"Fox, I have to go." Hadley says for about the tenth time in the past 5 minutes. I had picked her and her brother up this morning. We dropped Oliver off then headed straight to the academy. We've been sitting her in the car for the past ten minutes making out and holding hands and stuff. Coupleish things.

I take her face in my hands and kiss her again, "you sure you don't want to just hang out in my car all day?" I asks as I lean my forehead against hers.

"Dustin." She says and shakes her head lightly. "School, an important education is waiting for me through those doors. " she says pointing to the doors of the school.

"Hadley." I say mocking her tone. "Life and adventure is waiting for you out there." I finish pointing outside.

She smiles and lets out a small laugh. "I get that but, I'm here on scholarship Dustin, if I miss too much school it could suffer." She says

That's true, and I don't want her to lose her scholarship. "How many days have you been away?" I ask her knowing her answer will be low, I found a loop hole.

"Never." She says her face going red. "At least so far this school year." She says covering her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment.

"I think you can afford to skip school once." I say turning my car on. "Where do you want to go?" I ask her.

"Can we go to my place really fast? I have an idea." She says excitedly. "I'm going to do an act to live." She says

"Look at you. I'm rubbing off on you. I like the way you think doll." I say and start driving to her place.

Once we get her place she runs into the bottom store, she rushes back out paper in hand. She slides back into the passenger seat and buckles her seatbelt.

"What's that?" I ask her waiting to a response before I start driving.

"A permission slip." She says

"What is this a school trip?" I ask her laughing. She slaps me on the shoulder and laughs too.

"No, it's my dad giving consent to me getting a tattoo." My jaw drops open.

"Seriously?" I'm in disbelief right now. "You're actually going to get a tattoo?"

She nods her head. "I've always wanted one, something with meaning and importance to me."

"Wow."

"What is that a surprise to you?" She asks crossing her arms over her chest. "I thought you wanted me to live."

"I do, doll." I say putting my hands on the wheel. "I think it's a great idea." I finish and start driving in the direction of the mall.

~ ~ ~

I grab Hadley's hand and lead her through the turns and people of the mall, heading in the direction of the tattoo place. As we get closer to the store I feel Hadley's grip on my hand and her feet start to drag. I look slightly back to her.

"Hadley? You alright?" I ask she's all pale. She doesn't say a word. "Doll?"

"I don't think I can go through with this." She says her words shaking.

I turn to face her fully and grab hold of her hands in mine. "Yes you can." I say to her. "You can do anything." I try to convince her.

She shakes her head and closes her eyes. "Let's just do something else, my bravery is gone." She says trying to get away from my grip.

"Hadley, you were so excited to get a tattoo." I say to her remembering the excitement in her step when she got back in the car from her place.

"Well the excitement has vanished, it's been replaced with fear." She says again.

I think for a moment, she really wanted one and was really excited I could tell and I know she was excited still just nervous. "How about," I start."if I get one too?" It's the only thing I could think to do, I've kinda always wanted to get a tattoo anyway.

"You get a tattoo jut so I will? That's a bit extreme isn't it?" She sad a small smile on her face.

"Hey I've kinda always wanted one too." I say. "Plus I know the guy that works at the shop." I say to her. "He's good."

Her body gets less tense. She lets out a loud sigh, "alright but you have to go first." She says I nod my head and kiss her on the top of her head and each of her hands.

"Now can we go or am I going o be dragging you again?" I ask she start walking and I follow.

We turn the last corner and walk into the shop behind the counter is Drake, an old friend of mine. He looks really tough, wearing leather and has a bunch of tattoos but the truth is he's a Giant pillow.

"Hey Dustin," he says when he sees me, he walks over to us and shakes my hand. "Finally coming in for that tattoo."

I've been friends with Drake for a while, now he's also like 7 years older then me but still he's cool to hang out with, when I finally got old enough to have a tattoo he told me he'd give me one some day. I guess today is the day.

I nod my head," me and Hadley here." I say pointing my thumb at Hadley standing behind me.

"You young lady I need permission from a parent or legal guardian, I'm assuming since you here with Dustin you're around his age?"

"Uh yeah one year younger, but I've got this." She say taking the folded piece of paper from her pocket and handing it over.

