• “There are things in this world they won’t believe, son.” The flap of his black wings sounded out as they hit the air. I can make it happen. “Things they won’t accept.” Thwump. Thwump. Twump. I can make it work. “Things they will shun, push away, and run from.” His heart beat quickened. I can do this. “You are one of those things.” His eyes grew wide. No, dad, you’re wrong! I can be just like them!

    Beep! Beep! Be-Beep! Beep! He hit the alarm as he fell off of his bed. Thomp! He hit the floor and grunted, stretching big before he stood up, shaking his head as the snow white hair on his head shook into place, pulling on his black low neck shirt as he walked into the bathroom. He slipped his fingers into the hair gel on the bathroom counter and fixed his hair in the normal fashion for him: teased so the short layers on the top right side made a layered arch and the short hair in the back spiked together in a point. Truly not an easy hairstyle to have or describe. He picked up his mass of necklaces and sorted them out before slipping them on.

    He sighed as he walked into the kitchen of his apartment and looked around for something to eat. There wasn’t much that he kept around, and nothing looked good. He finally decided to go without food and turned around, grabbing his bag, and walked out the door to go find a good place to get a new tattoo done at.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ wink ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    She lagged behind her friends a bit, looking down at her phone as it buzzed once again. Her taller friend turned around and sighed heavily, swiping the phone from her hands and reading the text out loud as they all stopped. “’Please, talk to me. I know I was an inhuman jerk to you and I want to apologize. I want to make it up to you. I love you and I know that now…’ Oh come on, he should have realized that a long time ago. That’s just pathetic and it was his loss. What a d**k.” She turned to their red-headed friend, “Right, Jen?” “Right, I’d like to kill him. Brutally, at that. He better start leaving you alone real soon or I am going to hunt his a*s down.” She said, crossing her arms and frowning. “Please, you guys, he seems to really mean it and I know I still love him… Maybe I should give him another chance?” The taller friend swiped backwards on the message and deleted it so that she didn’t know what number to text. “I’ll only let you text him if you’re going to tell him to go to hell. He will never deserve you; he used you for nearly five months and denies that you were ever pregnant. He won’t acknowledge his son and he lied his a*s off every time he opened his mouth or used his fingers to send you a text. You will not go back to him.” She frowned at them as the wind blew her blue and gold curls into her face, “What are you making me wait for?” The two friends looked at each other and then back to her. “A man that will treat you like he did.” The brunette responded, “Instead, though, he won’t leave and hurt you like jerk face did.” Jennifer finished, both looking at their friend. “Now, we’re gonna be late! Do you want this tattoo or not?!” The tall girl grabbed her wrist and started pulling her along as she ran, “Come on, Jen! We’ve got to get Luci to her appointment! She’s been waiting too long for this awesome tattoo!” Jen ran alongside them as Luci and stumbled along, “Tessa, wait! I can run on my own you know.” She wrenched her arm free and ran with them to the town square where the mall was that had their favorite tattoo parlor.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ wink I wonder who they'll meet wink ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Out of breath, they stood bent over and gasping to catch their breath. “We’re still ten minutes early! How’s that for a workout?” Tessa said, being the first of the three to catch her breath. Luci stood up, breathing in deep a few more times as the wind blew her golden-blue curls about her face as Jen stretched, “We deserve meals fit for fat people when her tattoo is done!” The three of them laughed and hooked arms as they shuffled in sideways through the door. “Hey, girls! Good to see you back, which I’m assuming is for the lovely Luci’s chest tat?” Luci nodded; smiling at their old friend, Zane, the tattoo artist. “Great! Let me just finish up with this guy here and we’ll get you started.” Tessa swiped her hair behind her ear on the left side, moving to peer around the corner at the guy in the chair. Her smile stretched across her face as she turned around and sauntered over to Luci and Jen, “Oh my gosh, talk about a hottie!” She said in a fierce whisper, “He is soo dreamy, he and Luci would make a great couple Jen.” She said as she placed her hands on Luci’s shoulders and smiling at Jen as Jen smiled back devilishly. “Looks like we have something to set up, doesn’t it Tessa.” She said as Luci shook her head fiercely. “No, no, no, no, no! You will do no such thing!” her two friends laughed and Tess smiled at her, “You haven’t seen this piece of cheesecake though, Luci.” She winked as Jen scoffed at the analogy and before she could open her mouth to protest they heard Zane’s voice, “Alright, sir. You’re all set, I hope you thoroughly enjoy your new tattoo!” then came the smooth, manly voice that would swim in Luci’s head for a while. “Thanks, It looks great.” Luci was a little taken aback by this voice as Tess sauntered over to Zane and pulled him aside, whispering unknown things as Luci stood wonderstruck at the unknown man’s voice. “Zane, what’s that guy’s name? I’ve got to hook him up with Luci!” “She still in recovery from that a*****e?” “Yeah, it’s not easy to keep her away from him but we manage. Now what’s his name before he gets away?” Then came the unknown man’s voice, “It’s Aleksxander, you could have just asked me you know.” Tess’s face went white as Xander contemplated her for a second before turning to look at her friends who whispered to one another. “Your friend, the blonde one, is very cute. Mind joining me for lunch after this?” He turned back to Tess and she jumped at the chance to get Luci out to lunch with a guy again after so long, “Of course, ever heard of Siegi’s?” He smiled, “No, but I see that it’s just across the way. I’ll be waiting.” He picked up his bag and moved past her two friends and out the door.

