*December 22, 2005*
"Amy, Miss 18, get up!" I heard Tom yell at us on the other side of the door. I lifted my head off he pillow and turned to the door.
"Shut up and let the girl sleep, for God's sake!" I yelled back. I hit my head on the padded headboard, just thank God it was padded. I looked up at Dougie and saw him staring at me. I jumped, "Christ, Dougie. Give me a heart attack, why don't ya?" I asked as I got up and slid on a jean skirt and a black blouse. "Oh, my God I'm 18." I threw my hands up, "Freedom!" I yelled as I came down the stairs.
"Hey, you." Danny said as he smiled at me and gave me a hug, "Happy Birthday to you!" He sang.
"Thanks, Danny boy." I smiled, he always knew how to pull me away from my morning grogginess, and thank my lucky stars for that. I turned to see a ton of food on the island of the kitchen. "Tom, it's only 6 people. Not the entire parliament." I said as I entered the kitchen. I was alone in the house with Michelle for a month, not that I minded, because the boys were on tour. I could tell they were happy to be home, and so was I.
"Not for the moment, come in here." I heard Tom respond to my comment. I came in to the living room, and sitting on the couch was my mom, and John, my older brother, and Dougie's family.
"Mom? John? What are you doing here?" I asked, attempting to keep my balance, I was entering a serious illusion. Apparently, Danny noticed and held me up by wrapping an arm around my waist. I looked at him and mouthed my thanks, and turned to my family. "John, I thought you were in Vladivostok." My brother, last I heard, was in Russia taking a country-wide trip.
"And miss you becoming a legal adult, never." My brother hugged me, and I felt my eyes begin to fill with tears. "I missed you." He said as he wiped the tear from my face. "Where's Doug? I thought you 2 were attached to the hip."
"We are now." I heard Dougie and he put a hand on my hip. I slapped it away, by pure instinct. "Ow, gosh woman!" He whined, as he shook his hand.
"Want a piece of cheese with that whine?" I retorted, and I turned to John, "I just didn't think you would come and visit, is all."
"Again, you're wrong." He said as he placed his arm around my shoulders. "And I have somewhere to take you."
"Oh, John do you have to now?" I heard my mom, who sat next to Sam silently. She was an average sized woman, she had dark hair and bright eyes. But she was such a pusher, she pushed me and John to leave the country, literally.
"There's no time like the present. You, Jazz, Dougie and Danny can come with me. I think you'll like what we have planned." He winked at me and snatched the keys that looked oddly familiar. He pulled me to the door, followed a ways away by Jazz, Doug, and Dan. "So." He said quietly, "Have fun in New York?"
"Dude, I love you!" I screamed at my brother, we were standing in front of 'Oriental Ink' "I can't believe you talked mum into getting me a tattoo for my birthday, and a double piercing!" I wrapped my arms around him.
"Well, you're not the only one getting a tattoo." He pointed to Danny and Dougie. "They both want to get another."
"Since when did you have a tat'?" I slapped Dougie, "And not tell me either. You promised no secrets, Poynter." I hit him again.
"Sorry, ow. Hot damn woman, you hit hard!" He rubbed his shoulder from my attacks.
"It's a prep for the needle." I teased. I stuck out my tongue as I stepped into the tattoo parlor, behind Danny, Jazz and John. I looked at the walls with plenty of intricate and unique designs, "Argh, so many to choose from." I said as l looked through the glass at the counter, looking at more designs.
"Hi, how can I help you?" A woman, maybe early to mid 20's or so came from behind the curtain. Her hair was a dishwater blonde color with purple highlights. "John Wilcox, never thought I'd see your face in here. Amy?" The woman looked at me.
Suddenly I realized who it was, "Ali?" Alice Clyster was a friend of John's, "Oh my God, hi." I hugged her from behind the counter. "Fancy seeing you here, you work here?"
"Yep, my favorite thing to do." She held her hands up to indicate the shop, "So what are you doing here?"
"I came for two tattoos, what else." I said, "A present from John and my mum. It's just so hard to decide what to get." I looked at the designs that plastered the walls.
"Well, where do you want 'em?" Ali asked as she came behind the counter and led me to a cubicle. "Any place special?"
"I think I'll have one on the back of my left shoulder, and one stripper tat'." Since I had always wanted a few tattoos since I turned 13, I had planned where they would be.
"Okay, you had this planned?" Ali asked, I nodded. "How old are you now?"
"18, and loving it!" I said. "Oh! I know exactly what I want for the stripper one, I think a black and red rose intertwined, so they're next to each other. And for the shoulder…" I looked to the ceiling, "Gimme more time on that one."
"Are you ready now?" Ali asked as she put a pair of latex gloves. I nodded, "Then undo your skirt and lay down on the table." I did as I was told and waited until someone blindly handed me a bottle of Jack. "I see your dark-haired friend came prepared." Ali said as she cleaned the area. "Here goes, it'll sting for a bit, but it gets a bit monotonous after that."
