Chapter 12! And I don't own anything but original characters !
"I'm the man, I carve the turkey!" Reid stated, taking the the serrated knife from Ella's grasp. It was Christmas day and as promised he had come over for Christmas dinner. He was trying unsuccessfully to help Ella and Jessica with dinner.
"Just 'cause you think you're a man doesn't mean you get to carve the turkey. There's no rules on christmas." Ella arugued, trying to take it from him. He held it out of her reach, taunting.
"Okay children no playing with knives." Jessica cautioned as she entered the kitchen. "You can take turns if it means that much to you both." Reid and Ella shared a look before bursting out laughing.
"It's okay. Reid is capable." Ella decided finally, leaving him to cut the bird. Christmas morning had been good, she had gotten some new clothes and a book from Jessica, and a pretty new charm bracelet from Tyler.
Soon after he carved the turkey, they sat down for dinner. There was turkey, mashed potatos, gravy, stuffing and a garden salad. Reid made himself right at home, helping himself to a large serving of all of it.
"This is the best food I've ever had!" he exclaimed through a mouth full of stuffing. Ella and Jessica laughed at his enthusiasm.
"It is pretty good." Jessica nodded. The rest of the meal was spent giggling at Reid as he moaned and groaned over the deliciousness that was dinner.
"Seriously that was amazing!" he said, throwing himself facedown on Ella's bed. "I feel like I could never eat again."
Ella plopped down next to him with a laugh. "Turkey sandwichs for lunch tomorrow!" she said, earning a groan.
"Hey, I brought your Christmas present," Reid said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a piece of folded white paper.
"What is it?" she asked, taking it from him and slowly opening it.
"Read it." he shrugged. On the paper it read, 'Gift Certificate to Black Rose Tattoo Parlour'.
"Oh my god. Is this what I think it is?" she cried, staring at him incredulously.
"You said Jessica would never sign, and I have..connections." he smiled at her and her excitement.
"When?" she demanded. "You're going to go with me right?" he nodded again.
"Yeah I'm getting the one on my touched up and a little added to it." he said. "But theres a catch. You're going to think about it for a while. I won't be responsible if you get a dolphin tattooed on you and you hate it in ten years." he warned.
"Okay! I promise! When can we go?"
"When you've thought through what you want and where you want it." he explained, climbing to his feet. "I better get going, its getting late." he flashed her a smile and left her room.
Ella clutched the certificate, she flooded with excitement. She was going to get a tattoo! She had wanted one for so long and Reid was making it happen. She realised then how lucky she was to have such great friends. This time last year she was in a bad place, next to no friends and her parents worse than ever.
Now here she was, living with her sister, friends, an unofficial boyfriend. Things were looking up and she couldn't be happier. She went to bed that night with a smile on her face and warmth in her heart.
Two days later she walked into the tattoo parlour with Reid, a nervous wreck.
"Okay, you gotta' calm down." he told her, as they sat in waiting. "You don't have to do it now,"
She shook her head. "No I want to, I'm just scared of what it'll feel like." she explained, and he nodded at her understandingly.
"It doesn't hurt too bad. You never told me what you were getting though.." he said narrowing his eyes at her. She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag and showed him the picture of a feather that had tiny little birds flying out of it. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're such a girl." he laughed, shaking his head. He stood up a moment later when a woman appeared by the seating area.
"Hey Reid." she acknowledged. "Elliot's in the back already, I'll be doing your friend." the woman said. She was short, with magenta hair and a nose piercing the match. Her arms were layered with colourful tattoos from wrist to shoulder.
"Thanks Candace. See you in the back Ella." he told her. Afer signing some paperwork and getting her picture sketched up she was led into a brightly lit back room. She saw Reid immidiately, straddling a chair and hunched over the back rest as the large tattoo on his back was touched up. She couldn't tell what it was from where she stood.
Candace had her lay on her back on a bed like table, and pushed her shirt up. She was getting it tattooed across her right hip.
"Woohoo showing some skin!" Reid whistled from across the room. She faught the urge to laugh as Candace began tattooing. It burned like a bitch, and she had to bite her lip against tears that threatened to fall.
When Reid's was finnished, Ella's was still being done. Elliot had placed a protective bandage on Reid's back and allowed him to get up. As he stood Ella watched as the muscles rippled across his torso. She felt guilty for staring, like she was betraying Tyler in some weird way, but man was Reid fit. Must be all the swimming.
He pulled his shirt back on and walked across the room to Ella.
"Looks good!" He told her, as Candace finished up. Ella hopped off the bed and walked over to the mirror. The tattoo itself was about as long as her hand and a vivid black. It looked amazing.
"Thank you so much Reid!" she exclaimed, hugging him, loosely so she didn't bump the tattoo. Candace bandaged it up and gave her the instructions for care and they were on their way.
"I can't believe I got a tattoo." she repeated for the fourth time since they had arrived at Nicky's. They were waiting for Pogue, Caleb, Sarah and Kate.
"You got a what?" the shocked voice of Caleb sounded behind her. She spun around with a smile.
"I got a tattoo!" she exclaimed. Caleb shook his head.
"You're a bad influence Reid." he reprimanded, and Kate and Sarah prodded her for details. She showed them a picture on her phone as she couldn't take the bandage off.
"Ty's going to love it!" Kate exclaimed with a smile.
"You think?" Ella asked, she hadn't really though about what Tyler would think of it. "I hope so." she added.
Kate nodded. "He has one. Why would he care if you have one too?" this was news to Ella.
"He has a tattoo?" she asked skeptically. She had never seen a tattoo on him before, but then again she hadn't really seen him without clothes.
"Yeah, all of the Sons have a sun on their shoulder. Witty, hey?" Sarah laughed, making Ella smile.
"Yeah. I'll have to get him to show it to me when he gets back." she said, taking a sip of her drink.
"How was your Christmas?" Kate asked them all in general. There was a murmuring of 'goods' all around the table.
"I'm not really feeling the whole back to school thing," Pogue moaned, as one of the girls brought up the topic of book reports that were due after holidays.
"Yeah but hey, we graduate in six months!" Caleb countered.
"Yeah, we're gunna' be all grow'd up!" Reid laughed, slapping his friends on the backs.
"Which reminds me, Kate, Ella, we better go looking for prom dresses soon. We don't want to wait to long for alterations and such." Sarah told them.
"Yeah, its pretty much dress shopping time. We should go into Boston to look, more selection!" Kate suggested with a smile. Ella felt her heart drop.
"I don't think Boston's a good idea." she said quickly, running a head through her hair.
"Why not? You used to live there right? You can show us all the good shopping spots!" Kate cried in excitement.
Ella bit her lip. "Uh yeah, guess so." how could she deny them? Fear coursed through her viens at the thought of going back there. The thought of seeing her parents again. The thought of being where it all happened.
She was screwed.
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