Chapter 7
“Hey, stranger,” Denise said as Lena walked into the room.
“Hey. I know it feels like it’s been forever, huh?”
Denise threw on a wife-beater. “Yeah, but it’s understandable. It’s late in the semester and all.”
“Tell me about it.” Lena looked at Denise’s tribal tattoo. “You know I was thinking about getting a tattoo. What do you think?”
“For real? I know a person if you want to,” Denise said. “Did you ask Brandon?”
“I don’t have to ask Brandon’s permission to do anything,” Lena said as she sat on her bed.
“Yeah, okay,” Denise replied sarcastically as she answered the familiar knock at their door.
“What’s up, man? Damn! Hey, Lena-licious.” Cooley smiled and stepped past Denise as she attempted to flirt with Lena.
“Hi, Cooley.” Lena smiled back. She was used to Cooley’s flirting. It was flattering.
Carmen walked in the room behind Cooley. “Yo, what’s up, people? I got an A on my Econ paper, so let’s celebrate. So where are we going tonight?”
“Well,” Denise said, picking a shirt out of her closet, “Lena here wants a tattoo.”
“Really?” Cooley grinned. “Yo’ man gon’ be okay with that?”
“Why do you all keep thinking that I answer to Brandon? I am my own woman.”
“That’s right, girl.” Carmen gave her a high-five.
“So what’s up then? We going to get inked?” Cooley asked.
“Dat’s on Lena.” Denise smiled.
Her dimples caused Lena to blush.
Lena smiled. “Let’s do it.”
The tattoo shop was more like a hangout spot; more people were there just to kick it than actually get tattoos. Lena felt herself getting nervous as she looked through the tattoos on the walls.
“So, what do you want to get?” Denise asked.
“I don’t know, something small, maybe a heart. How bad did yours hurt?”
“They didn’t. I have a high tolerance for pain.”
“I am scared as shit.”
Denise looked into Lena’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand.”
Denise and Lena gazed at each other. Denise felt her heart beating fast. She knew she had fallen for Lena on day one.
“Yo’, you getting tatted or not?” Cooley said, breaking their moment. “Dee, you gonna get something?”
“I was thinking about getting the Ankh on this arm or maybe a cross,” Denise said, patting her left bicep.
Carmen joined them. “Oh no, don’t get a cross, but the Ankh would be hot. I am getting my Cancer zodiac sign on my back.”
“Cancer power!” Lena squealed. “I’m one too. Maybe I will get my zodiac sign too.”
“Well, how about we all get our zodiac signs?” Carmen said.
“I don’t want that punk-ass shit on me,” Cooley said.
“Why? What’s your zodiac sign?” Lena asked Cooley.
“Me and my bruh are sexy Scorpios. You know what they say about Scorpio and Cancer.”
“No. What do they say?” Lena questioned.
Cooley laughed. “Lena, I don’t tell, I show.”
“Maybe I should get Brandon’s name. I think he wou—”
“Hell no. You bet not!” Cooley said. “Don’t put no nigga’s name on you. Girl, please. That’s like the number one rule. Do you think he would get your name on him?”
“I don’t—”
“Hell no, he won’t. Why? Because you aren’t his wife or his baby mama. You are still replaceable.”
“OK, on that note I think I am going to get my Ankh and I am going to go first.” Denise sat down in the chair.
Lena watched in amazement while Denise got the large tattoo, which covered up a nice part of her biceps.
Denise didn’t flinch. She got her grandmother’s name going across the arms of the Ankh.
Denise noticed the look on Lena’s face.
“See, I told you it doesn’t hurt.”
“Whatever.”
Lena heard Carmen shouting obscenities from the other chair. She was finished in 15 minutes with a small Cancer sign on her lower back.
Cooley decided to get her labret pierced; Lena had to admit that Cooley looked good with it.
Denise’s tattoo was finally done; she admired it in the mirror.
“That is hot,” Lena said.
“You like it?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s your turn.”
Lena sat down in the chair. The tattoo artist laughed at her trembling body.
“Give me your hand.” Denise smiled.
Lena grabbed Denise’s hand and looked in her eyes; suddenly she didn’t feel scared anymore.
Lena dropped them off at the dorm and headed to Brandon’s room. The athletic dorm was always filled with groupies on weekends. She walked around to one of his teammates’ rooms. Lena saw Brandon sitting on the bed next to a girl. The girl moved over when she saw Lena’s angry face.
“Hey, baby. I wasn’t expecting you.” Brandon jumped up; his teammates turned their attention to the drama.
“Well, that seems obvious.” Lena folded her arms.
“Come on. Let’s go to my room.”
“Let’s not.” Lena turned around. “Enjoy the rest of your night.” She walked off, leaving Brandon calling her name.
She turned around to see him running up to her.
“Baby, don’t do this.”
Brandon, what the fuck were you doing? Is that the kind of bitch you want?”
“No.”
“Then why was she all over you? Do you not respect me at all?”
“Bab—”
“Fuck it! How about I just break up with you now so these scandalous bitches can have you?” Tears rolled down Lena’s face.
“Baby, it wasn’t like that.”
“And to think I was about to get your name tattooed on me. I guess I am still replaceable, after all.”
“Baby, you not—Wait, you were going to get my name tattooed on you?”
“Yes, but I didn’t, ’cause of shit like that.” She turned around and showed him the little ankh in the middle of her back.
Brandon wiped the tears from Lena’s face. “Baby, I love you. You are the only woman for me. Those bitches don’t mean anything. And I am going to prove it to you. Just let me prove it.”
“Do whatever you want, Brandon. I am going home.”
Lena got in her car. She cried the whole way home.
“Lena, what’s wrong?” Denise jumped up when Lena came into the room crying.
“It’s over. It’s over.”
“Lena …”
“I go over there to show him my tattoo, and he practically has a bitch sitting in his lap.”
“Lena, come on. Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am sure. I am so glad Cooley talked me out of getting that tattoo.”
“Lena, you know how women are. They are just hoes.”
“Right, Dee, I know that a bitch is going to try anything, but he should have known better. I just want to go to sleep.”
Denise wanted to beat the hell out of Brandon, but she knew it wasn’t her place. She turned the TV onto Will and Grace. Lena called Denise her “Will.”
Two hours later there was a knock at the door. Denise opened it to see Brandon standing there.
“Is Lena here?”
Denise opened the door.
Lena sat up in the bed. “What are you doing here?”
“Lena, you are the only one for me. There was only one way I could think to show you.” Brandon pulled his shirt off.
“Brandon!” Lena put her hand on the large cross on his biceps. Her name was tatted above it. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
Denise felt sick to her stomach.