Chapter 1

What do Dior, Avon, M.A.C, NYC, and countless other makeup brands have in common?

Mascara.

Waterproof mascara to be exact.

Waterproof mascara is the key to success. Because you can just cry and cry and it doesn't come off. Its great for the single mom, lonely teen, heart broken child, disgraceful prostitute and stripper.

A waterproof mask! Now at your local drug store!

She studied her reflection in the mirror as she stroked her lashes. Once, twice, three times.

"You put way to much of that crap on" one girl said

She looked over her shoulder

"Did I ask you?"

"It's true, you can bairley get it off your face" the other girl said.

"That's the point" she stated as she screwed the cap back on and through it into her make up bag.

She fluffed up her hair, smoothed down her tight top and pulled her formfitting jeans up, and gave her push up bra one last adjustment.

"They wont be on that long"

She whipped around. The small trailer shifted

"Who said that?" she growled.

Willa pointed at Darcy, Darcy pointed at Willa.

"You know what, let me ask you a question" Rachel said as she walked over to them with her arms crossed. "Do you like warm meals? Do you like clean clothes? Do you like having a god damned roof over your heads?" she shouted.

Her two younger sisters didn't respond.

"Well if you do…get off my case" she whispered as she walked to the door pulling her coat on. She sighed.

Tears were coming. She walked back to the mirror and grabbed that mascara, she might need another coat.

"Don't wait up" she opend the door and walked down the steps.

"Rachel?" she heard Willa call, she poked her head back in the trailer

"Be careful" Darcy whispered.

Rachel smiled. She walked back into the trailer and gave the two a hug.

"I will, I always am" she told them.

She was going to be late for work.

"Go to bed soon ok?" she asked as she walked back to the door and waved, this time she made it out of the trailer.

Willa sighed, Darcy got up and peered through the small window.

"She's gone" Darcy nodded

"She's so good to us…" Willa frowned.

Darcy through the phone to her

"Almost makes you feel bad for being bad, huh?" she smirked

"Almost" she dialed the phone.

She got in her car, the only car. It was old, had no heat or air conditioner. But it ran. She drove a few blocks down the small desolate road and suddenly the bright lights and people were around her. She pulled into Benny's and parked her car in the back.

She made her way around the front.

"Rachel! Wait up!" she heard a voice, she turned around. It was Cooper.

"You ok?" he smiled as he finally caught up

"Yea, but I'm already late" she rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Late for what? I'm right here" he helled up the envelope.

Rachel frowned.

"Listen Coop, I like you a lot. And I really appreciate everything you've done for me and my sisters. But, you paying me 50 bucks an hour for deep conversation isint paying the bills. In there, I can make 200 dollars an hour" she pointed into the building.

"Fine, I'll give you 200" he told her. He didn't want her to go in there.

She smiled. She walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug.

She had feelings for him. He had feelings for her. But he was much older than her. As a matter of fact, even in Sin City it was not a good idea for a 30 year old man to carry on a relationship with a 17 year old girl.

"Rach, please" he whispered in her ear.

She pulled away

"I'm sorry" she shook her head before walking into the building.

She knew her way around the dimly lit rooms and made her way right to the back room.

"Oh my god, I thought you were never going to show up" one girl rolled her eyes

"Sorry" she put her things away "family stuff" she shrugged

"What family?" one other girl scoffed.

"Do you think you'll make as much money with a black eye?" Rachel threatened.

Some of the girls snickered but they quickly left the room. Nobody really liked Rachel Gattina.

After all, she was beautiful, strong, and the guys loved her. She made the money.

"I don't pay you to sit in the locker room" the manager growled as he walked passed her, making sure to grab her butt on the way.

She sighed, resting her forehead against the cold locker. Another day, another night.

She shrugged off her sweater locked it up and than walked back out into the dark show room.

"Your on the floor tonight" a girl in charge said in passing.

She nodded. Every night her throat closed up at this point, and she felt as though she would vomit. But as long as she had her waterproof mascara.

"Hey sweetie, how about a private dance" she heard a man ask in a husky voice. She blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked over her shoulder. The man was waving a 50 in the air.

She turned around and undid the strings of her corset top.

"Anything for you"

7 hours later Rachel stumbled out of the club, it had closed a little over half an hour ago. She pulled her sweater tight around her body. She had splashed her face with water and her hair as messed up. She had definitely looked a lot better going in, but that's how it usually worked.

"How were the poles?" Cooper was leaning up against her car.

"Cold" she nodded

"I wish you didn't have to do those things Rachel" he whispered

"Me to" she nodded

A tear slipped out and fell down her cheek. (no mascara though)

He walked over and wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm a horrible person" she whispered as she cried.

