Twelve Days (It takes two): Day 7

Ryan tried to lift his head from the pillow but it was as though someone had their hand gripped tightly around his brain and with each movement he made they squeezed tighter.

“ugh…”

“Come on you! Get up! Your parents arrive today and I am not handling them on my own.”

“ugh…need…water…ugh”

Ryan stayed in bed, unable to open his eyes or move and vowed to never again go drinking with his friend, he knew that he couldn’t handle too much so why did he always let himself get talked into these things.

“You should put some cream on that and cover it with something. In case it chafes against your clothes.”

“huh?!” Ryan looked up at Sarah as best he could. What was she talking about? Cream? Chafing? He hadn’t fallen on his arse again had he?

A wry smile crept its way onto Sarahs face,

“Your tattoo…on your buttock..” Sarah laughed and left the room.

“wha…” Ryan tried to look at his bum whilst lying on his front and nearly dislocated his neck. It was no use he was going to have to get up and see what she was talking about. He thought she had said tattoo but he must have misheard her.

“SARAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”

“what? What is it?”

“What have you done to me? Where did this come from?”

“hahahahhaha…me? Oh no Ryan, this was ALL you, and there I was thinking you didn’t even like tattoos. It seems you do….that and cheese…hahahahhahah” and Sarah left Ryan standing in front of the full-length mirror, stark naked and staring at his bum cheek from over his right shoulder.

Ryan couldn’t believe that he had gotten a tattoo and had no idea what it was supposed to be. Sarah must have been joking, he hoped she had been, he really didn’t want it to be cheese.

“Ryan darling, Ryan, mummy is here.”

Ryan shivered as he heard his mothers tone drift up the stairs to him, and he let out a sigh, he was about to call back that he was on his way when he heard her footsteps on the stairs.

‘Shit!’ He thought. He didn’t want to be caught and if his mother saw the tattoo she would kill him, even if he was a thirty something with a wife and baby on the way. Hearing the footsteps getting ever closer he called out

“one minute mummy…I’m just…” as the door handle began to turn.

He ran to the other side of the room and tried to hurriedly put on some trousers, as the door opened he had one leg in and one leg out, no pants, was bent over with his back to the door with his tattoo in full view.

“Ryan….” And her voice trailed off.

His head flew up as he stood up straight to meet his mother’s eyes, the trousers were a tight fit but he yanked them and pulled the zip in haste. As he did so he caught something that caused him to yelp in pain, and fall backwards as he passed out, banging his head on the bedside table in the process.

Sarah heard the noise and rushed to the bedroom, as fast as an overdue pregnant woman could, only to find Ryan laying on the dirty washing in a heap on the bedroom floor, blood oozing from his head, a pair of trousers around his ankles, and his tackle (also bloody) on full display. On her knees beside him was his mother Nora, she was shaking his shoulder and calling to him, tears streaming down her face.

“Ryan darling, Ryan, c’mon, wakey wakey”

“Nora…what happened?” asked Sarah.

“Oh, he…erm…heheheheh…erm…he..he was…he…he…he was getting dressed…hehehehhehe…and…oh dear…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t laugh…he sort of fell..I walked in on him putting on your jeans!” and she fell into a fit of hysterics and the tears continued to stream down her face.

“ugh…ugh…” Ryan’s head hurt. How much had he drunk last night?