THE BACKSTORY

Every type of accessory imaginable was hanging on the wall as I walked into Claire’s. I was nervous and my squeaking Converse seemed to reveal that.

AND THEN

As I walked towards the earrings I was greeted by a familiar face — the sight of one of my old basketball teammates, which calmed me down and got me thinking about the good old days when I played the sport I loved.

With my confidence renewed, I walked up with my mom to the register.

A nice lady asked me if I needed anything.

“Yes. I am here to get my ears pierced,” I said.

I nervously rubbed my hands together. She gave a wide smile.

“Well then, let’s get you started,” she said.

She lead me and my mom to the seats and I gave my mom the camera and angled the chair so the lighting was good. She told me to look at all the options and their pricing.  I studied all of them carefully. I picked 14K white gold 3mm long.

The antibacterial solution felt cold as it was  wiped over my ears. The technician pulled out the earrings I had chosen and put them into the gun. She then asked me why I was getting my ears pierced.

I sat there for a while and thought. I was doing this because I’m turning 17 and I have never gotten them pierced. I was doing this because it was something I had wanted to do since the beginning of sophomore year but couldn’t because I played sports. It was also a sign of a change for me, I was no longer the tom boy I used to be throughout elementary school and most of middle school. I was becoming a mature person.

So I said what I was thinking and she started the process. making purple dots on my ears with a pen and having my mom sign papers. She placed the gun over my ear and I cringed as I felt it pierce through my skin.

She repeated the process with my other ear and I sat for a second in shock trying to gather my thoughts and to realize that the thing I had held out on doing for 16 years and 11 months was over. I had done something I used to fear.

She showed me how I was to clean my ears three times a day for the next six weeks.

I paid and walked out of the store with my ears red and newly pierced.

THE VERDICT

It only hurt for a while, and after I felt like a new person.

by ARIELLA APPLEBY