He tilted her chin up

"You are the strongest person I ever met" he whispered.

She smiled, "Drive me home?" she offered him her keys. He nodded as he opend her door for her and she slipped in.

Cooper pulled the old rusty car into the spot infront of the old rusty trailer home and they got out. They walked arm and arm up the front steps.

Rachel sighed. She had a long night. Old guys rubbing all over her, even though they weren't supposed to touch the girls. One girl had 'accidently' spilled a drink on her. But it was ok, because she had to abandon her top for the night, resulting in an extra $500. Which only made the girls hate her more.

She put the key in the knob. She pushed the door open and walked in with Cooper behind her.

"Is that…" she sniffed the air as she turned the lights on.

Imagine her horror, to find her two baby sisters. The two girls she danced around topless for, the two girls she gave up her entire life for…on the couch, with there boyfriends.

With a few joints still burning in the ash tray and her sisters half naked on top of there little boyfriends, she was speechless. But it was the light that startled the girls.

"Oh my god!" Darcy rolled off her boyfriend.

"What the hell are you doing!" Rachel shouted as she grabbed the ash tray. She looked around the room, beer bottles all over and a few condom wrappers. She covered her face.

"Since when do you bring your clients home?" Willa growled as the boys stumbled to find there clothes.

Rachel's mouth dropped.

"Alright, you two out" Cooper grabbed the two guys and basically through them out of the trailer.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" Darcy stood up to him.

Rachel pushed her back.

"cooper you can go wait in my room" Rachel whispered. He nodded

"And leave her tip on the dresser-" Willa was silenced when Rachel slapped her.

"What…the…Hell?" the girl growled

"I am not a prostitute" she whispered "And you know that"

"What difference does it make" Darcy flopped down on the couch next to Willa.

Rachel held her hair, she didn't know what to do.

"Why do you do this to me?" she shouted

The two drunk and high teenagers giggled.

"It's not funny!" Rachel shouted as she stomped into the kitchen and grabbed a garbage bag. She started throwing cans and garbage in it. The girls laughed wildly.

She through the bag in the corner and walked back to the girls.

She grabbed them both by the arm and dragged them down the hall, she pushed them through the door to the room they shared, slamming the door behind her.

She closed her eyes as tears fell, she pressed her weak body against the door.

Cooper was leaning against the door way of Rachel's room.

The girls were still laughing, Rachel banged her hand against the door, and they stopped for a moment.

"You are doing the best you can" Cooper whispered.

Rachel opened her eyes, her sight was blurry but she grabbed her bag and walked into the room passed him.

She emptied her bag, on to her bed. Dollar bills, ten dollar bills, 50s and 100s flew out.

"Busy night" Cooper sighed as he closed the door and took of his jacket.

She pulled a box out from under her bed and opened it, it to was full of money. She was saving for them. Her and her sisters.

"you know what Cooper! I'm tired of your little comments ok? Do you think I want to be a stripper? Do you think when I was seven years old I was like hey, you know what, if I try hard enough, maybe one day I can be a pole dancer? Well if you do, than your wrong. Because this is not what I had picked out for my life."

She was comfortable taking of her clothes, so she stripped them off and got into her pajamas.

She collapsed against the bed, cooper laid down next to her.

She rolled right into his arms.

"Tell me what to do?" she asked, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.

"Let me help you" he whispered

the truth was, Cooper had a lot of money. He had inherited a lot of money from his dad and now he lived in one of the Vegas hotel rooms. He had met Rachel when she was just a cocktail waitress. He had been instantly intrigued.

Well actually, he had instantly felt bad for her, but that led to intrigue.

Before she could answer, somebody banged on the bedroom door

"Rachel…" they moaned.

She sat up. Alcohol and Weed wore of fast.

"Let it be there punishment" he advised her.

"I cant" she whispered as she walked to the door.

AS soon as she opened it, Willa practically collapsed into her arms.

"Ok, it's going to be ok" Rachel supported her

"I think I'm going to be sick" she whispered, her breath reeked of tequila.

"Not yet" Rachel begged as she dragged the girl to the toilet.

She held back her sisters hair as she vomited. She tied it with a rubber band and went to go look for Darcy.

"Darce?" she called as she walked into the room.

The other girl was stretched out on her bed. She walked over and shook her and she didn't wake.

"Darcy, wake up" she started to panic.

Suddenly arms reached over her and felt the girls neck for a pulse.

"She's ok, just passed out" Cooper told her.

Willa stumbled back into the room, which was now crowded with people.

"Hey, get out of here" Willa pushed cooper "Get out!" she shouted

"Calm down-" Rachel tried to console her

"Rachel get him out!" she cried.

"coop, just give me a minute" she asked and he sighed in frustration as he left the room.

