Free Destiny Revealed by Nicole Bailey Page A

door opened
and I heard Dash’s voice.
“You didn’t start without me, did you?”
“What are you doing here?” Nick asked.
“Dude, and miss my boy gettin’ a tat? No way.”
“Anyway,” I continued. “We want to do full names.
I’ve got a font here that we want to use. Can you copy it?”
“Sure, no prob,” Etienne said. “I’ll trace it onto paper,
put it on your skin, and then ink over it. Just black?”
“Yeah,” I answered, handing him the sheet I had printed
earlier.
“Ooh, I like,” Nat said, looking at the print of our
names:

Nico
Sofia
    “It’s kinda goth,” she said.
“That’s why I picked it. It fits us, no?” I asked.
“Totally,” she grinned.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Etienne said.
“I’m surprised you don’t have anything yet,” I said to
    Dash.
“Oh, check it. I got it last night,” he said as he rolled his
pant leg up. On the outside of his right calf, there was a
giant wolf paw print. “Mom wouldn’t let me get it ‘til I
graduated.”
“Wow, that’s actually really cool,” Jack said. Dash
looked at him in surprise. It wasn’t like Jack to compliment
Dash—ever.
“I know, right?” Dash grinned.
“Okay, I totally want a tattoo now,” Nat said as she
bounced on the balls of her feet. She started to flip through
a book that was on the counter.
“Ta mère, will kill you,” Jack pointed out.
“Whatevs. I’m eighteen now,” she grinned and
continued to flip through the book. I looked over her
shoulder.
“Sof, talk some sense into the girl,” Jack pleaded.
I looked up at him, “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re no help. You’re a bad influence,”
he complained.
“Oh, come on. You’ve never even thought about getting
one?” Nat asked him. He hesitated. “See! I knew it. Back
off, I’m getting something.”
“Where will you get it?” I asked. “Not on your lower
back. That’s so…” I couldn’t think of the word.
“Tramp stamp?” Nat laughed and I laughed with her.
“And nothing lame, like a rose or butterfly,” Dash
added.
“What’s wrong with butterflies?” Nat asked.
“Too cliché,” he said.
“Yeah, get something different. I do way too many
flowers and butterflies,” Etienne said as he walked back in
the room. “Who’s first?”
I looked at Nick. The tattoos had been my idea, but now
I was nervous. “I’ll go,” he smiled.
“I’m not gonna lie, dude. It’s gonna hurt. That’s thin
skin with a bone right underneath,” Etienne told him. Nick
just shrugged and walked over to the chair where he sat
down. He rested his hand on a tray and Etienne wrapped a
piece of trace paper with my name on it around Nick’s left
ring finger.
I walked over and stood next to him. “Do you want me
to hold your hand?” I teased.
“Possibly. I’ll let you know in a sec,” Nick said.
“I am not getting a skull,” I heard Nat say to Dash. “Or
Scooby Doo!”
“I’ve got it,” I shouted.
“What?” Nat asked.
I went back over to the counter so I wouldn’t have to
yell across the parlor. “How about a fleur de lis?”
“Ooh, yes! Perfect!” Nat agreed excitedly.
“Grrr,” I heard Nick growl from his chair.
I walked back over to him. “Do you need my hand
now?”
He was tightly gripping the arm rest of the chair with
his right hand. “No. I’m afraid I would break it,” he said
through gritted teeth.
Dash walked over to watch. “Don’t be such a wuss,
bro.”
“Ignore him. He was a cry baby,” Etienne said without
looking up. It only took about a half hour for him to
complete the tattoo. It was incredible. It was an exact
replica of the print I had brought in.
It was my turn. I really didn’t want to wimp out and cry
in front of him. Nat came over to inspect Nick’s finger.
“Whoa, that is so cool,” she said.
“That is actually a really cool idea,” Jack agreed. I saw
him look at Nat when he said it. Like he thought it would
be a good idea for them, too.
I sat down and rested my hand on the