❝Tattoos are the untold stories hidden in ink.❞

Kayla Burns isn’t different she just doesn’t need to go around making friends the way other girls do. She has her ice-skating, her ink and love for roses to keep her company.

Aiden Rowan is different, he has all the friends he could ask for but he wants nothing but to get to know the one girl who never mixes with others, to figure out the stories hidden in ink and to understand her hidden words in those deep hazel eyes.

Is it fate when Kayla and Aiden get stuck in an awkward situation together? Will this be a start of a new friendship or something more in all? Join Kayla and Aiden as they journey through the climb called life.

Prologue

“She hides behind the truths of her past, carving everything into designs on her skin”

~*~

The day starts the same way it does every morning of our existence, the sun rises in the east, the city hall tower clock chimes in the loudest old fashion way waking up everyone around. The shop keepers head to work, while the offices start to open up. School kids get ready for a boring day ahead, while college folks enjoy their life.

Life is plain black and white, there is no grey. It’s either simple or complicated, there is no in-between. So what does one do to make life interesting? How do you make things happier or even fun for the matter, when all you have ever felt is hidden pain?

You do nothing, you just let it go. That’s the only logical thing I can think about. I sat up in bed as the clock ticked some more times, just in time for my alarm to ring again warning me it was another boring day at school. Being seventeen wasn’t an easy job especially for a guy like me. A guy who lost not only his mother but his sister too and that to over a period of three months, people never made things easier with all the fake concern, something you get when you are one of the liked guys.

I threw my legs out of the duvet as the alarm on my phone started to ring up again. It was fifteen minutes to seven and I had to get dressed and ready to leave in an hour for soccer practice. School was fun before I knew what pain felt like, ever since I lost the two most important people in my life, sorrow would cloud ever sign of fun. It’s not like I would sulk around school, my life carried on, soccer, classes and the friends in my life. All that worked out the same way it did four months back. But what changed were my emotions. I was like a walking zombie, without a soul, stripped of his emotions. That was the only way I could stay sane.

The soft morning radio played in the background as I stood under the shower taking in all the pain and letting the water consume ever bit of it. I ran my fingers through my wet hair letting out a tired sigh, I haven’t been sleeping much. Hearing my father sit up late crying or just hoping his wife could come back or my nephew wake up to horrible nightmares. I couldn’t even imagine the pain he must be going through. Losing his mother, when he never knew his father, now he just has me and his grandpa.

How could one stay strong when they have seen so much at such a young age?

I finished freshening up and walked out of the bathroom, I had to wake my nephew up and help him get ready since his school would start an hour after mine and my father didn’t have time to take care of him when he was busy with his work. My father was a detective, one of the good ones. But my mother and sister’s death has played a toll on all of us. My father drinks himself to sleep, he isn’t like before. I mean it was a horrible accident after all. We were on our way to grandma’s place when a truck driver lost control and slammed straight into us. My father rushed from work only to be braced with the horrible news. My nephew and I survived the crash because we were in the back seat. The poor five year old has to deal with so much at such a young age.

“Dean” I called out to my nephew when I walked into his room. “Come on Dean, you have to wake up now” I shook him softly. He stirred a bit before rubbing his eyes blinking to adjust to the lights.

“Aiden?” his soft voice drenched with sleep and sadness touched my ears.

“Yeah, buddy” I placed my hand on his forehead.

“I don’t want to go to school” he said

“Buddy, we both have to suck it up and go to school. There is nothing we can do about that” I could understand the want to be in bed. After the accident my father called up Dean’s father. But I refused to let him go, I wouldn’t give up my nephew to the guy who got my sister pregnant and then left her. No doubt that I was the younger brother but I am seventeen now and I think I can take care of my nephew better than his father can.

“But people in school are always looking at me.” Dean whined.

“They do that to me too bud, but like I promised you on your first day back. If anyone says something rude you tell your teacher and then call me. Got it buddy?” I rubbed his tummy hoping that would make him feel better.

“Okay” he nodded sitting up. I held my arms out to him picking him off the bed and to the bathroom. I made a promise to my sister to always be there for Dean, no matter what and I wasn’t going to break that promise ever.

“Let’s go conquer the world” I tickled Dean making him giggle. He was a bundle of joy even in this midst of sorrow.

*****

“Hey Aiden” I turned to see the cheerleaders calling out to me. I waved and walked up to my coach.

“Good morning Coach” I greeted him.

“Good morning Aiden” he looked up from his board. “We have a match coming up this weekend” I nodded. “So you better get back in the game, if Anderson won’t take front line, you will have to do it” my coach Flack told me.

