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Gwen always kinda considered herself a bit of a mall rat. What other place could you get goth attire, boba tea, and over-salted cheesy pretzels all under one roof? Of course she had other friends who would go there with her, but they didn’t really seem to… click with her about the same things, you know?
That was before she met Zoey.
Gwen and Zoey walked side-by-side, their Hot Topic bags with Arctic Fox hair dye in hand. Gwen listened intently to Zoey as she gushed about how fantastic all the colors were and how even though she was planning on keeping her hair red for now, the thought of purple hair was super appealing. Gwen swore she could listen to her talk for hours. There was something infectious about Zoey’s enthusiasm, the way her eyes lit up, the way her nose scrunched when she smiled. Gwen’s hand seemed to inch toward Zoey’s, when Gwen realized Zoey had stopped.
“Is everything okay?” Gwen asked.
Zoey had stopped in front of Claire’s. “I think... I want to get my cartilage pierced.”
“Really?” Gwen asked, smiling.
“Really.” Zoey responded. “I’ve been saving up and stuff, and I’ve always loved how yours looked. I’ve just been waiting for the right time.”
Gwen’s mind raced. She noticed my piercings? she thought. “Y’know,” Gwen said, “It’s probably safer to get it done at a tattoo parlor.”
Zoey chuckled. “I know that! But we’re not at a tattoo parlor, are we? Besides, I want the teenage experience.”
Gwen rolled her eyes, her grin going nowhere. She accompanied Zoey to the front counter of Claire’s to get all her paperwork done. Once that was in order, they walked over to the chair where it all would happen. Zoey handed her bags off to Gwen and sat in the chair, smiling excitedly. The employee cleaned Zoey’s ear with the alcohol wipes and prepared the gun.
Zoey’s smile faded. “Wait. Will this hurt? I haven’t had my ears pierced in a while…”
“Don’t worry,” Gwen said. “It hurts just a little more than your regular ear piercing. You just have to relax.”
Worry filled Zoey’s eyes. Gwen could tell she hated the look of the piercing gun. “Remember the breathing techniques you taught me? Breathe in…” Gwen held out her pointer finger, “... Now blow out the candle.”
Zoey laughed and blew out the candle, already looking a little more confident. The piercer stood at Zoey’s left readying the gun. Zoey’s right hand reached out and held Gwen’s tight for support. Gwen felt her own heart racing, her face heating up. She could only hope that no one could see how red she was turning. Immediately, Gwen felt like she was soaring through the clouds and nothing could bring her down. It was like a tidal wave of happiness washed over her and wouldn’t retreat back into the ocean. While this feeling seemed entirely new and special, she knew exactly what it meant.
Zoey squeezed tight when the piercing gun popped, but after that, it was over. Zoey loosened her grip and got out of the chair. “All done!” The employee said. They handed Zoey a little plastic bag with the earring cleaner and gave her the care instructions. Zoey paid and she and Gwen walked out the door.
It wasn’t until Claire’s was out of sight that Gwen realized that Zoey was still holding her hand. She didn’t know how incredible such a simple gesture could make her feel. “So…” Gwen started, breaking the silence. “What do you wanna do now?”
“Hmmm…” Zoey said, looking around. “Maybe we should go get pretzels. Does that sound okay?” Zoey turned and faced Gwen.
Gwen looked back at Zoey with a smile, still slightly blushing from earlier. “Yeah. that sounds great.”