Hi guys, I'm not going to waste time apologising for being away for so long because there's no excuse. Instead I have a short story here to let you know that I'm back and will be updating my other stories. Enjoy.
Shane's POV
While Eve and Michael were in the kitchen making dinner - Tacos unsurprisingly Shane was in the living room shooting zombies on his newest game of his gory collection. He was also waiting for his girlfriend to get home from work, a little more anxiously than necessary considering there was plenty of time until sundown. But yes, even though Claire Danvers was now in fact eighteen and most definitely an adult Shane just couldn't help but worry about her and knew that more than likely Eve and Michael felt the same, Claire's the baby of the four, end of discussion.
An hour or so passed and Shane was sure that Claire should have finished work a while ago. Soon, his endless thoughts of where she might be drove his attention from the television screen until he eventually turned it off and began to pace the floor. First he went to the kitchen where Eve was stood over a pan of cooking brisket and Michael was chopping onions. As Shane passed through the door his blonde friend glanced at him. "No, we don't know when Claire will be back."
"How did you know that's what I came in here for?"
Michael raised an eyebrow at him. "Lucky guess?"
The response was the flip of a middle finger. "I'm just worried about her, sue me."
Shane turned around and headed back to the living room to end the conversation but did hear a shouted reply along the way. "I would, but since you don't have anything I could sue out of you what would be the point?"
"Ass." Shane muttered as he began his pacing again. To the front door, back to the couch, to the front door, back to the couch...
When it came to the point that the carpet might actually start wearing and what may have been Shane's hundredth trip to the front door he heard footsteps on the other side coming from the porch. He stopped moving and watched eagerly, expecting to hear the sound of a key in the lock followed by the door opening to reveal Claire but instead the metallic clang of the letter box dropping shut reached his ears as a leaflet dropped on to the doormat.
Shane's shoulders dropped a little in disappointed before he dragged himself the rest of the way to the door and snatched up the leaflet. He didn't even look at it on the way back to the couch where he finally sat down, instead he spent the short journey mumbling curses about junk mail. As he sprawled across the couch he flipped the paper in his hand over and looked at it with at first barely any interest. Then the titles caught his eye.
Skin City
Morganville's first ever tattoo studio now open.
His face lit up at the words. Tattoos. He'd always wanted a tattoo but there had never been anywhere to get one. Now there was. Then he wondered what Claire thought of tattooed guys and what she would think if he were to get one. Maybe she hated then. Maybe she thought guys with tattoos were douche bags. He hoped not.
For the next few minutes he kept imagining himself with various tattoos on his body. A sleeve perhaps, or something across his back. So many different ideas to blow this months wage on. Then when his imagination finally got the better of him and he did in fact look like a douche bag in his head he was pulled back to reality by noises at the front door yet again. This time it was in fact Claire.
When she came round the corner and saw Shane she flashed him her usual warm but shy smile, the one he always loved. After dumping her bag in the corner she walked over to the couch and leaned over the back to look at him. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Myrnin kept me back again."
"It's fine." Shane smiled reassuringly. "Just as long as you're Ok."
He opened his arms to her and she happily accepted his invitation, walking around the couch before dropping lazily on to his warm chest. Looking up at his face she eyed the back of the leaflet he was still staring at. "What are you looking at?"
Shane turned the paper around so she could see the front. "An advertisement for a tattoo studio in town, just came through the letter box." Claire's face went blank for a moment as Shane spoke but he was too busy still looking at the leaflet to notice. "We've never had one in Morganville before but I've always wanted a tattoo." He stopped speaking for a second and watched Claire's face to see her reaction to his next sentence. "What do you think of them?"
Claire suddenly climbed off of Shane and hurried towards her back as if she suddenly had something to do. Maybe she doesn't like them. Shane thought as he watched her. Maybe she doesn't want me to get one.
Finally as Claire rummaged randomly through her bag - facing the other way from Shane so he couldn't see her face - she replied. " I like tattoos, I think they're quite nice." Her voice sounded weirdly casual but at the same time genuine. Shane took that as a sort of good sign.
Just as Claire had voiced her opinion on body art Micheal and Eve had entered the room carrying tacos. Michael looked at Shane and shook his head. "Don't be a bad influence on her Shane, I don't want to wake up one morning and find her with dragons down her arm or something written across her knuckles."
Shane looked at him in shock. "I'm not, besides she's too young for ink."
As Eve placed the tacos on the table she corrected him. "Well technically she's not since she's an adult but you are right-" She then looked towards Claire who was stood in the middle of the room with a book in her hand looking awkward. "-no tattoos for you Claire."
"Ok." Claire answered, her face blank again.
Michael who had been watching her frowned. "Are you Ok Claire?"
"What me? Yeah sure! Just tired that's all." She rushed as she leaped back into reality and went to sit at the table. The others glanced at each other before shrugging and sitting down with her.
As Eve handed out food to each of them she looked at the leaflet still in Shane's hand and nodded her head towards it. "Let's have a look at that." He handed her the paper as he stuffed his first taco into his mouth. Eve read through it before looking up. "This is a surprise. It's the first time I've heard anything about it. Had any of you guys heard about this before?" Both the boys shook there heads as Eve turned to Claire. "What about you Claire?"
Claire looked up from her plate as she heard her name. "Huh? Oh right. Um yeah, it's been advertised at the TPU for a couple of weeks." She replied before turning her attention immediately back to her food.
Just like Michael, Eve frowned at her response. "Ok... So Shane are you actually thinking about getting one?"
Shane grinned. "Of course I am. Been waiting for this day for ages. What about you? Don't you want a skull or 'I heart Michael' tattooed on your ass?" He asked with a grin.
"Bite me Collins."
Next chapter arrives tomorrow. Goodnight. :)