“Yes sir” I jogged up to the guys and the captain.

“Aiden are you sure you don’t have to lead the team this year?” Calvin asked me.

“No, I am good” I tell him. He nods

“Okay boys, gear up we have three days before the first match of the year.” He looked around at his team; this year I let him take the lead since I didn’t want to be the captain. The captain stays extra hours and I can’t do that. Dean was my priority now.

Calvin was a good player and he has always been my right hand guy so I trust him to take our team to victory. “Got it”

“Yes” the boys chorused.

“Good, play ball” Calvin called out as we broke out of our circle to take our game positions.

I was standing in my position waiting for the soccer ball to find its way towards me when my eyes caught a red haired girl sitting by the stadium stand watching us play. Why haven’t I seen her before? She looked so sad and lost like as if she was in pain. I didn’t realize my name was being called out till I felt the ball hit me straight in the face.

I fell to the ground looking up at that girl, where for a split second our eyes met, I noticed the others crowed around me and help me back on my feet.

“Take him to the nurse, right away” I heard my coach call out. I could have said I was fine, but that would be an outright lie. I wasn’t fine, my head was dizzy and I could see stars to be honest.

“Whoa there” I heard someone call out. “Easy”

“Let’s get him to the nurse, she will give him an Advil for the dizziness” Calvin said.

“Yeah” Francis said the two boys helped me to the nurse’s quarter and placed me on the resting bed.

“Aiden, what happen?” the nurse asked me.

“He thought it would be a good idea if he face-plamed with the soccer ball” Francis passed a snide remake.

“Oh Francis how nice of you to grace us with your sarcasm, now step out” Mrs. Payson chased him out of the room and examined my face for any swelling before handing me the Advil. “You need to take care of the bruise it is not as bad as it would be if the balls speed was more.” She patted my back. “You are free to leave” I nodded and thanked her. Today had already started out as a total disaster. Letting out a sigh I walked over to the boys and headed off to the first class of the day, with the thought of the read haired girl still stuck in my head. I wonder who she is.

Chapter One

“Tattoos are just a way of saying you are strong and brave enough to face pain because life is painful, beautiful but painful.”

~*~

“You really got us in trouble” Carter grumbled the minute we walked out of the nurse’s ward.

“No one asked Francis to be snarky” I groaned placing the ice pack on the bump.

“I know but why were you not paying attention?” Carter asked me.

“Sorry, there was something that distracted me, I didn’t mean to do that on purpose” I snapped at him throwing the ice in the nearby bin and walking out of the hall way back to the ground where my things were lying.

Sometimes the boys don’t know when to stop, they always push me to my limits and then I get angry with them something I don’t like doing. They don’t really understand what pain feels like. They don’t have to watch as my nephew cries at nights for his mother or how I wish things were different.

As I was walking closer to my gym bag I spotted that same girl again by the rose bushes. Didn’t she have any classes?

I decided to walk up to her and maybe have a small conversation with her. I just wanted to know as to why she carried so much sorrow as a burden to her dainty shoulders.

“You seem to be by the ground way too much.” my voice took her by surprise, since she jumped a bit with start and then turned to look at me with wide eyes. Her hazel eyes were loud and clear, but clouded with a faint darkness. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I just noticed you have been around this playground a lot today.” the girl in front of me just sighed and placed the jar she held in her hand down by the rose buses before dusting of the little mud from her sleeves that’s when I noticed she had a tattoo on the back of her palm.

“I always water this roses, the gardener allows me to help him with the rose section because it’s a gift.” She smiled at me staring into deep distance as she placed her hands on the petals of the roses.

“But why the roses?” I asked her, the roses have thorns. They may be very beautiful but they also surround themselves with sharp pointy edges.

“Why not roses?” she asked. “They are the most loved flowers that hold more meanings than any other in this very garden.”

“That is true.” I nodded watching as she gently plucked a white rose and handed it over to me. “What is this for?” I asked her taking the rose.

“For peace within oneself” her words made me wonder as to what she meant by them, did she know I was facing some pain? Did she understand my pain? Before I could look back up to ask her yet another question she was gone. I looked around hoping I would find her but I didn’t see her anywhere on the ground. I picked up my gym back from the ground where I had dropped it and walked over to the boy’s locker. Maybe I would see her again, in the class. 

*********

“Hey wait up, Aiden.” I stopped and turned just in time for Connor Jenkins to catch up with me, the blonde quarterback I was good friends with was breathing heavily as he stopped in front of me.

“Looks like you’re getting out of shape.” I smirked at him.

