Like a tattoo

I tried to remind myself why I was here.

I looked around the small bar and sighed. It was empty, like my heart.

Emotionally and physically broken, battered and bruised by my previous relationship I decided to escape. I quit my job, packed my stuff, applied for a visa, sorted out my belongings, got rid of most of them, sorted my finances, making money from said belongings and off I went. To choose where I was going to go I closed my eyes and stuck a pin in a world map. America. And again. North Carolina. And again. Cameron.

It was so different from back home. Home. That sounded weird. It didn't feel like home anymore. The UK. So much bad stuff happened there I wondered if it would ever feel like home again. Probaly not. This was my home now. Cameron. I had been here a week now.

Pushing my shoulder length black hair off of my face I grabbed a hair band and put it in a ponytail. I picked up my beer and took another swig. Looking down at the application forms my heart sank. Was I going to find a job before I ran out of money? I spent a large proportion of it putting down a security deposit on a flat and sorting out my licence to buy a cheap car. I needed a job and quick or else I was fucked, to sum it up.

Picking up my pen I tried to concentrate on the questions. Previous experience. I started filling out the various jobs I had over the years, concentrating hard on dates and places when I heard the bang of the door swinging open followed by a lot of loud voices filling the previous silence. I glanced up annoyed at the people disturbing my focus. It must have shown in my face as one of the group looked at me and smiled as they passed me, an apoligising smile. I didn't smile back nor pay attention to anyone else in the crowd but instead looked back down at the table.

I heard the barman talking to the members of the group he sounded very enthusiatic and keen. Not like he was friends with them but very happy they were there. I looked out the corner of me eye. All I could see were their backs. There was four of them, I could tell that much and that one of the guys had multi coloured hair tied back in a low bun. They started to turn around to scope for a table, they had a lot of choices, so I quickly looked back down. For some reason they chose the seats next to my table.

I couldn't focus over their talking so I reached into my bag for my i-pod and stuck the headphones in my ears, the sound of Hinder filling my head. After about half an hour I needed the loo so grabbing my bag I left my paperwork on the table and headed towards the ladies.

Getting in there I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself, my usually bright green eyes seemed to have lost their sparkle, I looked withdrawn and tired. At least the break up meant I had stopped eating and I lost weight so my body was in the best shape it had ever been. Thankfully though I had kept the weight on my chest. After doing what I had came in to do I smoothed out my torn jeans and straightened out my balck tank top. With one last look I grabbed my bag off of the side and went back to my table. When I got there I realised my stuff was gone. I was just about to go ask the barman if he had cleared it up when someone spoke.

'Lookin' for something?'

I spun back around to see it had come from one of the men in the group. The one that has smiled at me earlier. I took in his features this time, his sandy blonde hair hanging just below his chin, his piercing eyes looking straight at me, his tattoed body. My stomach done a small flip but I soon batted the feeling away. No. This is not what you need right now, I thought to myself. You came here to get away from dating crap. Not fall head over heels again.

'Did you take my stuff?' I replied the annoyance showing in my voice.

'Yeah sorry, we were being curious.' he responded holding out my forms. I snatched them off of him.

'Well no matter how sorry you are you had no right to touch my things.' I said shoving them into my bag. I could feel three sets of eyes watching me. The only one not turning around was the one with the multi-coloured hair. Once again all I could see was the back of his head.

'Your looking for a job then?'

It was blondey again.

'Yeah what about it?' I replied in an emotionless tone, I didn't want to get in a converstaion, I wanted to get out of there.

'Well I run a tattoo shop in Whispering Pines, not far from here, we need a receptionist, we are too busy to do it ourselves now.'

'And?'

'We were reading through your CV, its good. I want you to come for an interview Monday if your interested?' They were still looking at me it made me nervous.

' No thanks.' My tone was flat

'Why?'

'Why what?'

'Don't you want an interview? You want a job don't you?'

'For some strange reason I don't take interview offers from strangers in bars, who by the way, I don't even though the name of.' I replied slightly sarcastic, hoping it would end the conversation.

'Okay well lets not be strangers anymore. I'm Shannon, I own Gas Chamber Ink in Whispering Pines and ermmmmmmm I have dogs. This is Gregory aka Hurricane Helms,' I looked at him a blank expression on my face, I had no idea who Hurricane Helms was but apparently from the look on Shannon's face I should have done 'Oh ok from that look I'm guessing you don't know who he is' You think? I spoke in my head 'He is a pro wrestler....WWE.....your from the UK aren't you? WWE must not be as big over there as it is here.' He continued 'Anyway yeah so thats Gregory. Thats Matt he is a wrestler also, half of the Hardy Boyz, he spends a lot of time online.' The apparent Matt person reached over and punched him playfully on the arm. Shannon laughed 'He isn't a geek, just has a big fanbase but not as big as this guy here,' he pointed to the hair guy, 'Jeff Hardy, Matt's younger brother and the other half of the Hardy Boyz, he is a wrestler too. And miserable at the moment as he just broke up with his girlfriend, well I say just, it was about 2 months ago, he should be over it by now.' From the back I saw Jeff's head snap up and I can only guess he was glaring at Shannon who just smiled back. 'So there you go, no longer strangers.' He looked as though waiting for me to get fangirly and introduce myself.

My defences were up when it came to men. Instead I said...

'So why aren't you a wrestler then?'

'I got fired.' He looked saddned. It didn't stop me.

'Why? Were you shit?'

They all just looked at me, shocked, even Jeff turned around and in that second he took my breath away. He had the most beautiful features I had ever seen. His green eyes felt as though they could look right into my soul, I was entranced. My stomach was doing somersaults, not like the little butterflies Shannon face gave me but full on backflips. I thought I was going to be sick. In a split second I pulled myself together again, hoping none of them noticed that I could have just died in his arms right there and then.

I quickly put my walls back up. 'Anyway I've got to go.' I reached over to pick the rest of my stuff up off the table when Shannon grabbed my arm. I winced at the pain. On the inside of my wirst were bruises, handprints almost.

'What the hell are they?' He exclaimed. They all glanced at my wrist, even Jeff. Shannon gently reached for my other arm, the exact same marks on there.

'Nothing.' I said trying to pull away.

'No tell me what are they?' replied Shannon still examining them.

I caved under pressure. 'My ex....my ex did them when he found out about me moving away, after we broke up. The night before I was due to leave, he broke down my door and beat me, told me I was never going to leave him ever, I was his property. He said he would hunt me down if I left and he would kill me. My neighbour heard the noise and rung the police, he was dragged away from me screaming he was going to get me. He is a man who carries out his threats which is why he must never know where I am.' A tear started to slide down my cheek and I then realised I had said too much. Why the hell did I open up to them???!!! What came over me? Mabye it was the build up from the past couple of months. For some reason I continued. 'I couldn't tell anyone where I was going, not even my parents know, not my best friends, no-one, incase he finds out.' WHAT THE FUCK WAS I TELLING THEM FOR? My brain was screaming at me! I snapped back to reality. Pulling both of my arms away from Shannon I grabbed the rest of my papers and walked out of the bar, not uttering one more word. Getting in my car I drove about half a mile down the road, pulled over and turning off the ignition I sunk my head into my hand and cried. Pouring out all my emotions from the past few months in these big, fat, salty tears.