Chapter 3 - section 3

Neutral, professional, the body artist sits on a stool as to be level with Ruby, and leans in, placing the tip of the marker upon her navel. Ruby stares. Her belly button is surrounded by new flesh, giving in softly to the probing tip of the marker. A small black line is drawn above her navel. The body artist then dips two gloved fingers into a tub of antiseptic cream and rubs the lubricant in circles around her navel, which is far deeper than it has any right to be. The fingers sink into flesh. At times, the body artist's fingers will sweep across her belly and excite it into a faint jiggling. A grimace of shame is upon Ruby's face all the while she witnesses the abnormal physical behaviour of her own altered body. It's as if she has to learn it anew. The thing is alien to her now.

This time round, there's plenty of skin for the tongs to pinch - problem is, there's almost too much. The body artist spends some time and care wriggling the tips of the tongs around to find the area of her upper navel fold thin enough to puncture painlessly. When she finds it, she counts down, calm, and on five to zero, punches the needle through. There is no pain, just a numb, concentrated point of pressure.

Ruby's stomach muscles are going to cramp. But she holds her gut in, regardless. She is getting short of breath. Oxygen is going nowhere.

The body artist finally reaches for the starter ring and pulls the needle out, threading the adornment in after it, screwing the lower bead onto the underside, and stands up. The tools are taken away and set in a sink for cleansing. Ruby looks over at Georgia, who is preoccupied with her phone.

Seeing her chance, Ruby shoves her shirt back down and sits up, heart racing. She exhales, and sucks in a breath. Oxygen rushes to her head, pinpoints of light scattering across her vision. She places a hand on the bed and lets the lightheadedness pass.

She looks down at her short-obscured stomach. She wishes she could look at her piercing, but her shirt is over it, and that's how it has to be. Her stomach is too big to be exposed, just like that.

As Ruby stands up, she doesn't even look in the mirror. She just stands there, awkwardly waiting for the next thing to happen, to be dismissed or something - anything. Well she can't just stand around like this. S she asks, 'Is it all done?' Her own voice sounds weak and timid when she hears it. Keep your back straight, Ruby, back straight.

The body artist nods and begins instructing Ruby and Georgia on maintenance and care as she washes the tools in the sink. Ruby can sense Geogia giving her curious glances, but Ruby just nods and smiles and says thank you like everything's normal. Brisk and without delay, Ruby pays for the appointment at the front desk, followed by Georgia's payment, and leads the two of them out the shop. She can still sense Georgia giving her weird eyes from the corner of her vision. Ruby pretends not to notice. Making it even worse is that she knows her own behaviour is so out of whack. But what else is she going to do? Expose her tell-tale signs? Just lift up her shirt and show the world how blubbery her belly's become? Reveal to everyone what she's been keeping hidden, not only from them, but from herself?