"Rach, why is he here" Willa cried as Rachel sat her down.

"He's my friend" Rachel explained as she went through the draw looking for a T Shirt.

"I don't like him" she stated as she waved back and forth

"Well you should, he's the only one we can trust" she found one and walked back to her sister.

Rachel gave it to the girl and she pulled it on.

"I can trust Danny" she sighed

"Danny, the guy on the couch? I'm sure" Rachel sighed.

"What do you know" Willa sighed in a drunk stupor as she laid down in her bed.

Rachel pulled the covers over her.

"uhh" Darcy moaned in the next bed. Rachel covered her.

"I know more than you think" Rachel closed the door.

She came back to her room.

"They take advantage of you, because you let them" Cooper told her.

"Do you wana be my dad…or…just…be with me?" she questioned

He pressed his lips together as he pulled her down to the bed. She snuggled up next to him. They weren't going to have sex, they had once before, but never felt the need to do it again. She fell asleep in his arms.

And that was it. Sisters in bed, money made, the day finally over. And not one streak of mascara.

The next morning she was pouring fruit loops in her bowl. Cooper had went to get bagels but she couldn't wait. She looked up to see Darcy stumble out of her room and into the kitchen.

Rachel smiled. She and the younger girl shared the same wild, long red hair. They looked the most alike, just like there mom. Right behind her, Willa walked out holding her head. She looked more like there dad, dark hair olive complexion.

"Morning" Rachel chirped

"Shut up" both girls whined

"Aw, rough night?" Rachel smiled

Willa shook her head, going to the cabinet.

"There's no aspirin?" she complained

"it was aspirin or bread"

"Next time, get the aspirin"

There was a knock at the door, she figured it was Cooper. Clad in her pajamas she got up and opened the door. But it wasn't Cooper.

"Can I help you officer?" she asked confused

"Are you Rachel Gatina?" one asked

"Yea-"

"Well than your under arrest" the two cops pushed into the small trailer

"For what?!" Rachel demanded as they cuffed.

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Darcy and Willa came forward

"Your under arrest for the suspicion of prostitution" one stated

"What?" Rachel asked confused

"Prostitution is legal in Las Vegas you moron!" Willa shouted as she hit the arm of one of the cops

"I'm not a prostitute!" Rachel shouted

"Than your under arrest for procession of an illegal substance" the other stated

"What?" she was so utterly confused.

They began to pull her towards the door.

"Get Cooper!" Rachel told her sisters who stood in the living room watching the Cops man handle her.

She had been sitting in a dark interrogation room for half an hour. She thought this type of thing only happened in movies. She knew exactly who was behind this. She only hoped that things were ok back at home. She just wanted her sisters to be safe. That was all she ever wanted.

She looked up when the door opened and light flooded in. She was surprised to find that it wasn't one of the loser cops who had brought her in, but somebody who looked important.

"Rachel Gatina? He asked as he sat down, she nodded yes. "Procession of a concealed weapon?" he looked at her wondering if it was true.

She laughed "first they said I was under arrest for prostitution" she stated

"but that's legal-"

"That's what I said, than they said it was a drug charge" she shook her head.

"I'm Chief Larris." He stated as he red the report "Hm…now what would to guys like O'Malley and McLain want with you?" he asked, referring to the two cops who had brought her in.

She shrugged

"Come on Rachel, I can help you, if you just tell me" he whispered

"I didn't do anything wrong" she cried

He patted her hand. He reminded her of her grandfather.

"Than why did they bring you in?"

"I guess…" she sighed as she looked up, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

Just tears, no mascara.

"I guess they must work for the O'Brian's" she whispered

"And what would the most notorious crime family in Las Vegas want with a young girl like you?" he pried.

She covered her face and continued to talk

"I needed a loan, they gave me a loan" she informed him "I guess they want there money"

"You guess?" he asked loudly "You guess? How much did they give you?"

"3 grand" she whispered

"And how much have you paid?"

"Like…800" she sighed as she sat back in her chair.

He sat back "What are you going to do? Do you have the money?"

She thought about her box under her bed.

"No" she shook her head "Not enough"

"Ok, right down all your information right here, I'll see what I can do" he whispered

She started to write.

"I'm going to try and help you Rachel. I'm going to try and get you out of this."

She dropped the pen "I don't need your help"

"oh, you don't? Well if they keep bringing you in here every week we're going to be seeing a lot of each other anyways, so why not just let me"

"There's nothing you can do, there's nothing anyone can do" she slammed her fist against the table.

The door opened again, it was one of the guys who brought her in.

"She made bail" he smiled

She got up and grabbed her coat.

The chief grabbed her by the arm

"Come back when your ready for some help" he whispered in her here.

