. 

   One of the tattoo artists with a long, dark beard leads Scott in a room with us trailing behind him. Scott pulls out a piece of paper that he drew the tattoo design on. I aimlessly wander the room until I find a wall to lean up against. I should be out helping Derek. Isaac went missing about a week ago to go find Erica and Boyd. He hasn't called or anything to let us know where he is. Peter thinks that they Alpha pack got ahold of him.

   The artist lowers the paper. "Boy, it's a good thing you drew me a picture."

    Stiles walks around the room and picks up a tattoo book. I push off of the wall to look at the book with him. He flips through the pages. A design of a tattoo catches my eye. I point to it, giggling. In someone's handwriting, the words 'I love my mom' with barbed wire circled around it. Stiles laughs along with me. He flips through a few more pages until we find a tattoo that looks a lot the kanima. 

   Stiles picks up the book and spins to show Scott. "Hey, Scott, sure you don't want something like this?" He lowers the book at Scott's expression. "Too soon? Yeah." Stiles continues to flip through the book. "I don't know, man, are you sure about this? I mean, these things are pretty permanent, you know?"

   Scott rests his arm on the armrest. "I'm not changing my mind."

   "Okay, but why two bands?" Stiles sets the book back down. 

   "I just like it." Scott grins.  

   I lean up against the wall again. "But, don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning? I thought people were supposed to think really hard on what they wanted to permanently tattoo on their body." 

   Stiles waves his hand in apprectiation. "You see? Even Chloe agrees with me."

   "Getting a tattoo means something." Scott tells the two of us.

   "I don't think that's..." Stiles starts to say. 

   "He's right, tattooing goes back thousands of years." The tattoo artist interrupts, preparing his equipment. "The tahitian word "tatua" means "to leave a mark." Like a rite of passage."