Scratching Off the Ink
Coincidence
For the rest of the day, bad memories and traumatizing events consumed her mind. She wasn’t able to get Frank off her mind and it started to impede on her work. She found herself getting distract and almost messing up about two people’s tattoos. She struggled to function for the rest of the day. Joey got off of work at around ten that night. She was stressed out, and she definitely needed a drink. She walked down to the closest pub she could find and sat down. People were crammed wall to wall, and people were yelling as if they were at a night club. The music was at a reasonable volume, the shouting was not. She was happy to realize that she didn’t recognize anybody at the pub.
She scrolled through her messages on her phone to see texts like:
Can you come to a party I’m throwing?
Wanna go with me to that Arctic Monkeys concert?
There’s a book signing next week. We’re going as a group, wanna come?
If these friends were to ask a month ago she would have said yes on the spot. Back then, she loved going out with friends and experiencing life. But ever since that one night with Frank things haven’t been the same. She didn’t trust anyone now. She didn’t even trust herself. It has gotten to the point where Joey, the vibrant social butterfly, was now a recluse.
Hell! She was even drinking by herself! She felt desperate and alone.
But at least I’m safe. She thought to herself.
“You mind if I sit here?”
Joey looked up to see a beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair. There were traces of purple dye lingering in the strands. Her eyes were a bright blue. Her skin was a smooth milk color. Her eyeliner makeup was extremely heavy to the point where she somewhat resembled the lead singer for Pretty Reckless. Joey’s first instinct was that this girl was trying to come onto her. However, maybe she just wanted someone to talk to.
“Sure, why not.” Joey said.
The girl sat across from her with an excited smile on her face. “I’m Perrie, just in case you didn’t know.”
Must be famous or something, Joey thought. “I’m Joey, though I don’t expect you to know that.”
“You come here often?”
Joey restrained from scoffing. “No, I just stumbled upon this place after work. Why, do you?”
She nodded her head. “My favorite place. My love takes me here time to time, but he was busy with his bandmates today. He told me he had a surprise for me when I got over to his house, though. I just need a drink before I go.”
Joey nodded her head, trying to seem interested in the conversation. “Who’s your love? Is he a charmer?”
“I don’t know if you’d know him but it’s Zayn Malik?”
Joey flashbacked to the doe eyed boy who she tattooed earlier that day. So this was the lovely Perrie Edwards? Well, Zayn had good taste, she could give him that. “Yeah, I know of him. In fact, I helped him with your surprise. You should really go see it, it is pretty neat.”
She gasped. “You’re lying. You’re not a crazy Directioner are you?”
“Pfft,” Joey scoffed. “I don’t even listen to their music, don’t worry.”
“Tell me!” she begged, grasping onto Joey’s hands.
Joey awkwardly slinked her hands away from Perrie’s. “Uh, no. It’s a surprise.”
“Please!” she begged. “We sat together, it must be fate!”
“No.”
Perrie hopped onto Joey’s side of the table and pulled out a camera. Joey saw her reflection. A happy blonde girl was sitting next to a girl with shoulder-length pressed black hair. Joey’s skin was a silky mahogany color. Her eyes were sharp and heavily lashed, making her seem meaner than she really was. Her lips were coated in red paint which contrasted well with her black hair and her even blacker clothing. The girls looked like polar opposites.
“This is a sign of a new and budding friendship, my dear.” Perrie sighed.
“No, it’s really not. I hope you enjoy your surprise. Tell Zayn I said hello.” Joey said while getting up from her seat and skipping the beer. She hurried to the door only to fall into someone’s hard chest.
“Ow,” she moaned as she rubbed her nose. “I’m sorry—“
She looked up to see the man’s cropped brown hair and glaring green eyes. He hadn’t shaven in a while, giving him a mountain man appearance. He towered over her and his body dwarfed Joey’s five-six frame.
“I knew I’d find you somewhere around here.” Frank whispered.
“N-no.” Joey stuttered.
Before she could turn back to Perrie, Frank latched onto Joey’s small wrist and pulled her out the door. He grabbed onto her arms and squeezed. She bit her lip, trying to keep from yelling.
She kept her gaze downcast.
“Look at me.” He whined.
Joey didn’t say anything.
“Please, Joanna, please!”
