The Final Decision
Chapter XV
I finally got settled into my new apartment and I was actually feeling good. I felt as if a lot of stress had left me. I still had to quit my job though. I was terrified of what Ian was going to say. I know he was going to be so heartbroken.
I pulled into the parking lot of the shop and made my way inside. Zoe and I haven’t talked since our whole blow out and I was perfectly content with that, but I had to say something to her now.
“Um, Zoe. I need to talk to you about something.” She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me.
“What is it?”
“I’m putting in my two weeks.”
Her eyes widened. “What? No you’re not.”
“Yes I am. I’m cutting ties with my old life. I got my own apartment and I’m starting over.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“Why do you even care? I just needed to tell you that I was quitting. I’m going to talk to Ian.”
“Tell me what is going on!” Her voice raised.
“I’m just tired of all the shit. Just leave it at that.” I made my way to Ian’s office and knocked on the door. Once I heard a “come in” I opened the door.
“Can I talk to you Ian?”
“Yeah, sure. Come on in. You can shut the door if you’d like.” I nodded and walked in and shut the door. I sat down in the chair that was in there.
“Um, I have some bad news.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m putting in my two weeks.”
“What the hell. Why?”
“Well, you know everything that has happened the past few months. I finally decided to just let go of it all. I left Zack and filed for a divorce and got my own place. I need to cut ties with everything. I have absolutely nothing against you. If I had a choice, I would stay here. This is just what’s best for me right now.”
“I understand completely, hon. You do what you gotta do. It’s going to suck ass, though. You are such a great tattoo artist. Are you going to find another tattooing job?”
“Yeah, of course! Tattooing is my life. I can’t imagine not doing it.”
“Oh, good. Well you better keep in touch and if you ever need your job back this door is always open. I’ll miss you. Oh, and I wish you the best of luck Lex. If anybody deserves it, it’s you.”
“Thanks so much Ian. I really appreciate you taking this so well. I was terrified you were going to freak.” I laughed.
“Well it sucks and I would do anything to make you stay if the situation was different, but you doing this is great for you. You need to let free from all that.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel. I already feel a thousand times better now that I live in my own place by myself.”
“Have you found the other shop you’re going to work for?”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. I wanted to put my two weeks in first before I started looking.”
“Oh, well I know this shop. It’s great and they are actually looking for an artist. I’ll call them up and see if they want to give you a job. That way I can still keep tabs on you and stuff.” He smiled.
“That would be awesome, Ian!” I said excitedly. “But just make sure you don’t tell anyone where I’m working. I know if anyone knew they would just bug me and beg me to come back.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” He smiled. “Plus, when do I talk to anyone.”
I laughed. “That’s true.”
***************************************************************************************************************************
A month has gone by and I was still living in the same apartment and had a new job at a shop called Black Ink. It is really great. All of my coworkers and I are friends and go out a lot with each other. I haven’t talked to anybody, minus Ian. At first it sucked really bad. I really wanted to go back and at times I was starting to pack so I could, but I refrained and now I don’t regret it at all. Well, I do miss Zack, but that’s it. And Val. And Matt. Okay, fine I lied. I miss them all so much, but I’m doing so much better out here on my own. I go out to Avery’s grave once a week and that doesn’t help much, but I won’t give up spending my hour with my deceased daughter.
Today I was working a six hour shift at the shop. The minute I walked in I had a client lined up. I have to admit, working with Ian I didn’t have as many clients as I do here. That has a lot to do with the fact that there were only two artists at Sinister Body and there are six here at Black Ink.
I set my stuff down and walked back out of my station to the front.
“Hello.” I smiled. “Are you my appointment?” I asked the girl that looked about twenty-five.
“Yes ma’am.” She smiled.
“Okay, follow me.” I turned around and we both walked back to my station. “Have a seat.” I said pointing towards the chair. “So what were you wanting to get?”
“I would really love to get a portrait of my favorite band member from my favorite band.” She beamed.
“Okay, what’s the band?”
“Avenged Sevenfold.” My heart dropped.
“I know them.” I smiled. “They’re great.”
“I know, right!”
“Which member were you wanting to get?”
“Synyster.”
“Ah, Brian. A good ol’ friend.” I laughed. She looked at me confused. “Oh, sorry. I can get that drawn up in a good fifteen minutes if you want to go wait up in the front.”
“That sounds great.” I nodded and she walked out. Great just what I wanted to do the first thing in the morning.
Once I had Brian drawn and perfected, I went and got her to get started. This was going to be a long detailed tattoo and I’m not going to lie; I’m going to put my all in it. More than I usually do.
“Okay are you ready?” I asked.
“Yes, most definitely.” I started the gun and started to outline Brian’s face. “So how long have you be a fan of Avenged?”
“Since they started. 1999.”
“Really? That’s a long time.”
“Yeah, it is.” I laughed.
“You seem to be acting strange.” She laughed. “Are you one of those crazed fangirls?” She asked.
“Just put it this way.” I said dipping the needle into the ink and continuing the tattoo. “I know Avenged more than anybody.”
“I think I can disagree with that fact. I know anything and everything about them.” A knock came across the door.
“Yeah, come in.” My coworker Dylan opened the door.
“Um, Lex. You have a visitor. One shocking visitor.” I looked at him confused.
“Well, I’m in the middle of the tattoo. Is it important?” I asked.
“Well I’m sure it’s important for him.”
I sighed. “Alright, is it okay if whoever it is comes in? I’m really busy wanting to get this tat done.”
“Yeah.” She said.
