This is a new story I'm trying out. If enough people seem interested in it, I'll continue. If not, I'll delete it.
Veronica was known as a loner to the people in school. The ones who actually noticed her that is. She was a 16 year old junior at the local High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. She didn't fit in here. She kept to herself, never spoke out in class, never participated and always wore black, no matter how hot it was. She always covered her wrists and had her head phones in. She had long black hair with purple streaks in it. She had her nose pierced, her monroe and snake bites. She did them all herself. She had a tattoo on her ankle that no one ever saw. She didn't have the perfect life. Or even close to the perfect life. Her mom left her 2 years ago when her dad wouldn't get off the drugs. He spent all their money on drugs or hookers. He didn't feed or clothe Veronica. She was left to support herself. On more occasions than not she walked into their shitty apartment to find random girls and guys there. She always found a way to avoid them and sneak to her room. She would steal food, clothes, anything she thought she could pawn. She did what she had to, to survive. It got so bad that she had to do something she never wanted to do, never thought she would do and definitely wasn't proud of. She stripped. Even then she'd find a way to cover her ankle tattoo and wrists though. She's seen guys from school at the club. They had no problem letting her know at school that they'd seen it. Anyone who knew her only knew because of rumors or knew her as the quiet loner. She always acted like she didn't care but she did. Just once she'd like a friend where she can avoid home and spend time with them. At least an acquaintance so when the teachers told them to get a partner she wouldn't be the only one without. She just wanted someone to care about her but she would never admit it.
Dean was similar to Veronica. He didn't have a good life. Not a good one at all. The details were horrible and he was angry at the world. He was a loner too but way more talked about. He had a temper. He would fight over anything and really didn't care about anything. He constantly wore clothes with holes in them and Veronica would see him on the street dealing drugs. She heard about him from school. How his mom was a prostitute. While everyone at their school judged him and his mother for it, Veronica didn't. She understood better than anyone doing what you have to do to survive. So many times Veronica wanted to talk to him but didn't. She was too nervous about him snapping on her. She figured the two losers should stick together but he didn't seem to want anything to do with any. He was probably only here because it was the law.
They had every class together and in every class they sat in the back, next to no one keeping to themselves. Dean intrigued Veronica but she wasn't sure why. He looked rough around the edges and older than he was. He looked tired almost every day and his eyes just looked so cold and dead. Every time Dean would catch Veronica staring at him he would raise his eye brows or give her a dirty look. He scared her.
They were in their last class on a Thursday, meaning after school Veronica had to run home to get ready for her job tonight. She shivered thinking about it and wrapped her arms protectively around her. The guys there were creeps. Even the boss. The only reason she got a job was by doing him sexual favors. He knew she was under age but that she needed money and he used it to his advantage. She was used to people doing it though. Every day she questioned why she fought so hard to be here. Maybe she wasn't meant to be. She shook her head clear when she heard the bell. She grabbed her stuff and got up from her desk trying to leave in a hurry. Not looking where she was going she walked right into the back of Dean. Dean turned around angry and she looked up, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. She shrunk down, terrified. "I'm sorry." she whispered out her voice shaky. She was used to getting abused by men and walking into a guy like Dean with a bad temper made her think she was going to get hit. Again.
"Yeah whatever." he mumbled and turned around and kept walking.
Veronica got home in about an hour, got her clothes ready and started walking to her job. Even though she got off at 3:30 she never got home before 4:30. She would take about an hour to shower and get ready and avoid whoever was in the house that day leave at 5:30 for her 2 hour walk to her job.
She got to the club and felt disgusting. She saw some regulars already pulling in whistling at her. She turned to the side and saw Dean there, he was never there before. She saw him making drug deals with some people. She wondered why he was doing that. He must have felt someone staring at him because he started looking around. She panicked at ran into the building to go see which other girls were working tonight.
Meanwhile Dean was outside trying to get rid of all the drugs he had. He made a lot of money but only got to keep a small part of it. He hated it but he needed to eat and survive. He hated these type of guys but he was no better. He hated guys who bought the drugs, they were just like his useless mother. He hated the guys who would take the strippers home, like that was all they were good for but he took his fair share of strippers back to get off. He was a man after all. Everyone already had their mind made up about him, he was a worthless, no good, waste of space so thats what he was going to play. Inside though, he was passionate, caring, compassionate, and protective. His little cousin lived with him and his mother but he was the one who taking care of her and providing for her. She's the only one who got to see the real him. The one who wasn't angry all the time.
He kept looking back at the door. He thought he saw that Veronica girl. Part of him did want to talk to her. To his knowledge she was the only person in that damn school who never talked about him. He knew something was wrong with her. He knew the defense mechanisms all too well. He wondered why she always covered her wrists, why she never talked, why she always had music. Something was different about her. The only reason he didn't yell at whoever bumped into him at school was because it was her. When he turned and saw her she looked terrified. She was slightly shaking and he felt bad but he wouldn't let it show. Then and there he decided he was going to wait til the club closed to see if it was Veronica. It would explain why she's always tired on Fridays, if it was her. It's not like he would judge her, it's not like he has the most respectable occupation.
It was about 3 am when people finally had to leave the club. Dean had been sitting out there all night. He felt a weird sense when it came to Veronica. He didn't know why, he didn't like it but he had to see if it was her and make sure if it was she'd get home okay. About ten minutes later the door opened and he saw a girl with long black and purple hair walk out of the door extremely fast. He stood up to approach her when an old man, really old around 60 grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"You're coming home with me." the man slurred.
"Get off of me." she whimpered. She tried to pull her arm away but couldn't.
"Did I stutter bitch?" the man lifted his hand and slapped her hard. She fell to the ground with tears stinging her cheeks. The man went to reach for her when Dean knocked him to the ground.
