It was a usual hot Texas summer night and you couldn’t sleep without feeling like you were going to boil alive. After tossing and turning for a while, you kicked off your thin blanket and made your way downstairs for a drink.

You could faintly hear the t.v. In the living room and two voices occasionally laughing. It didn’t surprise you that your dad and Joel were still up. It was almost like a ritual since you were a baby, Joel would come over from next door and drink with his best friend until the late hours of the night.

You snuck into the dark kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge as you opened it, bending a bit as you looked for some cold water bottles. You’d been so excited to get some water that you hadn’t heard Joel’s footsteps coming into the kitchen to throw out his empty beer bottle.

From your position, your shirt had ridden up a bit, exposing what suspiciously looked like a tattoo on your hip, making his eyes widen.

“So you really did it huh?” He said with a lazy smirk, amused when you jumped in surprise, looking over at him like a deer caught in some headlights as he eyed your hip. You quickly pushed down your shirt, silently cursing as he saw the tattoo you got in secret when you turned 18.

“No no, come on, show me.” He said, stepping closer as he gently took your wrist, pulling it away from your shirt. At least he didn’t sound mad.

“Please don't tell dad.” You quickly said, giving him a bit of a pleading look.

“I won’t if you didn’t get anything stupid, kiddo.” He lightly teased, trying to get a better look at what the hell possessed you to get something so big.