She handed him the clipboard and held out a pen for him to take. "Sign at the bottom, okay?" He nodded mutely and scrawled his name on the requisite line, taking pains to make sure it wasn't too readable. He gave it back to her, exchanging it for his license and tucking that carefully into his back pocket.

Nick watched her struggle into a pair of latex gloves then pick up the jewelery he had selected. "Both ears, right?" He nodded again, swallowing the rising bile in his throat. He prayed that he'd at least stay somewhat coherent through the entire ordeal. Nothing would be more embarassing then the evening news reporting that a Backstreet Boy had thrown up all over a store clerk at the local mall.

She loaded an earring into the small plastic device, clicking it all into place with a bored look on her face. Setting it down on a tiny plastic console, she reached for an alcohol swab and a skinny marker. The tiny packet was ripped open and she moved to his side.

The pungent odor of hospitals and sterilization reached his nose and it wrinkled as a reflex. She swiped roughly at one earlobe and then the other, the sensation of alcohol on skin met with air creating a cooling feeling. With steady hands, she dotted each earlobe in turn then handed him a mirror. "Does that look alright?"

He glanced into the reflector, turning his head this way and that. They looked okay; even and everything. "Yeah. Fine."

"Good." The mirror was returned to its resting place and she picked up the loaded 'gun'. His stomach tightened into a dense knot and he swallowed hard, his eyes clamping tightly shut. Nick felt the metal pressing against his ear and he swallowed again. "Three. Two.." She never got to one. He stiffened as the gun clicked and pushed the rod of the earring straight through, then snapping the backing into place.

He hissed out a long breath which he didn't realize he had been holding and he combed through his hair with a shaking hand. It hadn't hurt as much as he thought it would. She ejected the plastic pieces from the gun, then loaded the second earring. "Ready?" Nick nodded again and listened to her count again, tensing as she approached two. This time, the moment didn't come until halfway through one and he bit his lip.

She tossed away the gun and stripped off her gloves. "There. That wasn't too bad, now was it?" He shook his head no as she soaked two cotton balls with liquid from a bright pink and white bottle. Those were pressed to his ears and seemed to take away some of the heat which was throbbing from the two newly punched holes.

Her movements became rapid fire. "Those need to stay in for six to eight weeks and you need to clean them twice a day with this," She held up two of the pink and white bottles, then shoved them into a embarrassingly bright purple bag, which he made a mental note to trash on his way out. "Any soreness, swelling or redness past today and you need to see a doctor. Any questions? No? Good. Marie will ring you up at the register. Have a good day."

Nick got to his feet and steadied his knees. He didn't like needles. Really didn't like them, but you would never know it from looking at him, what with his handful of tattoos and newly pierced lobes. He dug for a wad of cash in his front pocket as he ambled over to the stuffed-animal strewn register. The girl punched a few numbers and held out her hand, in which he put a twenty dollar bill, purposfully gazing at the counter, the floor; anywhere but her. She paused as the cash drawer popped open, her hand resting on the edge. "Hey...aren't you Ni-"

"Nope. Could I have my change, please? I'm in kind of a hurry." She handed him a five and he looked up at her quickly, flashing a grin as he backed away and headed out into the mall. Her voice carried after him. "Oh my god, that...Backstreet Boys..holy fuck."



Part Two