School started. All the fun was cancelled.
Everyone was so stressed out about school.
Even Lily’s friends didn’t bother me anymore.
Only Jake was the same.
He wanted my attention.
We hung out at coffee shops and libraries.
I did work and he doodled pictures.
Then gave me the drawings.
He was always with me, but he knew
boundaries.
Time went fast.
It was raining the day after the SATS.
Jake was walking fast with an umbrella.
Then he stopped.
I caught up and put the umbrella over him.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“Don’t be mad. He just asked about the test.”
Jake grabbed the umbrella and held my hand,
and pulled me to the tattoo parlor.
There was no one there.
“That’s Big Beard, the owner.”
Jake was taking off his jacket.
Big Beard nodded.
I looked around, and then at Jake.
“Are you… getting a tattoo?”
Jake was on a couch looking at a book.
“Or did you wanna eat here?”
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…
I didn’t want him to get my name.
く
He picked “γλυκόφιλος.”
It meant “sweet–lover.”
On his inner left wrist.
While Big Beard cleaned the skin, Jake wrapped
his arm around me.
He hid his face in my stomach.
“I don’t wanna look.”
I patted his hair. “It’s okay…”
A kid was looking at us.
“Dude, you were totally cool last time.”
“Cough! Cough!”
Big Beard stopped him.
<
“Come with me for ink.”
It was just Jake and I.
I blinked.
Then, Jake held me tighter.
“Sarah… What if it hurts?”
His voice was shaking.
I took out some candy and unwrapped it. “Here,
eat some, I brought a bunch.”
“I’ll give you one if it hurts.”
Jake took the candy. He held me tight.
He made a noise and laughed.
“Can I bite you if it hurts?”
<
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