“Leave me alone, Frank, for the last fucking time! I don’t want to see you anymore!”
“Why won’t you give me another chance? I love you so much, you have no idea—“
“You punched in the fucking face!” Joey hissed. “That’s a pretty funny way of showing your love.”
“I lost control of my emotions and—“
“Yeah, well, I don’t date men who don’t have their emotions under control. Let me go.”
“No.” he said stubbornly. “Not until you listen to me.”
“I’m through listening to you. Let me go.”
His grip on her arms tightened.
“I’m going to scream.” She warned.
“I won’t let you.” He said, his voice low and rumbling.
Joey’s heart bashed against her ribcage. An irrational feeling swelled inside her head, causing her to internally panic. His voice was menacing and it struck her with fear, but his eyes were filled with anguish. Tears were brimming at the edges. She wanted to keep rejecting him, she wanted to stay strong like her father taught her to be. But it was so hard, because she knew that she still loved him.
All she could do was stare back at his woeful emerald orbs.
“HEY!”
Frank and Joey both turned their heads to see Perrie marching towards them with her face contorted in anger.
“Is this man giving you a problem?”
“N-no, I wasn’t giving her a—“
“Let. Go. Of. Me.” Joey said through gritted teeth, dropping his gaze.
Frank released her. He gave a pissed off glance at Perrie before dashing off into the night. When he was out of her sight, Joey released her breath and rubbed her arms. She sank to the ground, trying her best to keep the retained salty water inside her eyeballs.
“Who was that guy?” Perrie asked.
“Someone I used to know.” she croaked.
Perrie cocked her head to the side. “Does he do things like that often?”
Joey nodded her head but refused to look Perrie in the eye.
She heard the sound of numbers on a cellphone being pushed. Joey looked to see Perrie calling someone. “Yes, I’d like a taxi at the Lion Mane pub.”
After the phone call was made Perrie sat down next to her with a smile on her face. “I can’t let you go home on your own. That creep might pop out of nowhere!”
Joey smiled a bit. “Why are you being so nice? We just met.”
Perrie shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe more people need to be nice.”
Around eleven at night the taxi showed up. The driver drove Joey to her new apartment building. Before she jumped out the car and shook hands with Perrie. “Thanks for everything. Travel safe.”
Perrie winked at her. “I’ve got it.”
The taxi drove off. Joey rushed inside her apartment building, not wanting anyone to see.
She scrolled through her messages on her phone to see texts like:
Can you come to a party I’m throwing?
Wanna go with me to that Arctic Monkeys concert?
There’s a book signing next week. We’re going as a group, wanna come?
If these friends were to ask a month ago she would have said yes on the spot. Back then, she loved going out with friends and experiencing life. But ever since that one night with Frank things haven’t been the same. She didn’t trust anyone now. She didn’t even trust herself. It has gotten to the point where Joey, the vibrant social butterfly, was now a recluse.
Hell! She was even drinking by herself! She felt desperate and alone.
But at least I’m safe. She thought to herself.
“You mind if I sit here?”
Joey looked up to see a beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair. There were traces of purple dye lingering in the strands. Her eyes were a bright blue. Her skin was a smooth milk color. Her eyeliner makeup was extremely heavy to the point where she somewhat resembled the lead singer for Pretty Reckless. Joey’s first instinct was that this girl was trying to come onto her. However, maybe she just wanted someone to talk to.
“Sure, why not.” Joey said.
The girl sat across from her with an excited smile on her face. “I’m Perrie, just in case you didn’t know.”
Must be famous or something, Joey thought. “I’m Joey, though I don’t expect you to know that.”
“You come here often?”
Joey restrained from scoffing. “No, I just stumbled upon this place after work. Why, do you?”
She nodded her head. “My favorite place. My love takes me here time to time, but he was busy with his bandmates today. He told me he had a surprise for me when I got over to his house, though. I just need a drink before I go.”
Joey nodded her head, trying to seem interested in the conversation. “Who’s your love? Is he a charmer?”
“I don’t know if you’d know him but it’s Zayn Malik?”
Joey flashbacked to the doe eyed boy who she tattooed earlier that day. So this was the lovely Perrie Edwards? Well, Zayn had good taste, she could give him that. “Yeah, I know of him. In fact, I helped him with your surprise. You should really go see it, it is pretty neat.”
