You never forget the feeling of losing the one person that meant everything to you. Well two years ago today, I lost my best friend. He moved to Vancouver, the other side of the country. Now to some, this may not seem like a big deal, you can still video chat and text, and you still have your family right? Wrong. My dad is a deadbeat asshole and my mom is a prostitute and junkie. The only person I am left with is my cousin Eli, he is like the big brother I never had. I am so grateful for him, he gave me a job that I love. But I still just can't shake the depressed feeling that hits hard on this day each year.

"RAECHELLE, get your lazy ass down here, your cousin is here to drive your ungrateful ass to work ."

Oh, great, my "mom" is home, she isn't much of a mother since i work my ass off to do everything around the house and pay the bills while she's off getting high or sucking some guy off to get money to get high.

"Coming!," I yell from my bed. I roll out of my bed and walk across the hardwood flooring of my room. I look in the mirror on my black wall and decided that the left over black liner on my grey eyes and my drawn on eyebrows are good enough for make up for the day so I get dressed in black ripped skinny jeans and a Bleeding Through band t-shirt and fluff my hair up a bit and grabbed my low cut converse on the way downstairs.

I silently walked by my mother who was passed out on the couch in the living room and grab my purse off the side table. I basically ran out the door at this point because my cousin was out in his car honking his horn at me. I lock the door and run up to his beat up old truck and hop in the front seat.

"Well good morning, Shell," Eli said as we reversed out of my driveway.

"Oh, bite me Eli, you know how I am in the morning without coffee," I huffed. Eli just pointed toward my cup holder and laughed.

"I figured today would be a coffee day so I got them before I came to get you." I laughed a little,

"Thanks, Eli I did need this, I just hope today doesn't suck too much." I sighed, knowing that Eli knew what I was talking about and he gave me a sympathetic look. Time seemed to drag on forever since the radio in his old truck's stereo system was broken, even though it's only a 15 minute drive to work.

"Well, I don't think it will be too bad, I have a surprise for you for before you go on tour, but you have to wait until the end of your shift today, we'll both be done early today so we can get where we need to go." Eli said suspiciously.

"Do I get a hint?" I asked the slightest bit hopeful, but Eli is set in his ways and will not say a thing, especially if he knows it's a surprise that I will like. Eli just raised his eyebrow and me and laughed as we were pulling into the back parking lot of Inked.

"Do you really think I would give you a hint for a surprise that I planned?" He laughed.

"No, I suppose not," I said linking arms with him as we walked in the back door to the parlor.

I left Eli to get ready for the day and walked up to the front desk were I gathered all of the information for today's appointments and did some general tidying that got missed last night before turning on the OPEN sign in the front window and turning on the rest of the house lights.

I went back to the desk and sat down waiting for the first person of the day to come through the doors and plugged my iPod into the speakers around the store and turned on my favourite playlist and hit shuffle.

0-O-0

I had done a few nose piercings and cartilage piercings and it was around 12pm and I was feeling a little hungry, I started walking back to Eli's chair and asked if I could go grab some lunch.

"Yeah, sure, could you bring me something back please? I won't have time after this customer; we will have to get ready to go," Eli asked.

"Sure, no worries, should I ask Kristi to cover front?" Kristi is Eli's fiancée who also works front.

"Please and thank you." I grabbed my purse and asked Kristi to cover front and walked out the front door to the Subway that is next door.

I ordered a 12 inch veggie delight for myself and a 12 inch ham and cheese for Eli but as I was about to pay for my food someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see who it was.

"Excuse me, but it's not really often that I run into another fan of Bleeding Through and I just thought that I would complement your shirt," the person said quietly. I looked up to see who it was and almost fell over from shock. It was Chris Motionless from Motionless in White.

"Th-thanks," I stuttered and I'm certain that I was blushing too.

"So I take it that you know who I am then?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, you're a really big influence of mine actually," I said as I finally paid for my food.

"Thank you, so will I see you at the show tonight then?"

"Well, considering I'm part of your opening act for the night yeah, I think you will." I said excitedly

"That's awesome, but it's only tonight?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, it's a part of a contest my band won with the venue," I said sadly.

"That's okay, I'm looking forward to hearing your band," Chris said smirking as he was paying for his food.

"I'm looking forward to it too, I wish I didn't have to go, but I have to get back to work," I said apologetically.

"That's alright, see you tonight…?"

"Raechelle, but everyone calls me Shell" I filled in for him.

"See you tonight, Shell." Chris said as I was walking out the door waving at him.

CHRIS POV

I laughed as she walked out the door, I called Eli up.

"Hello?" Eli asked

"Hey, did you not tell your cousin that…"

So, this is the end of the first chapter, let me know what you think! Also this is available on a few of my other accounts so no, it's not stolen, message me on any of them if you wish for proof.

~Rachael