Page 16 of A Follow-Through in Faking
Nothing.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Charlie breathes out, tears streaming down their face as the tattoo artist continues to put his tattoo gun to their skin. “Ness, you didnottell me it hurts this badly!”
Ness bursts into laughter.
“Because it usually doesn’t, you chose the most painful spot to get a tattoo,” she replies, still chuckling.
“Mine also hurt, if it’s any consolation,” I offer, lifting my shirt as I stand in front of the mirror to admire the words now forever engraved under the sea turtle that runs from the top of my cleavage all the way down and expands under my breasts.
La vida de una tortuga marina es una vida libre.
The life of a sea turtle is a free life.
My mother always said, “If I’m ever reborn, I want to return as a sea turtle. I want to be as free as they are, swimming through the ocean and spending my days exploring the sea.”
Mamá loved the ocean. When she was younger, myabuelitoand her used to go sailing together.
I hope she got her wish. I hope she’s come back as a sea turtle, like she always wanted.
“It looks phenomenal,” Sage says as she approaches me, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a comforting smile.
Sage knows the story of the sea turtle and my mother. She knows why I got this tattoo, they all do, but they think it makes me sad to look at when it does the opposite. I love this reminder of Mamá. I love having a piece of her on me forever, especially because people can’t see it unless I allow them to. It’s mine, and I’ve hardly shared it with anyone. I usually wear bathing suits instead of bikinis because the media would tear me to shreds over it with assumptions and criticisms.
Only my friends know, not even Dad or my siblings. I think it would make them sad, and I don’t want to be the reason for that.
“She’ll be with you every second of the season. She’ll give you strength,” Sage says and leans her head against mine.
God, I hope she’s right.
I can’t do this without Mamá.
Chapter 8
Santiago
Firstdayofbeinghitting partners with Catalina.
First of hundreds.
My head sags at the very thought, but Papá laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world to see me this bent out of shape.
“You still want me to take care of you when you're old, so I’d be careful,” I warn, mostly teasing, which only makes my father bend over at the waist to laugh even harder.
“Mijo, I’m rich. I don’t need you to take care of me,” he replies, so I roll my eyes at him. “Plus, Manuela would take care of me if I asked her to,” he adds, and the mention of my sister, who’s been on vacation with her girlfriend for the last week, makes me miss her even more. We’re twins. She’s supposed to be here so I can vent to her after every session with Catalina.
“I’ll find a different way to get payback then,” I say right as Charlie and Cata step intoLumière des Étoiles’indoor tennis courts.
Cata has sunglasses resting on the top of her head, pulling her brown hair out of her face. She’s wearing a two-piece set, yoga shorts that hug her ass and a tank top in the same color and fabric that frames her chest and stops right above her belly button. Her piercing there sparkles in the light a little, and when my eyes trail up, I notice imprints of what look like piercings by her nipples, too.
I forget all about talking until she’s in front of me, waving her hand in front of my face to snap me out of my staring trance.
“If you’re done admiring my tits, can we get a move on? I have other shit to do today,” she says, and I try to find a witty comeback, but I’m still so intrigued by the possibility of her having nipple piercings that I struggle to breathe.
My mouth opens to reply, but no sound leaves me, none other than a strange wheezing one I’ve never made in my life before.
“See, this is what happens when you work with men who like boobs. The faintest sight of a pair of them and all blood leaves their brain and goes to their dick. It’s really no wonder then that the world is going to shit with straight men in charge, is it?” Cata goes on, pushing past me with her tennis bag slung over her shoulder.
“She has a point, you know?” Papá chimes in before walking past me too and following Cata. Charlie grins as they appear in front of me, grabbing my shoulder and squeezing once.