    “Luci, are you ready?” Zane called out and she smiled, “Yes, never been more ready for a tattoo!” Zane laughed “It certainly is unique, though not as unique as that hip tat you had me give you. It has such meaning.” Luci’s smile faltered for a minute and came back as a rather sad looking smile as she touched her stomach with one hand and her hip with the other. She brought her hands together and looked back up with a full smile. “Yes it is a nice tattoo, isn’t it? I’m sure I’ll enjoy this new one just as much.” Zane glanced sideways at Tess before looking back to Luci with a smile. “Well, Lu, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
    Luci stood in front of the mirror with her top unbuttoned now to reveal her new tattoo.
    L’il Miss Fragile
    She traced her finger over the slightly puffed up lines and smiled, “It fits me, doesn’t it?” She said with a small smile on her face. Tess and Jen walked up behind her in the mirror, surveying her tattoo, “It fits every girl who has such a beautiful heart as yours.” Tess said, placing her hands on Lu’ shoulders again and returning the small, sad smile she wore on her face. “Can we please go eat now? I’m starving, and I’m pretty sure Lu is too.” Luci laughed a little and picked up her bag. “I am, honestly. Where should we go?” Tess smiled as she picked up her purse, “Oh, I thought we’d go to Siegi’s. How’s that sound?” Luci’s face dropped with her heart as she shook her head. “You know I can’t go in there, Tess. I’ll just start crying again.” Tessa put her hands on either side of her friend’s face and smiled, “You’ll be fine, we need to make new memories and besides, I miss that place’s food!” Tess smiled and looked at Jen whose face clearly said she thought this would be a bad idea but would go with it nonetheless. Luci shook her head, “Fine but, I’m telling you, it won’t end well.” They thanked Zane and moved outside, walking across the street to the German restaurant and inside where they were waved down by the guy from the tattoo parlor and Luci whispered fiercely, “I thought I said no making plans!” Tess whispered back with a smile, “He made the plans, not me.” Luci rolled her eyes as they walked over and sat down with him. “That took you guys a while, big tattoo?” Jen nodded, “Sort of, its cursive script across the collar bones. It looks really nice though.” He smiled and looked over the three of them, “Can I see this tattoo?” Tess and Jen leaned away from Luci who showed him the tattoo. “Ah, that’s a very unique one.” He said, his eyes still lingering on it as she buttoned her shirt back up, “I can feel the meaning behind it when I read it.” Tess and Jen looked at each other and stood up, “Sorry, but this booth is a little crowded to have three people on one side. We’re going to go to the restroom to freshen up a bit and maybe you could figure out seating arrangements while we’re gone?” Aleksander nodded and waved as they walked away. “Why don’t you sit over here with me? Neither of your friends seems to want to sit by me that much anyways.” Luci’s face flushed a little, which he admired while she spoke. “I-I can’t do that, I mean, I don’t even know your name.” He laughed softly with a smirk, “It’s Aleksxander, but you can call me Xander. Now, come sit with me.” She stood up nervously and sat down beside him as he smiled. “Okay then, Zander, I’m Luci.” “Ah, Luci?” “Yes?” “It’s Xander, with an x not a z.” He watched as she became flustered and blushed, looking down. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful with that…” He laughed softly, “You’re adorable. Just like my little sister.” She faltered for a moment and looked away, “I suppose I am honored then. Though I am sure I’m not that cute.” She studied her silverware intently and he started to speak again but Tess and Jen returned.
    “Ah, see you guys figured out your seating arrangements. Good!” Luci gave a half smile that clearly stated she was much less than amused and Aleksxander looked at them, a little dumbfounded, for a moment before smiling. “Yeah, we’ve got it all under control now. Welcome back, feeling fresh?” He couldn’t look at their read-headed friend and Luci wouldn’t look back at him so he smiled at their Brunette friend who he took to be Tessa and she smiled back. “Yes, mush fresher feeling now. Luce, are you okay?” “Yeah.” Luci replied, taking a short breath, “We were just conversing about Xander’s sister…” she pulled half-heartedly at the prongs of her fork, surveying it still more intently as Xander looked at her in confusion. “Oh, you have a sister?” Tess made a pretend interest in his little sister, determined to figure out what about the conversation had upset Luci. “Oh, yeah. She stays with our parents. I was just telling Luci how she reminds me of my little sister in a way. They’re both very cute.” His tone obviously stated that he was mind ******** as to why Luci was upset. Tess picked up on the problem right away and sighed. “So, she looks like your little sister?” he looked up at Tessa from a distant confusion, “Oh, no, no. They’re just both overwhelmingly adorable. My little sister is in a little sister kind of way but she doesn’t look like Luci or act like her.” Tessa smirked, “I see, it’d be a little odd if she looked like your sister.” She gave a little laugh, eying Luci from her peripheral view to see her look up with a little more hope than before.