"Who the hell are you?" the old man said angrily. Veronica looked up holding her face to see Dean standing there.
"Don't ever touch her again."
"Aw who's this? A boyfriend? Look if you and your little girl friend don't want guys to fuck her, she shouldn't be a stripper. Now let's go." The old man said after standing up reaching down to grab Veronica.
"I said." Dean punched him in the face "don't touch her again."
The old man went to hit Dean when he ducked and tackled the old man. He got on top of him and started swining, his fists connecting with his face over and over again. This was the temper everyone talked about Veronica thought.
She slowly stood up and saw the old man's face covered in blood.
"Stop.." she said quietly. Dean kept swinging. It's like he was seeing red.
"Stop! He'll call the cops!" she yelled. Dean heard her and thought about all the bullshit the cops have done to him. He slowly stood up and backed away from the old man.
He looked at the old man and all the people looking at him. He was breathing hard, telling 'himself to calm down. He looked back at Veronica and grabbed her wrist "Let's go."
"Let go off my wrist." she said, a little pain evident in her voice. He let go of her wrist and they walked in silence for about half an hour.
"Why'd you do that?" she finally got the courage to ask.
"I don't like men getting rough with women." I see enough of it happen to my mom he mentally added. Veronica just nodded her head and kept walking.
"Where do you live?"
"Why?" Veronica asked, getting scared.
"Making sure you get home."
She started getting embarrassed. Everyone knew the name of the apartments she lived in. It was the worst place you could live.
"You gonna answer me?" he asked in an impatient tone.
"Dark creek." She said barely above a whisper. Dean completely stopped and looked at her.
"You live in dark creek?"
"I know it's bad okay? You don't need to make me feel bad about it!" she snapped at him.
"Wasn't trying to."
The rest of the walk home was quiet. When they got to dark creek it was about 5:30 am.
"Where do you live?" Veronica asked.
"Ten minutes that way." Dean said pointing to the right. She nodded her head.
"Thanks for walking me home."
"This is why you're always so tired on Fridays." Dean said.
"What?"
"You don't get home from stripping until almost 6. We start school at 8." he shrugged.
Veronica rolled her eyes and walked up to her apartment to take a half hour nap before she got up and got ready and did her hour long walk to school.
When Veronica walked into her first class she saw Dean sitting in back and inwardly groaned. She slowly walked back to her seat and put her head down to get more rest before class started. She heard kids whispering and tried to ignore it. Right when she went to hit play on her music she heard her name.
"Yeah, Veronica. She's a stripper it's not just a rumor... I heard people say they saw Dean beating up some old man she stripped for. She's a whore."
"Ew who takes off their clothes for money? No wonder no one here likes her."
"That's so disgusting."
She felt tears in her eyes. She liked to pretend she was strong but she wasn't. It hurt hearing people talk about her but she didn't have the confidence to tell them off so she sat there listening to people trash her, unable to convince herself to just turn up her music.
"Why is she even here? A stripper at 16? That's as good as her life is ever going to get."
"I don't get why anyone wants to see her naked or pay to. She's not pretty."
"ENOUGH!" She heard a raspy voice yell. She looked up and saw Dean glaring at the girls in front of her. "Shut the fuck up! It's none of your damn business! At least she earns what she has, no matter how she does it! She doesn't have to ask mommy or daddy for things like you spoiled brats do, so leave her alone!"
The girls got silent and slowly turned forward and stayed quiet until the teacher walked in. Veronica just stared at Dean who stared blankly back. Soon the teacher got everyone's attention to start talking to them telling them what their assignment was.
The school day was finally over. It was the longest of Veronica's life. Now that everyone knew it wasn't a rumor they wouldn't leave her alone. They kept calling her a whore. One guy even threw a dollar bill at her as she walked down the hall. She had no escape. No where in her life that she could go. School was hell, Home was hell. Her life was hell.
Veronica waited til the school was pretty clear and walked into the bathroom. She looked around and made sure it was clear before taking a razor out of her pocket, pulling up her sleeves and making a few cuts. Her anxieties disappeared for the moment and she felt better. She watched the blood and slowly put the razor back and pulled her sleeve down before walking out of the door and into someone again.
"Going to make a habit out of walking into me?" she heard Dean's voice and looked up.
"Sorry...again."
"It's fine."
They kept staring at each other before Veronica finally spoke up. "Thanks...for earlier." Dean knew exactly what she was talking about and nodded.
"You do what you have to do right?"
She nodded her head and they both started walking towards the door to leave.
"You work this weekend?" Dean asked when they got outside.
"Why? You gonna watch?" she scoffed.
"No. I just don't' want you walking home alone. It's dangerous."
"Why do you care?" she asked completely stopping and leaning up against the wall.
"I don't know I just do." Dean shrugged.
Just then a guy walked up and loudly said "Hey Ambrose! How much does your mom charge? Feeling a little lonely this weekend." Dean tightened his jaw and turned around with his fists balled. Before he could walk away Veronica grabbed his arm and he looked back at her.
"Don't let them get to you. They're not worth it."
"Says the girl who lets them make her cry." he shot back.
Veronica instantly dropped her hand off his arm and walked away. "Do what you want then." she said her voice laced with venom.
She spent the whole way home cursing Dean in her head. She didn't know why his statement made her mad but it did. She cared about Dean a lot and she had no idea why. She didn't know him. All she knew was what she heard from others but she felt the need to help him and be there for him. She didn't know why but the feeling was strong.
She felt like she needed Dean and he needed her. She didn't know what this feeling was or why she had it but come Monday she was going to try to become Dean's friend. A real friend. What could it hurt?
