Callum's POV

 I had been waiting for Monday all weekend but now that it was finally here I was kind of nervous. 

 I start my first shift at the coffee shop in a few minutes and while I'm not usually a nervous person, it seemed like today would be the exception. 

"Has anyone seen my deodorant," Jax called out as he stepped out of the shower.

"No babe, just use mine," Liam yelled back as he came to fix my hair but I bat his hand away. 

"My hair is fine," I say with an eye roll. 

 "Maybe I just wanted to play with it," he said with a small pout. 

 "Sorry babe but I'm already a bit late. You can play with when I get back tonight."

 "No I can't. I'll be at work when you get back."

"Yea but only for another half hour after that. You can until then," I say with a smirk before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Now I got to go before I'm actually late. I'll bring back food when I come back."

On the bright side, the apartment wasn't too far from everyone's job. All of them were within walking distance so we didn't have to worry about getting cars any time soon since Liam could take a train to school. 

I ended up getting to the coffee shop a few minutes before I was supposed to clock in. 

 "Hello, welcome to The Coffee Nook. Any idea what you want today?" A tan guy behind the counter asked as soon as I walked in. 

"I'm Callum, I'm supposed to start working here today."

"Oh you're the one Colby hired from that camp?" He asked, as he looked me up and down before frowning a bit. "I heard you killed someone so they sent you there."

That honestly made my blood boil a bit.

"I didn't kill anyone," I said with a small glare as I hold back a scoff. 

 "Then what were you there for?"

"Listen," I say with a forced smile as I put a hand on his shoulder. I could almost feel the panic coming off of him. "I got a little word of advice for you, unless you want to get punched in the face, don't ask questions like that."

The guy only nodded as he took a step away from me. 

"Noted. I guess I'll show you everything real quick." 

 "Yea, you do that," I huffed out as I stepped behind the counter. 

Great. I had been here for about three second and I already had to threaten someone. This was going to be great. 

 "I'm Tanner by the way," he said as he handed me an apron. "You said your Callum right? You'll get a nametag some time next week. Colby is going to want to meet with you before you actually start though. Let me show you to his office real quick." 

I honestly wanted to choke slam this guy. He talked entirely too much and was way too nosey.

I follow him into the back anyway, almost dreading talking to the boss. 

 "Don't worry, Colby is a pretty nice guy. He only tends to yell when someone yells at him first so just don't yell and you'll be good." I only have time to nod before he's shoving me into the room and slamming the door behind me. 

"I see you met Tanner," Colby said as he stood up from his desk, a small smile covering his face. "I hope he hasn't gotten on your bad side yet."

"Is he always like that," I ask with a chuckle to try and clear the air. 

 "Most of the time. You'll get used to it. I'm Colby by the way," he said as he stuck out a hand to me. 

 "Callum," I say as I shake his hand, "but you probably already knew that."

"Yea, Andrew told me. He also told me about your camp but he didn't tell me why you were there. Can I ask why," he said as he went back to his desk. 

"I don't like talking about it," I say with a small glare. What is it with these people and asking shit like this?

"I get that," he said with a frown and a nod, "but I really need to know. This is my first time having someone like you here and I want to be able to see the signs of old habits emerging before it's too late." 

 I wanted to roll my eyes at that. He shouldn't automatically assume that I was going to go back to crime. Three years isn't going away in three days. 

 "Drug dealing, I used to deal the lower cost stuff before I was caught and taken to camp." That wasn't a total lie at least, it wasn't if you considered meth and heroin 'lower cost drugs'.

 Colby hummed, as he looked me up and down. I have to bite my tongue before I said something that would get me fired before I even started working. 

 "Well that's all I need from you right now so you are good to join Tanner. We're glad to have you here Callum. If anything starts happening, or people try to start something, just let me know." 

I'm sure his words were meant to be encouraging but it honestly just made me get a little anxious but I shake it off with a nod. 

 The day had only just started. There was still time for it to be a good day. 

At least that's hat I thought until Tanner started talking my ear off the second I went back behind the counter.

Jax's POV

 "Do you remember how I taught you to set up a station," Dayton asked as he stepped into his station. 

