I lean backward, tipping my head back too. The bench around the table has no backrest from this side and I catch Chaos and Arrow rounding the table to get behind Blakely as they sit on either side of her like they are protecting her from someone.
Who? This is a strange behavior for them.
As if they could hear my thoughts, they both slowly slant their heads to me and give me that condescending look they often make when they are saucy.
My eyebrows hike up.So it’s like that, huh?
They found a new girl to add to their squad and I’m tossed away.
Dean points to his left sleeve, “Jim tattooed me when I was nineteen and offered me the apprentice position at his shop. He was the best mentor.”
I love it when they tell stories about one another even though we heard them a million times.
“He is. I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Blakely takes a small bite, “He always said you were a promising artist.”
“Because of his will to teach me and guide me. I was a mess when I came here but he helped me navigate through things and gave me a few different perspectives on life.” He arches abrow at me, “His favorite sport was to hide Jim’s ink bottles until he taught him a lesson. Let’s say taunting grownups can bite you in the ass.”
She scoots closer to the table, elbow propped on the wooden surface and her face rests on her knuckles. “What did he do?” she asks, obviously enjoying the situation.
“Meadow was sixteen at the time, super stoked about his new bike and his new gear. Jim spotted a girl in the crowd and asked her to make conversation and tape a sign to his back. We didn’t think she’d actually manage to do it because the kid was damn sharp, but I guess when there’s a pretty girl in front of you, not so much.” He eyes me.
That was the worst day for a sixteen-year-old who wanted to impress a girl and got pranked by her along with his Dad and the mastermind Jim Wilder. The embarrassment I endured lasted that entire summer. They told me I needed to have some fun because I’m always serious. Back then, I was. But damn, I grew out of it quickly.
The number one lesson I learned that day is to never mess with Jim Wilder ever again. And start a friendship with him to learn all his tricks.
“Michael,” I clap my hand in his. “Did you see Jim’s new bike?”
He jumps in place, already pumped about this summer—the first with our new bikes.
“That man is so cool.” He speaks with his hands. “I’m going to pull a prank on him. It’d be fun.”
“You better not mess with him.” I lecture the prick because he always gets us in trouble and then I pay the price. “He wouldn’t letyou get away with it easily.”
“Nah,” He shakes his head, “He’s a good sport.”
That afternoon is cauterized to my soul.
“Hurry up, Meadow. Bring me the ink bottles.”
I open the caravan doors, and everything is organized neatly on the table. Everyone is eating lunch in The Garage and this is now or never. “Dude this is such a bad idea,” I comment. “I don’t know why I always let you drag me into this.”
“Come on, we’ll laugh about it in the future.” Michael takes the bottles I give him and runs away with them.
Everyone remembers me as the one who initiated the prank, yet it wasn’t me who started it. It was Michael. He was the prankster who loved to make strangers laugh. I was the one who needed a friend like him. Another person to call family. A brother.
“On that piece of paper, Jim wrote—call Jim Wilder to book your next tattoo session, his number was at the bottom.” He laughs hysterically. “Jim booked over fifty sessions that summer. That man knew how to hustle.”
“The story isn’t over,” I intervene. “After I went for a ride in the morning, I couldn’t take my gloves off. He stated that now I would never losemyequipment and that I’m lucky he didn’t glue the helmet to my head.”
Dean loses his shit along with Lenny. “Your Dad is a genius.”
Blakely laughs and her wide smile stays intact as they continue to reminisce about her Dad until she turns to me with an accusing face. “At least my Dad taught you a lesson.”
“He sure did,” I reply.
“Meadow, I want you to succeed but don’t miss out on being a kid.We all have a little kid inside us and we need to let them out sometimes,“ Jim taps on my shoulder and winks.
I brush off the memory and focus on the food.
