Body, Ink, and Soul (6 page)

B
ekka drove us home after our shift, her music screaming in our ears, regardless of the fact that it was almost four in the morning. I checked my phone, trying to ignore the music, and I had a text message from Tristan. He was wishing me a good night.
Sweet
! I texted him back, wishing him a good night, too. I couldn't wait to get home and go to bed. The bar had been packed, and coupled with Levi’s watchful eye, I was exhausted. When I finally got into bed, I checked my phone again, but of course, there was nothing. I had to remind myself that it was the middle of the night.

I rested in bed, replaying the events of the night. I liked Tristan coming to see me at work. He didn't stay for long, but it was nice of him to show up. It confirmed he was interested and he was thinking about me. Maybe he missed me when I wasn’t around, who knew? I wasn’t sure what to expect from dating, because I’d never had a real boyfriend before. I dated two guys in high school, but with my over-protective mother, it wasn't easy. When she was nineteen, she fell pregnant with me. She made it really difficult to have a relationship – always suspecting the worse and trying to protect me from making her mistakes. I couldn’t blame her, though – it wasn’t easy for her to cope when she discovered she was pregnant. As soon as my biological father found out, he bailed and she never heard from him again. I always knew Carlson was not my biological father, but I considered him my real Dad. He chose to love me and my mother – which means more to me than genetics any day. Carlson offered us everything he had; he was a wealthy businessman and he spoiled us both. I’ve only seen two photos of my biological father, and I looked a lot like him. We shared the same curly, chestnut hair and baby blue eyes. He had an anchor tattoo on his forearm and one big Phoenix on his back. He was a good-looking young man. I sometimes wondered where he was and if he was still alive. I knew his name was Brian, but I’ve never looked him up because the idea scared me for some reason.

W
orking at the club was my favourite job, but the hours made it hard to get enough sleep. After spending a few days with very little rest, I was exhausted. My body ached and my brain was degenerating into Jell-O. I had to catch up or I was going to get sick.

''PHOENIX! REBEKKA! GIRLS! WAKE UP!''

I woke up from a fitful sleep when I heard Valerie screaming from the kitchen. What the hell was going on? I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed, silently cursing her and grumbling that this better not be over another spider. I’d had a little over four hours of sleep, I was in a pissy mood, and I didn't want to be bothered for a damn arachnid.

''Girls, come on! Wake up!''

I opened my door at the same time as Bekka did and we ran down the hallway together.

''What’s wrong?'' Bekka questioned, her voice sounding as sleepy as I felt.

''Nothing's wrong! I received a letter from the University.''

''So, what does it say?'' I muttered, not entertained by being woken up because of a letter.

''I don't know! I didn't open it yet. I wanted to do it with both of you.'' She took the envelope and ripped across the seal. Taking the letter out and unfolding it, she took a deep breath and started reading.

''Dear Ms. Johnson, Congratulations! Welcome to the Economics Program at the University of Boston," she read, her eyes growing wide. “Oh! My! God! I got accepted!''

We all jumped around the apartment like little girls, squealing and hugging. We were happy for Val - she was finally going to be with John. As we settled down, the realization that she would be leaving hit us all at the same time.

''You’re leaving...'' A lump built in my throat. I was happy for Val, but the sadness of knowing she was leaving overshadowed my joy. I tried to keep it hidden with a tiny smile, but I wouldn't fool them. Val and Bekka were the family I’d chosen for myself, and losing one of them was hard. I knew we would keep in touch, but she was moving to the other side of the country. It just wouldn’t be the same.

Val and Bekka were in a tight hug with tears of both joy and sadness running down their cheeks. I joined them in a group hug and kissed their hair. They were everything to me, and I was afraid letting go of Val was going to break us apart.

''I'm so happy for you, Val. It's going to be a whole new life for you over there.''

''Aww, Nix. I know how you feel right now. It's okay! You know I'll never forget my girls and I'll visit you as much as I can. You can visit me too, anytime. It’ll be great! I love you so much - both of you,'' Val said, her eyes going from me to Bekka.

We sat there for a long time, tears rolling down our cheeks. I knew I was being selfish, I should be happy for Val and extremely proud of her for having the courage to move so far away from home, but I would miss her like crazy and the thought was overwhelming.

Even though, I was still exhausted, I couldn't go back to bed. My emotions were all over the place and I knew I’d never get back to sleep now. I’d just lay in bed staring at the ceiling and crying. In hopes of improving our mood and get a good start on the day, Bekka announced she was going to cook breakfast. She made banana pancakes and eggs— our mutually favorite breakfast treat.

''When are you leaving?'' Bekka asked the question which was foremost in my mind.

''Humm... yeah, about that... I was thinking maybe tomorrow or the next day.''

''Why so fast?'' Bekka demanded.

''Well, John’s birthday is Friday and I’d love to surprise him. Besides, I’d like to find a job before school starts and I want to get to know the surroundings better before I jump in.''

''Of course,'' Bekka seemed in more control of her emotions than I was, so far, I hadn’t been able to find my voice. It was all happening too fast too soon, and I wished we would have more time together before Val left.

''I'm so sorry, girls. I never thought it would happen. If I’d known, I would never have moved in with you. I know I'm leaving you here in the lurch and you’ll have to find a new roommate quickly. I feel terrible about this.'' She looked pained, the situation making her feel bad.

''Don't worry about the roommate situation. I’ll take care of it,'' Bekka reassured her.