 I actually really liked how he had everything in here. People weren't just tattooing everyone out in the open. They had their own room, minus the door. Something about so the artist could 'sense' anyone who needed them so they didn't jump if the person knocked on the door.

"For the most part," I say with a small shrug as he took a seat on his stool. 

 "Okay then show me and make it quick. My next appointment will be here in 15 minutes."

I couldn't help but stifle a sigh as I went to set up everything. 

 This had been the extent of my day. Following Dayton around, doing busy work, and barely having enough time to breathe before I was ordered to do something else. 

I was so ready to just go back to the apartment at the point and it wasn't even 4 yet.

"When do I get to practice actually doing a tattoo on something," I groan as I wipe down the machine. 

"When I decide I want you to," Dayton said just as the phone went off. "You're doing good for your first day," he said as he went to answer it. 

By the time he was done with his call, I had already set up everything so I was just waiting for him to get back. 

 "Do you have any drawings, like something in a sketch book or something," Dayton asked. His appointment was supposed to start5 minutes ago but the person was either late or just wasn't coming after all. 

"Not really," I said as I leaned back against the wall.

All I had was a few drawings of Ryder and the one I did a while back of all three of them sitting on a park bench. 

 "Not really or no," he asked with a slightly annoyed voice. 

 I've learned he doesn't like answers that aren't absolute. It's either fully yes or fully no but nothing in between.

"Well I have some but they wouldn't be anything you get a tattoo of."

 "Bring them tomorrow. I want to see how good you are and to see how much practice you need on just drawing. Andrew also mentioned that you drew your own tattoos." I shrug. "Does that mean yes or no," he asked, his annoyed voice coming back. I was really going to have to get used to this. 

 "Yea I drew them but they were a long time ago."

"Did you get them covered up or do you just not want to show them to me? Help me out here, I'm trying to gauge how good you are."

If I showed him, there would be that awkward moment when he looked at my scars and then he would get all weird like everyone does. But if I didn't he could just get fed up with me and decode to make me wait even longer to practice. 

Any thing was better than him sending me to do busy work again though.

I can't help but sigh as I pushed myself off the wall, my hands going to the hem of my shirt as I turned around to show him the back one first.

He stood up from his stool before coming closer. 

 For a second I could feel his eyes everywhere but the tattoo but when his eyes finally lifted he hummed. 

 "It's a pretty good design. How many tweaks did the guy make?"

"None," I say in a duh like tone. "I gave him the paper I drew it on and told him to do this exactly." Dayton only hummed again as told me to let him see the other one. 

This time I was a bit more hesitant. Liam, Ryder, and Callum only looked at it once before they knew what it was hiding and this dude's literal job is to cover things. 

 I force myself to take a deep breath as I turned around. 

 I look away from him as his eyes scan my chest before landing on the heart tattoo. 

 The harsh glare that came onto his face told me the exact second when he figured out what was under it. 

"Who did it?" 

 "I don't know. Some guy a few towns over," I say with another shrug. I knew that wasn't the question he was asking but I was hoping to play of off. The glare he gave me was enough to let me know that I wasn't getting away with that answer. 

"I'm not blind," he huffed out as he backed away and stood at his full height. His glare was still evident as Carter readied himself to front. "I've been doing this job long enough to be able to see what something is covering. Who did that to you."

You don't have to tell him anything. Carter huffed out with a glare of his own. 

"I don't want to talk about it," I say, mostly for Carter's sake as I put my shirt back on. This was more of his scar than mine anyway. 

"Ease my mind at least," he said as he followed me while I went to clean Kate's satiation even though she wasn't here yet. "Do I need to worry about them doing that again?"

Carter's anger rose at that thought of that. 

"We'll the person who did it is in Mexico so probably not."

 Dayton huffed again but let it go as he left the room before coming back only a few minutes later.

"I want you to start drawing in this," he said as he handed me a sketchbook with an ever so small smile. "Don't do anything too personal either. Anything you draw in that I want to see it." 

 "Does that mean I get to run the gun soon," I asked with a smirk, his smile dropped at that. 