"Ok." I took a swig of the Jack and said, "Lay it on me." God All-fucking-mighty! It hurt something awful. When she would pick up the needle, I would take a swing of the alcohol and allowed it to burn as it trailed down my throat.
"That's the last stroke." Ali said as John came to the cubicle. "What'd you think, John? She picked the design herself."
"It's nice, but you still have one to do." John reminded me, and I took another swig of the Jack.
I handed the bottle to him, "I don't want to be to buzzed." I said as he took the bottle from my hands. "Hey, Ali. S'okay if I sit up?"
"It's fine, the ink's dried." I sat up and pulled my skirt back up, "Any ideas for the shoulder?"
I looked outside the cubicle to see Dougie standing next to me. "I think I'll have a guitar with flames." I said as Dougie raised his eyebrows. "A blue Les Paul with orange and metallic pink flames."
Ali was drawing a quick design, like she did with the roses. She showed me the finished piece, "That it?" I nodded and smiled. "Well, I think you know how I need to get to the shoulder."
"I'm guessing the shirt and bra-strap have to go." Ali nodded, "Okay, then." I removed the black blouse and the teal bra-strap, and laid back down on the table.
Someone grabbed my right hand, I looked and Dougie was laying on the table, facing the ceiling; I, on the other hand, was facing the floor. "Wanna know what I'm getting?" He asked.
"I'll tell you what I'm getting if you tell." I responded, I closed my eyes and winced slightly as Ali began her work.
"A lizard skull and a rocket on my shoulder, chest and arm." Dougie responded blandly. I laughed, He turned to look at me with hurt eyes, "Don't like the idea?"
"No!" I said as I squeezed his hand, "No, no, it suits you perfectly. It'll be fantastic." I assured him as Ali began her work again. "I got roses, and the guitar in flames."
He laughed this time, "It's perfect!" I smiled and continued to close my eyes tight and periodically Dougie and I would squeeze each other's hands.
"All done." Ali said as she handed me a mirror, "You can see both of them if you want."
I unhitched the button on my shirt and looked at both of the tattoos on my pale-skinned body. "Ali, I love them." I pulled my skirt up and placed my shirt back on my shoulders, and I hugged her, "Thank you."
"Hey," Dougie said and I knelt down so I could see his face, "Stay here until the first part is done?"
"Of course, Lee." I grabbed his hand again and smiled. Time continued to pass, and after a hour, the artist was done for a while. "So when do you need to come back?"
"Next week, wanna come?" He asked, "I get nervous if I'm alone here."
"Sure thing, babe." We headed to the counter, fully clothed and coated, seeing as it was December. "Ali, how much?"
"John paid for it, and a piercing?" She looked at me and I nodded, "Where?"
"A double and here." I pinched the curved part of my right ear. "But can I come next week and get it done?"
"Sure, I'll give you some time to pick an earring out." Ali handed me a sheet of paper. "Happy Birthday!" She called as we left the shop.
"Dougie, what are you doing?" I asked, having no clue where he was. Curse that blindfold! I couldn't see a damn thing. The only hint I had that Dougie was near me at all was his hands on my shoulders. We had spent the entire day shopping, (favorite thing ever!) then Jazz and I getting our day of beauty (second favorite thing) and finally a makeover, for me! (C'mon, I don't think I look that bad, do I?) My red streak was dyed over with an allover color of blue-black, (I was pretty ticked by getting rid of the streak, but I finally had black hair!) with blonde highlights everywhere. And instead of my green eyes, I had contacts put in that were a turquoise color. (I am loving my birthday!)
"Just wait, you know how much you wanted to see me and the guys perform?" He asked as we stopped and his hands on my shoulders disappeared.
"But I did see you guys, at Wimbledon and Manchester." When the guys were on tour, Michelle, Jane and I would visit and watch the boys backstage, or on reserved front row seats. They were family and friends, so I met Tom's parents and girlfriend, Gio (short for Giovanna, and she's super awesome!) Danny's mum and sister, Vicky (also, super cool), and talked with Harry's family and Jazz and Sam (No need for an explanation).
"But not with some of the new stuff." He put his hands on my shoulders again and pushed me down. "Wait two seconds." His hands disappeared and I could feel wind rushing past me, he was running, but where? "Remove the blindfold!" I heard him say. I did just that and saw something that made me glad I was sitting down.
"Oh my God, Doug!" My mouth was dropped open, and I didn't have the strength to shut it, I was in the middle of the house's backyard surrounded by a my family (including my 80 year old grandma) and friends, and the rest of the boy's families. There was a stage set up and the guys were standing on it.
"Okay, the first song we're gonna play is for the birthday girl, and it's called 'All About You'" Dougie began and the boys began to play my favorite song by them.