easier. It means I’m healing. Getting better.
At least that’s what my shrink says. I have my doubts, but I want to believe she’s right. She’s the one who convinced me to get a tattoo. I was fourteen the first time. Yeah, she isn’t the typical therapist, but then I wasn’t the typical fourteen-year-old.
Tony rips more plastic and mixes the ink, placing different colors of purple, indigo, and yellow in ink caps. He gets a cup and fills it with distilled water, which will be used for cleaning the needles, and turns on the gun.
“Ready?” he asks, rubbing a little ointment over my skin. It’ll help the needle slide around more easily.
I stare into his face. “Yes,” I say, and mean it. I’m more than ready. My body is desperate.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you to hold still.” He stands above me, hovering like an apparition, his face intense with focus.
“I won’t move, Tony,” I grit out.
He looks at me when I say his name and a quiet tenderness softens his features. “Alright, here we go.”
The first seconds are white-hot pain so intense it takes my breath away. Which is exactly what I want. Because in the next second I close my eyes, inhale deeply, and sink into bliss.
2
Kyle
You’re So Lucky
Tonight’s been full of surprises. First, two girls invite me to be the third body in their ménage a trois.
“Ménage a what?” I ask, forking some chicken and sticking it in my mouth.
Evan, who’s sitting next to me at the table, slaps me upside the head. “Don’t be an ass, Kyle.”
The one who introduced herself as Baby slides a hand under my t-shirt and says, “You, me, and Beth. You know. A threesome?”
I set down my fork. Lean back in the cafeteria chair. The room is buzzing with the excitement of new freshmen, and the stench of coffee and garlic bread stifles the air.
“Yeah, you know,” Evan utters, smacking my knee with his.
I’ve known Evan my whole life. He’s my cousin. After my father died his parents took me in, and we’ve been close ever since. He’s an asshole. Likes his own space. We live in side-by-side apartments instead of with each other or ten minutes away with his mom and dad. Which is cool by me, especially at times like these. Fresh meat. The whole reason we decided to have dinner on campus.
“Right.” Of course I’ve heard of threesomes. It’s not like I’ve been living under a rock. But contrary to what most people think, namely Evan, it isn’t something I care about. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, I’m certainly interested.
Beth chimes in, “Baby is mine, but she likes guys and girls. We picked you together. You’re our number one choice.” She smiles, her eyes on Baby. Baby’s eyes and hands are all over me. I get the feeling Beth doesn’t want to be a part of this, but she’s doing it for Baby.
“You chose him because you haven’t feasted your eyes on this.” Evan raises his shirt and touches himself.
A group of girls, each carrying a tray of food, walks by. They squeal their approval in unison for Evan’s nakedness.
I chuckle. Now he’ll be worse than unbearable. The fact is Evan and I look alike—same dark hair, same square jaw. It’s probably because our fathers were brothers and they looked alike.
Beth scoffs.
Baby laughs. “You’re cute, Evan, but I—we,” she quickly glances at Beth, “want Kyle.”
Evan leans back in his orange chair and snorts. “That’s because you don’t know what you’re missin', ladies.” He proceeds to stand and make obscene gestures.
I can’t help but laugh. Evan’s an idiot, and he thinks way too highly of himself.
Baby and Beth get up from the table. They didn’t have any food. “Later tonight? We’ll catch up with you at the Sigma Nu party?” Baby winks.
I can’t help but wonder why she calls herself Baby. She is nothing like one.
“We on?” Beth asks.
I clear my throat again. “Who am I to deny two pretty girls?” Shrug unapologetically.
“Cool,” Beth adds.
Baby squeals.
Beth puts her hand on Baby’s waist and they walk out of the cafeteria. It’s then that I notice they’re wearing matching outfits: Short skirts, socks that go to the middle of their thighs, and black shirts.
Evan whistles, following the girls with his eyes. “Holy shit, bro. You’re so lucky.”
I shrug and take another bite of chicken.
He slaps me upside the head again. “Have you seen Pudgy Mudgy?”
I drop my fork. Swallow the lump of chicken. It goes down hard. “Maddie,”