"Okay now, you need a victim." Ray tells me while we sit in his room.

"Can you not call them that?" I groan. "You're making me all nervous for no reason."

"You should be nervous. You are about to change someone's skin and possibly life permanently." Ray says. "I've done everything I can to help you. Now you must fly."

"You're a weird man Ray." I say shaking my head. "Anyway my victim as you so nicely put it will be here in a few minutes."

"Is it your sister?"

"No, Bella has school right now." I tell before I get up to stretch. Tattooing is killing my back. "It's Conner, you've met him like twice."

"Medusa on his back."

"Yea."

"I did that."

"I know Ray." I tell him. "I'm gonna go set my room up now. Go annoy Kit or something."

"No can do I gotta watch to make sure you don't fuck it up." Ray says following me to the studio room that is now mine, I've done some light decorating. Working on a mural for the back wall but god I'm lazy. "Come on show me what you've learned from me the tatty devil."

"How to annoy anyone in 30 seconds." I mumble and pull on gloves to set up. "Dude you're like breathing on my neck. Give a bitch some room please."

"When you mess up it's on you."

"Thank you for having so much faith in me ass hat. Now hush up, I'm working here." I see him put his hands up before backing up. Finally I can work. I set everything up and finally the ink caps. "See I got this."

"I guess you did good."

"I did amazing. Stop trying to make me nervous you old bat." I tell him pulling a cover over my station, before disposing of my gloves. "Let's go he's outside." I hop up and motion for Ray to follow me.

"Looky looky at Celeste's first victim." Ray says as Conner and walk into the shop.

"You can't make me nervous old man." I say. "Ready?" Conner nods and follows me back into my room. "Okay Mr. I want a tramp stamp. You can either be laid flat down or straddling the chair." I tell him as I pull on new gloves.

"I'll just lay here." Conner says.

"Strip first fucker." I tell him grabbing the stencils I made for him. "There we go nice and shirtless."

"Are you trying to seduce my boyfriend you slut?" Paul asks as him and Kit come into the room.

"Nah if anything I'd try seduce you, he's to mentally stable for me." I say shaving Conner's lower back and rubbing stencil stuff on him. "You sure I have free reign?"

"Obviously, remember a match made in the underworld." Conner says. "Just don't tattoo the word faggot on me."

"Boo you faggot." Paul says.

"Says the one that takes it up the ass." Conner says.

"Calm down you two." I say and apply the stencil. "Or I will ground you both."

"That looks clean." Kit says.

"Thanks." I say and start to put the needle in the machine. "Ready Fred?"

"Ready George." I laugh before starting the first line. "Kit back up, you're breathing is loud."

"Wow I'm here to support you and you insult me. How dare you?"

"My humble apologies sir. Now get all up out my space."

"Fine I guess you don't want lunch."

"Today is Lani's day to buy, you can't trick me." I say pulling back and wiping down the tattoo. "This line's sharper than the lines of coke I used to do."

"I'd smack you if you weren't holding a needle to my boyfriends back." Paul said, and I laughed while I dipped for more ink.

"It's just a joke Pauly bear." I say. "Mostly."

"You're still clean right?" Kit asks lowly. "Not to be nosy."

"Clean as can be. Aside from the occasional tango with the devils lettuce." I say focusing more on the lines. "Almost been a year too."

"That's good."

"Thanks. On another note, I'm gonna dye my hair purple for Halloween."

"20 bucks on Raven." Paul says looking through my sketch books.

"Don't bet against him you'll lose." I say. "Okay the letter F is done."

"You're not funny fag." Conner snaps.

"Of course I'm joking. I would never tarnish my reputation with something as lame as that." I tell him and wipe off the excess ink and blood. "Now hush and you two go be annoying elsewhere."

"Rude." Paul says. "How would I look at with a tongue piercing?"

"Hot."

"Eh." Conner and I answer at the same time. "If it gets you out of my space then you'll be the hottest thing since the sun." I tell him.

"Alright then." Kit said. "Follow me."

I continue on the basic outline of the tattoo, making sure to use all my training from Ray. I lose myself in the lines and buzz of the machine. Soothing in the weirdest way.

"How ya been?" Conner asks after a while.

"Tired honestly." I answers. "Between this and being Bella's therapist, all I have is eyebags and back pain."

"Nice grandma."

"Thanks. Speaking of age, Paul's birthday is next week."

"I know I have no idea what to get him."

"Damn man sucks to suck then." I says smiling. "Not to brag however I found a frame for his dream bike and I'm fixing it up."

"See now I know you're trying to seduce my man, whore."

"What you wouldn't let me be a third?"

"Let me see your tits first."

"Hey now don't be gay buddy." I joke laughing. "No but seriously if all else fails. Strip for him."

"That's not the worst idea." Conners says thinking about it. "Maybe I should just do that."

"Oh and food is always good too."

"True. Now hows the love life?" I honestly couldn't hold my laughter. I took the time to redid the needle.

"It's none existent. And that's how it shall remain. I mean I'm 0 for 2 here."

"Okay but you need to at least have hookups, I mean, you downstairs needs it."

"Is she didn't need it while i was with Emmett she'll survive now." I tell him wiping down the tattoo and bringing the needle back to his skin.

"Are you seriously telling me you didn't sleep with Emmett once?"

"Yup."

"But he's hot." I laugh again.

"Yea but I wasn't ready and then he left and dumped me."

"Fair enough." I hum an agreement and we continue in silence for a remainder of his tattoo. Only being interrupted three more times. Once for Paul to show off his new tongue gem. Again for Ray to do a check in and give praise. And last for Lani to take lunch orders. "And ladies and gents we are done." I say turning off the machine and preparing for the final wipe down.

"This was painful as fuck." Conner says laughing and I chuckle at him. "So it better be ducking dope."

"It is loser." I say wiping down and standing. "Come look." He turns in mirror.

"Holy hell this is amazing."

"I know I know." I say bowing. "I'm amazing. Now let's wrap it." I change my gloves and grab the medical wrap and put it on. "Go on out I'm gonna clean up." He nods and I beak down the machine. Throwing the needles into the biohazard box and thrashing everything else, like the aper towels ink and wraps. I wipe everything thing down before throwing my gloves into the trash and heading towards the front.

"You did good kid." Ray says handing me a coke. "Proud of you."

"Thank you." I say. "My back hurts."

"Welcome to the industry." Vega says tipping her cup towards me.

"Why thank you ma'am."

-

I get home late tonight. I spent a while just driving, the way me and Addison used too. It was always a favorite thing of mine to do. The hum of music playing lowly and the open road. I get up to my room to see a package on my bed and open it.

It's a leather jacket. A real leather one I hold it up to look at it when a note falls out.

I'm sorry.

Miss you firework.

-C.C.

I cried tonight.