“Okay, Dylan. Bring whoever it is in here.” He left and came back a few seconds later. The door opened more and there stood Matt… Great.
I pulled into the parking lot of the shop and made my way inside. Zoe and I haven’t talked since our whole blow out and I was perfectly content with that, but I had to say something to her now.
“Um, Zoe. I need to talk to you about something.” She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me.
“What is it?”
“I’m putting in my two weeks.”
Her eyes widened. “What? No you’re not.”
“Yes I am. I’m cutting ties with my old life. I got my own apartment and I’m starting over.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“Why do you even care? I just needed to tell you that I was quitting. I’m going to talk to Ian.”
“Tell me what is going on!” Her voice raised.
“I’m just tired of all the shit. Just leave it at that.” I made my way to Ian’s office and knocked on the door. Once I heard a “come in” I opened the door.
“Can I talk to you Ian?”
“Yeah, sure. Come on in. You can shut the door if you’d like.” I nodded and walked in and shut the door. I sat down in the chair that was in there.
“Um, I have some bad news.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m putting in my two weeks.”
“What the hell. Why?”
“Well, you know everything that has happened the past few months. I finally decided to just let go of it all. I left Zack and filed for a divorce and got my own place. I need to cut ties with everything. I have absolutely nothing against you. If I had a choice, I would stay here. This is just what’s best for me right now.”
“I understand completely, hon. You do what you gotta do. It’s going to suck ass, though. You are such a great tattoo artist. Are you going to find another tattooing job?”
“Yeah, of course! Tattooing is my life. I can’t imagine not doing it.”
“Oh, good. Well you better keep in touch and if you ever need your job back this door is always open. I’ll miss you. Oh, and I wish you the best of luck Lex. If anybody deserves it, it’s you.”
“Thanks so much Ian. I really appreciate you taking this so well. I was terrified you were going to freak.” I laughed.
“Well it sucks and I would do anything to make you stay if the situation was different, but you doing this is great for you. You need to let free from all that.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel. I already feel a thousand times better now that I live in my own place by myself.”
“Have you found the other shop you’re going to work for?”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. I wanted to put my two weeks in first before I started looking.”
“Oh, well I know this shop. It’s great and they are actually looking for an artist. I’ll call them up and see if they want to give you a job. That way I can still keep tabs on you and stuff.” He smiled.
“That would be awesome, Ian!” I said excitedly. “But just make sure you don’t tell anyone where I’m working. I know if anyone knew they would just bug me and beg me to come back.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” He smiled. “Plus, when do I talk to anyone.”
I laughed. “That’s true.”
***************************************************************************************************************************
A month has gone by and I was still living in the same apartment and had a new job at a shop called Black Ink. It is really great. All of my coworkers and I are friends and go out a lot with each other. I haven’t talked to anybody, minus Ian. At first it sucked really bad. I really wanted to go back and at times I was starting to pack so I could, but I refrained and now I don’t regret it at all. Well, I do miss Zack, but that’s it. And Val. And Matt. Okay, fine I lied. I miss them all so much, but I’m doing so much better out here on my own. I go out to Avery’s grave once a week and that doesn’t help much, but I won’t give up spending my hour with my deceased daughter.
Today I was working a six hour shift at the shop. The minute I walked in I had a client lined up. I have to admit, working with Ian I didn’t have as many clients as I do here. That has a lot to do with the fact that there were only two artists at Sinister Body and there are six here at Black Ink.
I set my stuff down and walked back out of my station to the front.
“Hello.” I smiled. “Are you my appointment?” I asked the girl that looked about twenty-five.
“Yes ma’am.” She smiled.
“Okay, follow me.” I turned around and we both walked back to my station. “Have a seat.” I said pointing towards the chair. “So what were you wanting to get?”
“I would really love to get a portrait of my favorite band member from my favorite band.” She beamed.
“Okay, what’s the band?”
“Avenged Sevenfold.” My heart dropped.
“I know them.” I smiled. “They’re great.”
“I know, right!”
“Which member were you wanting to get?”
“Synyster.”
“Ah, Brian. A good ol’ friend.” I laughed. She looked at me confused. “Oh, sorry. I can get that drawn up in a good fifteen minutes if you want to go wait up in the front.”
“That sounds great.” I nodded and she walked out. Great just what I wanted to do the first thing in the morning.
Once I had Brian drawn and perfected, I went and got her to get started. This was going to be a long detailed tattoo and I’m not going to lie; I’m going to put my all in it. More than I usually do.
“Okay are you ready?” I asked.
“Yes, most definitely.” I started the gun and started to outline Brian’s face. “So how long have you be a fan of Avenged?”
“Since they started. 1999.”
“Really? That’s a long time.”
“Yeah, it is.” I laughed.
“You seem to be acting strange.” She laughed. “Are you one of those crazed fangirls?” She asked.
“Just put it this way.” I said dipping the needle into the ink and continuing the tattoo. “I know Avenged more than anybody.”
“I think I can disagree with that fact. I know anything and everything about them.” A knock came across the door.
“Yeah, come in.” My coworker Dylan opened the door.
“Um, Lex. You have a visitor. One shocking visitor.” I looked at him confused.
“Well, I’m in the middle of the tattoo. Is it important?” I asked.
“Well I’m sure it’s important for him.”
I sighed. “Alright, is it okay if whoever it is comes in? I’m really busy wanting to get this tat done.”
“Yeah.” She said.
“Okay, Dylan. Bring whoever it is in here.” He left and came back a few seconds later. The door opened more and there stood Matt… Great.
Update soon please. I love this story.
4/30/17