The Blood's Elegance

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

SPRING IS FOR FESTIVAL XI

“Where shall we go next?” I asked them after I thought we had enjoyed everything in this area of their campus that we decided to sit on one of the benches. Because of boredom, I opened one of the treats we bought. The candy popped inside my mouth, and I could hear it. I noticed the boys staring at me. “What?”

“There's a fireworks inside your mouth,” James commented.

I showed him the extra pack of the candy. “You want one?”

He accepted it and poured it directly into his mouth. Seth looked at us with his arched eyebrow. I offered him some, but he refused.

Instead, he asked, “Have you seen the booth for henna tattoo?”

My eyes opened wide as I faced him. “There's one?”

“Of course. Every school rents those artists for every school occasion because it's students' demands.”

I hopped from my seat and stood in front of him. “Can we go there?”

He joined me standing. We both looked at James, waiting for him. He shook his head and leaned on the bench.

“I don't want to get my skin dirty.”

I frowned. “Are you sure?”

He nodded and gestured us to leave him alone. “I'll stay here. Just make it fast.”

I scoffed. “As if we could tell the artists to be fast.”

We waved our hands at him; Seth led the way, but we were distracted by the sellers. They were good at sales talking, so we stopped in their stores just when I thought that we were done visiting them. Chairs and tables were arranged inside a long tent. One tent was for their barbecue stands and beverages icebox.

“I want barbecue,” I whispered and held my stomach. I breathed in the smell of the food being cooked and starved myself more. I saw Seth going to the students who are cooking the food. I caught up with him. “Are you hungry?”

“You are hungry.”

I denied it.

“You were licking your lips, miss,” he pointed out, “and you were touching your stomach, and it grumbled.”

I pressed my lips together, ashamed that I showed him how craving I am for a barbecue. He ordered foods other than the barbecue, and the man gave us a stick with a number. We searched for a spot to sit and found one on the left side.

I fished for my wallet in my pants. “How much was it?”

“Forty-three, twenty-five.”

“Here.” I gave him twenty and two dollar bills; he returned the two dollars.

Our orders arrived. We consumed it in silence, realizing that both of us were hungry since this was our first meal for today. We forgot to eat breakfast because everyone agreed to it outside, but now, it's just us eating together.

“We should have invited James to eat before we go to henna tattoo,” I told him as we cleaned up our table and threw the paper plates that we used.

“I am sure James had eaten,” he replied. We thanked the staff when we exited. “He wouldn't just stay there like he said.”

After that, we went to the booth for a henna tattoo. A lot of people were waiting for their turn since the staff couldn't accommodate every customer as soon as possible. We were standing for more than five minutes, watching how the staffs work on the different parts of the body of the customers. I had an idea of the look of the tattoo that I would get, but I still picked up the portfolio and browsed for another design. I heard that there was a white ink perfect for dark-skinned people, but mine was light, so I chose one that used brownish.

“There's a black ink for henna tattoo.”

The ends of my hair shivered the instant Seth spoke behind my back. He was staring at the designs as I did, but I did not notice his presence. He pointed a design.

“That looks great in black, but black inks are not advisable because there are some that are harmful for your skin.” He borrowed the brochure from me. We surfed through it together. He peeked under his lashes. “Are you sure that you can get a henna tattoo? Is your skin not allergic?”

I displayed my pale arm and tapped it, my fingers leaving red marks on it. I wiggled my eyebrows. “My skin is perfect for everything.”

It was our turn. I pointed to the artist the design I wanted—an arm sleeve tattoo design. Although it would cost me more than other tattoos because it would have a large coverage, I preferred this one. It looked cool especially the way my white skin gives highlight to the brown ink.

While the artist was busy with me, I looked around the tent and found some staring at us. I turned to Seth and nodded. Seeing the artist just wiping off the ink, he was nearly finished. He chose a small dragon to be put on his rib, and now I understood why their attention was in this direction. It's not particularly me they were staring at. It was Seth who was raising his shirt and displaying his toned body like he was the item in a public display. Upon noticing I still had eyes at him, he winked at me, and I swore that I heard some frustrated reactions.

“Done,” the artist said.

Seth put down his shirt and stood, fishing money from his pocket to give. He stayed beside me. The artist invited another customer, and girls rushed in hope that they could have the spot beside this man with me.

Minutes later of doing nothing aside from chatting with each other, my tattoo was finally finished. I proudly flaunted my arm to Seth; he did the same. His action caused some teenage girls to squeal at the sight of abs in reality. I slapped his tummy; he quickly covered his skin and laughed.

“Let’s go find them,” I told him. “Where could they be?”

“Maybe we should let them enjoy without us.”

“Right, but let’s just search for them, so we can go to the other campus together.”

He agreed. “We’ll go with who we will find.”

On our way back to where we left James, we saw him playing the darts. Hitting the outer bullseye and the single scoring area, he caught the children’s attention who cheered him up and said how cool he looks. The seller gave him his prize, a lion stuffed toy. The seller flipped the toy and pointed the zipper and storage inside to James. Hearing how happy the child beside him is, he handed him the toy and paid the man to have another game.

“James,” Seth called.

In a surprise, James accidentally threw the dart, hitting the bullseye. Shaking his head in the quick happening, the seller grabbed an action figure still inside a transparent box and put it in the hand of one of the children with James.

“Thank you!” The young boy wearing a jumper hugged James’ leg. “This is my first toy. I will never lose this.”

The other children also expressed their gratitude towards him. Six in total and almost all of them had toys in their hands. Only two children were waiting to have something for them.

“Give me a second,” James said and brought out a dollar bill which he passed to the man responsible for this game. “Last one.”

Since we were not in a rush, we let him played his ‘last one.’ I read the sign behind the seller stating that if a customer will win three prizes consecutively, he will receive an extra toy. Without putting in extra effort, James won. For winning six prizes, he earned two rewards. Now, all the children had a smile on their faces. Seeing me looking at them, James shoves a toy right into my face.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

“What is this?” Thinking that he was jealous, we became silent. Seth frowned. “Where is mine?”

James, processing his friend’s joke, also knitted his forehead and pushed Seth as he laughs. “Dude! Don’t be envy with the children.”

“Just kidding.” He put his hands in his pockets. “Off to the other campus. Maybe, we’ll see others there.”

“No one texted them?” I asked.

The guys looked at each other.

“What’s this? We’re all on our own?”

“They could handle themselves.” James waved his hand, dismissing my question when he rooted in his place, and slowly, like the one in horror movies, his head turned towards me, and his gaze spotted the tattoo on my arm. “You are beautiful. That tattoo made you look dirty.”

“Nevertheless, I still look pretty even though I am dirty.”

I flipped my hair and quickened my pace to leave him behind. Feeling my blood boil at the moment, I might say harsh things to him, and I did not want that. I wasn’t trying to impress any of Seth’s friends, but my savage attitude was only reserved for mean girls like Ayuna.

“Why did you allow her?” I heard James asked Seth.

“Is that the reason why you didn’t go with us? You know that there’s nothing wrong with a tattoo―”

“I meant, why her whole arm though? It was gross.”

“Tattoo or any word about body modification are not the synonym of gross or disgusting.”

“It irks me.”

“Well, you. It was only your opinion, and some opinions are not meant to be spoken like yours. If you see that something you dislike does not harm a person, you do not give care about it and let them enjoy.”

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