“Oh, shut up. I have been calling out to you since the time you walked out of the Archeological History class but you just don’t seem to hear me.” Connor defended himself.

“Is there something I can help you with?” I asked him frowning as to why he would want me between fourth and lunch break.

“Yes, you can. We need an extra practice buddy,” he gave me a sly smile “Shane had a last minute back out and I know you used to play football so please could you pull in just for this one time?” he asked me.

“What is coach’s say in this?” I asked him knowing that Coach Warner doesn’t like when we juggle between football and soccer.

“He only asked me to get you, since you aren’t playing captain anymore and that you do have lunch break free, so he told me to ask you” Connor answered me biting his lower lip.

“Only this one time?” I made sure this wasn’t going to get me pulled into playing more often, because I don’t have time for all this.

“Yes, this one and only time. Thank you so much.” with that Connor asked me to follow him to the locker room to get changed into a football jersey.

“You need to just listen to what coach tells you because you will be playing in Shane’s position and the rest will be easy.” I nodded walking out onto the field with him, I looked around hoping I would see that girl again but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Run it again,” Coach Warren called out. Ten minutes into the game and we were already doing it wrong, I had no idea that ever since I left football for soccer the boys played horribly. I mean I only took soccer because it was more wide ranged for me and I got bored with football. But now I think someone needs to pull this team together.

“Rowan, play again” Coach yelled.

“Same play?” I asked.

“Until they get it right.” I groaned this was going to be a long afternoon.

“Chambers, faster release.” Coach yelled.

“I get the damn ball to him every time!” Brennan Chambers, the right hand man to Shane yelled. He stood upright and stared straight into the eyes of the coach.

“Release the ball faster.” By now the coach was fuming mad.

He couldn’t see me glaring at him through my helmet, but I was ready to punch the living daylights out of him.

“Just release the ball as soon as you get it. See what Coach says then,” Connor told Brennan while he screamed out to everyone to take their positions. “Blue, 64, Yellow, 40 and hike” Connor called out.

As soon as the ball hit my hands I stood up and let it fly. Nathan Laurence the guy I had to fling the ball to scramble to get to it.

“Call it a damn day and boys work on the bloody routine” The Coach yelled. “Now, Rowan follow me.

“What does he want with me?” I asked Connor who stood by my side.

“Go have a look, I have no clue” he shrugged.

“Yes Coach?” I asked him wondering what he suddenly wanted with me.

“Would you like to take back to football and take you position of first hand man back?” he asked me. I froze, this is what I didn’t want happening, I had a team already and now he wanted me to give up soccer and take to football. What was he even thinking?

“Coach, does that sound vise for me to do?” I asked him.

“Aiden, these boys need you more than Calvin and his team, Shane dropped out and wants to fill in your place in soccer, because that is more of his thing.” The Coach answered me.

“I don’t—“Take you time and think about it, let me know in two days.” I nodded knowing I wasn’t getting out of this easily. I let out a deep breath and walked away. I had two more classes to get done before I have to head over to pick up Dean.

**********

“So how was your day at school?” I asked Dean when I picked him up.

“Better,” he answered me looking out the window. “The kids didn’t stare at me like always.”

“That is good, isn’t it?” I asked him.

“Yeah”the little boy tapped the window softly drumming his fingers to the music on the radio.

“How was yours?” he asked me.

“Good.” I lied, I didn’t want to upset him, this wasn’t a topic I could talk with my nephew. When we pulled into the driveway he got all excited and ready to run to his room. Even in the midst of all that is happening he manages to keep himself happy and that is all that matters to me.

I decided to make him his breakfast distracting myself from the million thoughts rolling around my head. How was I going to look after Dean and play football and even balance the house and school work?

As the noodles were heating up the front door opened indicating my dad was home. “Aiden?” he called out to me.

“In here” I called back setting the table.

“Your coach called,” he trailed off waiting for me to react. “He said he asked you to join the football team again, but you were hesitant.”

“I can’t just join the team and not be sure of how I am going to manage picking up Dean and the house and school work.” I tell him.

“Aiden, I got a baby sitter for Dean, and she is a really nice girl. You just have to drop him at her place after school. And as for the house, I can see to it. You just please don’t lose out on this.” My father said.

“I don’t know, if Dean would like to be with a baby sitter.” I tell him.

“She looks after the Jacobson’s son also and Dean and their son are in the same class he will be fine.” He tried to convince me.

“If you think it’s the right thing to do.” I tell him.

“It is, now we are invited over to the Jacobson’s place for dinner tonight so better get Dean ready before five.” I nodded and called out to Dean for lunch. I guess my father knows what’s best for the three of us.