She gasped. “You’re lying. You’re not a crazy Directioner are you?”
“Pfft,” Joey scoffed. “I don’t even listen to their music, don’t worry.”
“Tell me!” she begged, grasping onto Joey’s hands.
Joey awkwardly slinked her hands away from Perrie’s. “Uh, no. It’s a surprise.”
“Please!” she begged. “We sat together, it must be fate!”
“No.”
Perrie hopped onto Joey’s side of the table and pulled out a camera. Joey saw her reflection. A happy blonde girl was sitting next to a girl with shoulder-length pressed black hair. Joey’s skin was a silky mahogany color. Her eyes were sharp and heavily lashed, making her seem meaner than she really was. Her lips were coated in red paint which contrasted well with her black hair and her even blacker clothing. The girls looked like polar opposites.
“This is a sign of a new and budding friendship, my dear.” Perrie sighed.
“No, it’s really not. I hope you enjoy your surprise. Tell Zayn I said hello.” Joey said while getting up from her seat and skipping the beer. She hurried to the door only to fall into someone’s hard chest.
“Ow,” she moaned as she rubbed her nose. “I’m sorry—“
She looked up to see the man’s cropped brown hair and glaring green eyes. He hadn’t shaven in a while, giving him a mountain man appearance. He towered over her and his body dwarfed Joey’s five-six frame.
“I knew I’d find you somewhere around here.” Frank whispered.
“N-no.” Joey stuttered.
Before she could turn back to Perrie, Frank latched onto Joey’s small wrist and pulled her out the door. He grabbed onto her arms and squeezed. She bit her lip, trying to keep from yelling.
She kept her gaze downcast.
“Look at me.” He whined.
Joey didn’t say anything.
“Please, Joanna, please!”
“Leave me alone, Frank, for the last fucking time! I don’t want to see you anymore!”
“Why won’t you give me another chance? I love you so much, you have no idea—“
“You punched in the fucking face!” Joey hissed. “That’s a pretty funny way of showing your love.”
“I lost control of my emotions and—“
“Yeah, well, I don’t date men who don’t have their emotions under control. Let me go.”
“No.” he said stubbornly. “Not until you listen to me.”
“I’m through listening to you. Let me go.”
His grip on her arms tightened.
“I’m going to scream.” She warned.
“I won’t let you.” He said, his voice low and rumbling.
Joey’s heart bashed against her ribcage. An irrational feeling swelled inside her head, causing her to internally panic. His voice was menacing and it struck her with fear, but his eyes were filled with anguish. Tears were brimming at the edges. She wanted to keep rejecting him, she wanted to stay strong like her father taught her to be. But it was so hard, because she knew that she still loved him.
All she could do was stare back at his woeful emerald orbs.
“HEY!”
Frank and Joey both turned their heads to see Perrie marching towards them with her face contorted in anger.
“Is this man giving you a problem?”
“N-no, I wasn’t giving her a—“
“Let. Go. Of. Me.” Joey said through gritted teeth, dropping his gaze.
Frank released her. He gave a pissed off glance at Perrie before dashing off into the night. When he was out of her sight, Joey released her breath and rubbed her arms. She sank to the ground, trying her best to keep the retained salty water inside her eyeballs.
“Who was that guy?” Perrie asked.
“Someone I used to know.” she croaked.
Perrie cocked her head to the side. “Does he do things like that often?”
Joey nodded her head but refused to look Perrie in the eye.
She heard the sound of numbers on a cellphone being pushed. Joey looked to see Perrie calling someone. “Yes, I’d like a taxi at the Lion Mane pub.”
After the phone call was made Perrie sat down next to her with a smile on her face. “I can’t let you go home on your own. That creep might pop out of nowhere!”
Joey smiled a bit. “Why are you being so nice? We just met.”
Perrie shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe more people need to be nice.”
Around eleven at night the taxi showed up. The driver drove Joey to her new apartment building. Before she jumped out the car and shook hands with Perrie. “Thanks for everything. Travel safe.”
Perrie winked at her. “I’ve got it.”
The taxi drove off. Joey rushed inside her apartment building, not wanting anyone to see.
UPDATE!!!????
1/7/14