Drake looks at it in depth for a moment nods then looks back up at the two of us. " you guys know what you want or, look around at the ones I've got up." He says motioning at the wall. He goes to start getting some stuff ready, we're the only so in here other then him. "Shouldn't you two be in school?" He asks sitting down in a chair beside the tattoo chair and crossing his arms.

"Well..." I say and smile at him rubbing my neck with my hands.

"Dustin.. I can't encourage skipping school." He says.

Hadley looks at the wall of potential tattoos look closely at each and every designs "We would never, we have a day off." I say, Hadley gives me a look then returns to the wall. What can I say Drake has never been good at picking out lies.

He shakes his head and I return to looking at the wall with Hadley. There are many designs and fonts. Imagines of hearts, dragons and to many others to state. " you pick yet?" I ask Hadley as she stares at a panel of animals. She points to a design of a fox. I can't help but smile. "I'm getting that." I say pointing to a cursive font.

"You're getting A B and C in a fancy font?" She says with a laugh on the tail end of her words.

"No silly." I laugh ." I'm going to get doll, written in that." He face turns a light shade of pink and a smirk forms at my lips. "We're ready Drake." I say as I go and tell him what I want.

~ ~ ~

We leave the parlour Hadley and this smile on her face resemblance to a child on Christmas Day. I had to hold her one hand while she got the thing, she tried not to cry and she didn't really. A tear maybe. I don't think it hurt to much like a shot, little pinch. I also have a high pain tolerance most times.

"Alright miss, what is next on our list?" I grab her hand and intertwine our fingers. She smiles and swings her arm and mine slightly.

"Oh we did all I wanted to." She says as we continue to walk though the halls of the mall.

I look at her trying to figure her out, if she's a shopper or not. "You don't want to shop around or anything?" I ask her, she looks away. She's definitely a shopper.

"I don't have that kind of money fox." She says while looking into windows of a few shops. " I used what I saved for the tattoo. "I pull her into a dress store, from what I've head is the best place in the whole mall. "Dustin, I said I don't have that money to spend." She says to me as she tries to get lose of me.

"It's called window shopping doll, it's fun. You look at stuff try it on then don't buy it. It's a real joy."

She finally conformed to going in, I think she was glad I dragged her into this too, after looking for about 10 minutes her eyes landed on this black dress in the back corner of the store. She runs her hands over it and takes it off the hook. Holding it up to herself looking down at it.

"Try it on." I say leaning against a wall and crossing my arms over my chest. She looks at me other a smile then takes a second. She only hesitated for a second then she went for the change rooms. I follow behind her and sit in one of the chairs that all the boyfriends best friends and moms sit in. I lean back and take out my phone scrolling through a few social medias and texting both Jason and Eric.

"Well?" I hear Hadley small voice. I look up and look at her. Beautiful standing in the short black dress thats off her shoulders, it fits her perfectly.

"You look beautiful doll." She smiles and spin around looking back in the mirror. I stand up to stand behind her. She looks at me in the mirror. I wrap my arms around her small waist. " it's perfect for you."

"Yeah... I'll have to save my money up maybe." She says. She lets out a sigh. I can tell she hates to leave the dress. "Now I'll change back to my boring old clothes and maybe we can get food?" I nod my head as she starts to walk away I pull her back and kiss her on the forehead.

Once she's back in the change room I find a sales associate. "Excuse me?" I ask the lady, she's got short red hair.

"How may I help you sir?" She asks me

"My girlfriend just tried on this dress and god she looked so beautiful and I could just see it in her eyes she loved it. When she leaves can you maybe keep it held for me? I'll come in later and pick it up?" I ask the women looks confused and like she's just heard the sweetest thing in the world. I put my hands into a pleading pose and I flash her a smile.

"Of course." She says, she looks behind me, gets close and whispers to me. "The latest I can hold it is 24 hours okay?" I nod. Hadley comes up behind me, that's why she was whispering. I was afraid my secret was found but luckily the sales representative caught my drift and saved me. "It was so nice to see you again, say hello to your mother for me would you." She says and nods to Hadley then walks away.

"So food?" Hadley smiles asking putting her arm around mine. We walk out of the store and head to the food court.