Thank God for Bekka - I would never be able to deal with picking the right roommate. I didn't trust people easily and would end up rejecting every person who applied. Nobody would be as perfect as Val, but Bekka would do a better job of finding someone. This whole situation seemed surreal, I just couldn't believe Val wouldn't be living with us anymore.

While Bekka got breakfast ready, I grabbed my guitar and started strumming a soft melody I’d written. Music was my favorite past time, guitar or piano - I could play both. Val would sit next to me for hours as I composed songs, watching intently and asking questions, or humming along.

''Can you sing, please?'' Val loved it when I sang. I didn't mind singing for them, but I’d never do it in front of anyone else. I was way too shy and knew I would probably forget all the words.

''Sure. I’ll probably sound a bit rusty but if my bullfrog impression won't hurt your hangovers, I'll give it try '' I apologized in advance. I started another song, something I’d written about my friends a few months ago.

‘Every secret and every regret I have, you know

Because with you, I can let it go

We aren't bound by blood

But we share something so much more’

Bekka dished the pile of pancakes onto a plate and placed them on the table with the scrambled eggs. The food was ready, but by the look on their faces, I knew better than to stop playing.

‘When you are happy, I am

And when you are sad, I'm here

We will always be friends, wherever you are

This is not just me, this is us, and you are my family’

Tears were rolling down Val’s cheeks, she was so touched by the lyrics of the song. Bekka handed her a tissue to wipe away her sadness. Val was always the emotional one, the type who cries while watching a romantic comedy, or even during commercials. I didn't want to make her cry this morning, but when she asked me to play a song - this was the best song I could think of.

‘When I am happy, you are

And when I am sad, you are there

I can't imagine my life without you

I am what I am today

Because of you’

I smiled as I sang the last words. It was one of our last mornings together, and I wanted it to be special and fun. I didn't want tears and sorrow to mar our last few days together.

''Don't cry, Val, please,'' I begged.

''You have no idea how beautiful your voice is. You could sing about dog food and I’d still cry, because everything you do is beautiful,'' Val laughed, wiping away the last of her tears.

''She's right, Nix. You could make a CD and sell millions of albums. Your voice is so full of emotion and you can do both high notes and lows. There's something magical about your voice. You really should try to get a recording deal.'' Bekka was always the dreamer - she was really good when it came to dreaming big.

''Thank you for the compliments, but I’m fine with my life the way it is. I don't want to be a star and deal with complications it would bring. I just want to be me and have a normal, everyday life.''

I was flattered that they thought I could sing at a professional level, but I definitely didn't want it. Having an agent ordering me around, travelling all the time, and the crazy lifestyle definitely wasn’t my idea of fun. I changed the subject. ''Ok girls, I’m starving. Let’s eat."

I put two pancakes onto my plate and drizzled maple syrup over the top, and decided after a mouthful, it was heaven on Earth. The best thing about Bekka’s scrambled eggs were the shallots she added - so simple, yet so incredibly delicious. Our mood improved as we ate. We laughed and gossiped about the things we’d witnessed at the club. There were the regular customers - the same guys we saw almost every night, and then there were the new people, on their first visit. We could spot them as soon as they stepped in, uncertain about where to sit, or where to buy a drink. They were the ones who usually got drunk before the end of the night. Everyone just seemed to be looking for a place to have fun, and the club provided for their needs.

In the afternoon, we helped Val pack her belongings. We stuffed everything into her large suitcase - clothes, shoes and the huge amount of perfumes she’d collected. There was no doubt she would be paying extra fees for overweight luggage. We could barely lift the suitcase when it was packed. The empty walls in her room and the barren wardrobe were the final proof that she really was leaving. The space, which had looked so feminine this morning was now reduced to an impersonal bedroom with bare white walls. I silently warned myself to stop over-analyzing everything, firmly reminding myself I was going to see her again and besides, I should be making the best of what time we had together before she left.

''Girls, I’ve got a crazy idea! I don't know if you’ll be in for it, but I have to ask,'' Bekka exclaimed, obviously thrilled with her plan. Knowing some of Bekka’s ‘crazy ideas’ from the past, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. ''What about a tattoo? It’ll be a friendship pact, among the three of us. Something which will unite us forever.''

Excitement rolled off Bekka in waves. Val was enthusiastic about the idea, but I wasn't convinced. I hated to be the party pooper though, so I cautiously agreed. ''Something small and it has to be somewhere I’ll be able to hide it.'' I was trying to be a grownup, but all I could think about was Mom’s reaction if she ever found out about this little adventure.

''So, what will we get? A heart? A star? What about a flower?'' Val was bouncing around the room, totally ready to do this.

''I think I’d be willing to go with a star on my hip,'' I suggested.

''Ok. So, we go for a star, what color?''

''Pink!'' Bekka shouted. ''We all love pink. I think it would suit all of us.''

''Deal!'' Val agreed.

And before I knew it, we had a deal, one which made me extremely stressed.

W
e all jumped in Bekka’s car and drove to the most renowned tattoo parlor we’d heard about. The tattoo had to be done right away. With Val leaving the next morning we didn’t have long to get it organized. None of us had any idea what we were doing, and all I knew was the tattoo parlor needed to be clean and we needed to confirm they always used fresh needles. It obviously wasn’t the type of place where you would find diplomas framed on the walls, but we were looking for professional tattoo artists, not doctors. Universities didn’t offer this kind of art class and I saw a program on TV which said tattoo artists learned their trade by practicing on orange skins. Not the most informative source of information to go on, but it was all we had. I could only hope we chose a reputable one, who wouldn’t make a disaster out of this crazy idea.