I'm at the tattoo parlor with Shawn. It's been about two weeks since I pierced my ear. I've been too lazy to come in and find a proper piercing to put in it. Topanga kept bugging me about how it was gonna get infected, so I figured it was about time I take the safety pin out. Shawn even offered to come with me considering he's the reason I pierced it. We waited in the chairs by the door until someone finally went up to the front desk.

"Hey you two, you're up. I'm Miranda, whatcha need?" The girl at the desk asked.

Shawn and I stood up and walked over to her.

"We are here to get a earring for this." I pulled back my hair to show her the piercing I gave myself.

"Damn girl did you do that yourself?"

"Yup."

"Shit." She looks at Shawn. "Your girlfriend here is ballsy." Our eyes widen.

"Oh he's not my—"

"Yeah i'm not her—"

"Whatever. Cartilage earrings are over here. Follow me." We both silently followed her and didn't say a word. Once we reach the other side of the shop she put her hand on the cabinet up against the wall. "This whole cabinet is full of stuff for you to choose from. Good luck." She leaves and goes back to the counter while Shawn and I eye my options.

"How about that one?" He points to a green stud.

"Nah. I don't like that color."

"Okay how about this one?"

"A pink rhinestone? Did you forget who you are talking to?"

"Okay fair." I look around the cabinet for a decent looking piercing and I finally stumbled upon the perfect one. "Those. Those are it."

I point to it and Shawn looks over to see what I picked out. I see him raise his eyebrows and nod in approval.

It was a beautiful silver set of feather earrings. Two dangly feather earrings for my regular earlobe piercings, and one feather hoop earring for my cartilage.

"Hey Miranda!" I called.

She walked over and I pointed to the set I wanted.

"Ooh. Nice choice girl. I'll grab them and ring you up. Go and wait over by the front counter." We walked over and waited like she said, she came over a few seconds later and pressed a few buttons on the register. "That will be $25."

I pulled the cash out of my pockets and came up short. "Shit I only have 15." Shawn pulled out his wallet. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm covering the difference."

"No Hun—"

"Don't 'no Hunter' me. You pierced them because I practically dared you to and you really like the set so i'm covering the rest. And it's only 10 bucks." He hands Miranda the rest of the money and she finishes ringing us up. She puts the set in a small ziplock and puts that ziplock in a tiny plastic bag.

"Here you go. There is a mirror and disinfectant by the door if you want to put them on now."

"Thanks Miranda." I said as we walked toward the mirror. She went into the back room and I turned to Shawn as I handed him the bag as I started to take the safety pin out of my ear. "I'm paying you back by the way."

"No you aren't."

"Yes I am."

"I won't take the money."

"Shawn..."

"No Cris, you paid for most of it okay. Just let me do this favor for you one time okay?"

"Ugh fine." I finally got the safety pin out and set it down on the nearby counter. I then took out the black studs I had in my earlobes. "Can you open the ziplock while I clean my ear?"

"Sure."

He sets the bag on the counter as I clean my ear off. Once i'm done, he hands me the earrings one by one. I put the dangly feathers into my earlobes with ease. He handed me the feather hoop for my cartilage and I struggled to get it in.

"Hunter I can't see the hole in this mirror can you help me put this in?"

"Yeah sure."

He hovers over me and stays completely silent trying to focus on putting the earring in right. It gets too silent and I start to get bored so I thought I should break the silence.

"OW!" I screamed.

"OH MY GOD! I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO—"

I start to giggle and he stops talking as he realizes I was joking. "You're so gullible."

"Not funny Carrillo." He goes back to clipping the back of it in.

"If it's not funny then why are you smiling."

He dodges my question. "Shut up. I finished clipping it so take a look." He pointed to the mirror.

I looked at my reflection. "Not bad Hunter." I nodded at him in approval.

"Yeah yeah. Can we go now? I'm starving, let's go to Chubbies." I held the door open and she walked out with me.

"Can't, I have a date with Derek."

I rolled my eyes and groaned as I threw my head back. "WHYYYYY!?"

"Lighten up Hunter. I have to vent so just pretend like you like him for 5 minutes."

"Okay go ahead i'm all ears." I stopped walking and she turned to face me.

"Well he's been acting kinda weird lately and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean weird?"

"Well he hasn't been spending as much time with me recently, and when he does spend time with me he just doesn't seem as interested—"

"Stop right there." I interrupted. "You, uninteresting? PLEASE! We just came out of a tattoo shop because you needed a proper earring to put in your cartilage piercing that you did yourself with a safety pin and HARLEY KEINER'S LIGHTER! Anyone who finds you the least bit boring is clearly a moron."

"I'm just a bit concerned, that's all."

"You have nothing to worry about. That guy would have to be the stupidest guy on the face of the earth to let you go."

"Thanks Hunter." She gave me a hug and I returned the hug by wrapping my arms around her. My heart was pounding and I was afraid of her noticing so I pulled away and started walking towards Chubbies. Her effect on me worsens by the day.

"Good luck on your date, but if I wait any longer to eat, my stomach is gonna start eating itself so see ya."

"Bye Hunter."