"Don't push your luck."

Liam's POV

I can't help but sigh when the front door opens. 

 Jax had left right after Callum yet he was the last one out of all of us to come home. 

 "How was it," I asked as soon as he shut the door behind him. 

 "It was alright," he said with a shrug as he stopped by the kitchen to pick something that Callum bought home before coming to sit back at the living room. "I just cleaned and set up everything and it was really boring."

"Did you at least get to watch someone do something fun," Callum asked when Jax dropped down on the couch and put his dinner on the table in front of us for when he was ready to switch with Carter. 

 "No. I'm pretty much just going to be shadowing Dayton this whole time and his only actual appointment didn't show up. The other's were just consultations. How was the coffee shop?" Callum groaned loudly at that.

"He just got done ranting about that," Ryder said with a small giggle as he leaned farther into Callum's side.

"It was rough at first but in the end it wasn't terrible. I have a chatter box for a co worker though."

"Have you called Andrew yet," I asked Jax. He had gave us all his number before he dropped us off so we could set up sessions or if we just needed him to rant to.

"Not yet. I want to see how far I can get without a need for a session first."

"That's probably not a good idea," Callum said with a small frown but Jax shrugged. 

 "I'm still going to call and text him but I want to see if there is even a need to keep doing it."

"Babe, I think we both know you still need those sessions," I say gently, trying to keep him from getting mad. "You and Carter haven't been a system for very long. You still need help getting along some times."

"Yea but we haven't fought in like 4 months. We're doing good. He hasn't forced front in a while, both of us are doing better nightmare and anxiety wise. Andrew said our goal was being able to live together so everyone thrives and we both are so what's the point?" 

 I look over to Callum with pleading eyes. If any of us could talk sense into him, it was Callum but he only shrugs with a frown. 

I guess we weren't going to force him them. 

"What about Patrick?"

"What about Patrick?"

"Have you talked to him yet?" Jax closes his eyes for a second as he takes a deep breath. 

 "No, I haven't talked to Patrick since Friday when he dropped us off. Well more like Saturday when he helped us set stuff up. Patrick is a big boy. He can handle himself for three days before he falls apart."

 The second his last word was over Carter was up front. I don't know if Carter took over or if Jax pushed him up front though. 

Carter only gives out a loud sigh as he reaches forward to get his dinner before leaning into be and starting to eat. 

 "He's just stressed like everyone else," Carter reasoned. 

"And how was you're day," Callum asked as he took Carter's free hand.

"I didn't do much really. Just watched Jax do all the work and tried my best to memorize everything but I think we'll have fun there when we get used to it."

"I'm glad you don't hate it," Ryder says with a smile before yawning. We had all gotten up pretty early and it was already nearly 10 now. 

 "You ready for bed," Carter asked as he shoved down a few more bites. 

"A little bit but I can wait until you're ready."

"Go get ready and put on a movie in the bedroom. I'll be ready by then." Ryder looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it as he forced himself off the couch. 

"He wanted to sleep earlier but he also wanted to stay up and wait for you," Callum said when Ryder disappeared into the bathroom as he stood up too. 

"I could tell," Carter said with a small smile as he rubbed his face with his hands. "I pretty tired too."

"Then lets go to bed," Callum said with a smile as he reached down and picked Carter up. 

 "You coming," Carter asked when Callum started walking and he realized I was still sitting there. 

 "I want a shower first but Ryder is still in there," I lie with a smile. "I'll be in there in a few minutes."

When Callum disappeared into the bedroom I let my smile drop. 

 Today was a pretty shitty day. 

 I had only been working at Target for about two hours before a customer yelled me at for the first time. Then I was blamed for some other guy's mistake. Not to mention the fact that I didn't get to eat lunch because of a scheduling issue. 

 I didn't want to tell any of the others though. I didn't want them to feel bad or worry about me tomorrow. 

"Liam get your ass in bed," Carter called out. "Ryder and Callum are cuddling and I feel left out."

"I offered for him to join us. Don't let him lie to you!"

 "Aright give me a second."

 Tomorrow was going to be better.