Disclaimer: The following story is mostly true. Names have been changed to protect the stupid, and the heartbroken. Contains drinking, adult themes and may contain physical scenes between both hetero and homosexual couples (all consensual). If this offends you or is illegal where you live, find something else to read.
Chapter 3
The air had been turning colder for weeks as the leaves turned colors. Autumn had always been Julie’s favorite time of year, but as the days followed their stately march toward her birthday a knot formed in her stomach. She couldn’t help but think of the party that Carrie had thrown her last year – she had somehow managed to sneak all of their friends into the house in the half hour it had taken Julie and their friend Marissa to run to the grocery store and back. Carrie had led her into the basement with everyone in tow, where several large boxes sat in the center of the floor. Said boxes contained the new drum kit that Julie had been dying for, but couldn’t bear to ask for because it was so expensive. She’d literally been moved to tears when Carrie explained that everybody present- and even a few people who couldn’t make it – had chipped in to get it for her.
A wave of emotion swept over her even now as she remembered the smiling faces of her friends, and Carrie’s beaming brown eyes looking over her as she pulled the pieces from the first box like a child at Christmas. Why did that day feel like it was a million miles away? As she turned up her collar to the fall breeze, Julie decided that since nobody else was going to be planning any surprises for her this year, she was going to have to make it a good day all on her own. With that determination in mind she set the key in the ignition and headed in to work.
Julie logged in to her computer and sighed. It was barely 9:15 and already the help desk queue had twenty requests. She began going down the list, prioritizing and delegating tasks. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she got to the third one down, marked urgent. She picked up the phone and dialed the familiar extension. “Hey Evan, can you head over to pediatrics first thing this morning? Dr. Peters forgot his password… yes again” she added, hearing the groan on the other end.
“No problem Julie I’ll head over there now. Y’know for somebody who’s so smart…” he began, but Julie cut him off.
“You don’t need to finish that sentence Evan. I hear ya. Just make sure you get there before he has a chance to call Angie. I don’t know about you but I don’t really feel like starting my day like that.”
The younger technician laughed “Yeah, no joke. Alright, I’m on my way. I’ll update the ticket once I’m done.”
“Thanks Ev” she said, and hung up the phone. Evan was technically still a teenager, but he held his own among the crew just fine. Julie couldn’t help but think of him like a younger brother though. She continued through the queue, assigning tasks, including a few to herself. As she looked at the list her mind wandered to her own to-do list of sorts. She thought of all the things she’d wanted to do that Carrie either couldn’t or wouldn’t do with her. A slight grin crept over her face as she reached for her cell phone.
Chapter 4
Within the week the birthday shenanigans had been finalized. Reservations were made, hotel rooms booked. Julie had always wanted to see what Salem was like around Halloween, but Carrie avoided any place deemed “touristy” like the plague. Well, every place except New York City. So Julie had decided exactly what she wanted to do to celebrate her first birthday as a single gal.
She had picked up Lisa in Connecticut on the way up to Massachusetts. It was a gorgeous, clear fall day, and the two sang show tunes in the car as the multicolored splendor of the New England fall foliage rolled by. Two hours later they pulled up to the curb in the quiet town of Beverly, a little bit away from the craziness of Salem proper. Staring through the car window at the decorations in the storefront, Julie swallowed her nervousness with a bit of excitement. “Here goes nothing!”
It only took a few moments to sign a couple of forms and before she knew it, Julie was sitting in what felt almost like a dentist’s chair, with the purple inked stencil already set upon her leg. Their friend Ray had designed it just for her, and he was certainly one to be trusted. His artwork was amazing and she had seen his tattoo work on others before.
Ray patiently explained the process as he removed the brand new needles from their packages and set up the gun, laying things on the sterile drape that had been placed on the work stand beside the chair. Turning to face her, the now completed apparatus in hand he smiled gently. “Ready for your first ink?”
Julie grabbed Lisa’s hand, as she nodded at Ray. Screwing up her face and bracing for what she was sure was going to be a searing pain, she closed her eyes as he began his work – only to open them seconds later, a genuine look of surprise on her face. “Oh! That’s not bad at all!” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. Patting Lisa’s hand, still entwined with her own she looked at her companion, chuckling softly “I guess I won’t need to squeeze the life out you after all.”
Lisa smiled and withdrew her hand, but didn’t leave the side of the chair. “Very cool – but I’ll stay here just the same, in case you change your mind.”
The three chatted as the artwork on Julie’s leg took shape – a Hawaiian styled tribal sea turtle. In less than an hour, Ray was carefully wrapping a bandage around her leg to keep it clean, and handing her instructions on how to clean and care for the tattoo while it healed.
As they walked out of the shop Julie almost didn’t recognize Jen standing in the lobby. A double-take had Julie squealing as she threw her arms around her friend, glad she’d made it.
“I was wondering how long it was going to take you” Jen offered with a smirk.
“Sorry, was kind of in my own world there I guess.” she admitted. “I take it Liz has too much work to do?”
“Yeah, this class is killing her, and her advisor is an ass. She sends her love though. So, you ready Birthday Girl?”
Julie wiggled her eyebrows and smiled. “Let’s go paint the town!”
Chapter 5
Julie awoke the next morning, slightly hung over. Bleary-eyed she looked around the hotel room where she, Lisa and Jen had crashed for the night. She stretched and then winced as the raw skin on her leg brushed against the soft sheets, a subtle reminder that yes, the last twenty-four hours had in fact occurred.
The previous evening had gone mostly as hoped – though Julie noted wryly that the only ones to hit on her at the bars were all guys. She rolled her eyes at the universe. Where were they when I was in college? Cursing her luck she rolled over and tried to settle back down. Light snores told her that both her roommates were still fast asleep. A pang of jealousy hit her as she realized that both of them had loving partners to go home to when they woke up. Lisa had John, and Jen had Liz; nothing waited for her but an empty apartment. She shut her eyes tightly, fighting back tears as she rolled the other way, facing the wall rather than her friends.
Julie hardly noticed the foliage this time as she drove home, having dropped of Lisa back in Connecticut. Dragging herself through the door, she tossed her keys into the basket on the living room table and headed toward the kitchen. She knew better, but right now she didn’t feel like thinking. She poured herself a glass of white wine and took a long drink. She refilled the glass and made her way toward the living room. Turning on the television she flipped around for about ten minutes before finally settling on a movie she’d seen at least a dozen times. It wasn’t long though before the movie and the glass of wine were both forgotten, as the alcohol had its desired effect and Julie drifted asleep.
Silver Tides 