She nodded and pushed passed the dirty cop.

She had figured that Cooper had bailed her out, but that was not the case.

As she emerged from the police station and walked down the steps, somebody grabbed her from behind, slamming her up against the brick wall, in broad day light.

"Oh my god" she got the wind blown out of her.

When she opend her eyes, there was John OBrian. The man had given her the loan.

"I want my money and your bail is being added to the tab." he growled as his arms snaked around her neck. Her own hands were pressed up against his chest.

"Well I don't have it. And its hard to make money…with bruises on your face" she explained barley able to breathe.

"You could come work for me, pay me off real fast" he slipped one hand up her shirt.

She didn't flinch, because she was used to that.

"I will get you…your money" she whispered

He let her go. "I'll tell you what…I'll give you a head start" he smiled as she started to run away.

"Hey Rachel!" she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Your sisters are really nice"

Her stomach clinched and her heart began to raise. She began to run. Faster than she had ever run in her entire life. The trailer was a few miles away from the police station but she ran hard and fast. She didn't stop once. She wasn't sure if she was even breathing anymore.

By the time she had reached the trailer part her hair was everywhere, her face was flushed and she felt as though she would fall to the ground. She stopped right in front of there 'home'

Willa and Darcy, crying and holding each other were sitting on the front step. She walked over to them kneeling down and wrapping them in her arms.

She couldn't do this any more.

"They took…everything" Darcy whispered.

Willa dropped her hand from her face to reveal a purple bruise.

Rachel rubbed it with her finger "I'm so sorry" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Not mascara.

She pulled them to there feet and they walked into the trailer. It was destroyed, garbage everywhere, the little furniture they had over turned.

Rachel took a deep breath and fanned her self.

"did Cooper ever come back?" she asked them and they shook there heads no.

"Because the O'Brian's we're beating the crap out of me" he said as he walked in behind them.

"Oh my god" she sighed as she walked over and hugged him, he had a black eye.

"What are you going to do?" He asked her as he ran a hand down her side.

She bit down on her top lip. She looked over her shoulder.

"Go pack up" she whispered to them and they walked to there room.

"the chief at the police station, he said he would help us" she nodded

"You sure its safe"

"Yea," she nodded "He's not one of them"

"Ok" he whispered as he ran a hand down her cheek. She reached up and pressed her lips against his. She wanted to remember every inch of the only guy who had ever treated her right.

She released him and walked to her room. Everything was thrown about there as well. She sank to her knees and pulled the box out from under her bed.

It was empty. She leaned against her bed. She had saved and saved. And now she had nothing to show for it.

"Rachel" she heard and turned around.

Willa was holding a box.

"We saw the coming, we hid it" she whispered.

Rachel took the box and opened it, revealing all of her earnings. She smiled

"Thanks" she held the box close to her.

She grabbed her bag and started packing her clothes. She put the money in the bottom.

"Where do you think your going?" he asked

"I have no idea, wherever he sends me." She stated

"And if he doesn't have anywhere for you to go?" Cooper wondered

"I don't know" she shook her head.

He pulled up to the police station and she and her sisters got out.

"hang around for a second?" she smiled

"Of course" he nodded

Will and Darcy followed her inside and she walked straight back to the chiefs desk.

"Rachel" he wasn't surprised to see her

"We need your help" she nodded

He handed her a piece of paper.

She red the piece of paper

"7:30, 45 Riverside Road, Tree Hill, NC" she red aloud "What's that?" she asked softly

"The time you flight leaves and the address you'll be heading to, there expecting you" he handed her boarding tickets.

"Who is expecting us?" Darcy wondered.

Rachel pressed her lips together "Aunt Karen and Uncle Keith" she finally recognized the address

"Don't forget there daughter Haley" the chief smiled

"thanks, for everything" Rachel nodded

"Just straighten yourself out," the chief stated

The three girls nodded before quickly left the precinct. Rachel looked over her shoulder

The two cops who had brought her in, they smiled.

She pushed them to go faster and they ran back out to the car.

"Where to?" cooper asked as they sped off

"The airport," she stated as she looked out the window

"Thank you, for everything" Rachel told Cooper

"Call me when you get there, ok?" he stated as he caressed her side

"I will, I promise" she nodded

"Take care of yourself ok…work at like…a clothing store or something" he whispered and she chuckled

"I would love to" she nodded

He kissed the top of her forehead and she made her way to the gate. The plane was boarding. She stopped and turned around. She wanted to be out of trouble, she would miss cooper but she was scared of what was to come.

She waved and than followed her sister onto the plane. There seats were all the way in the back so they continued walking.

She sat in the middle and held Willa and Darcy's hands.

She blinked a couple of times, tears were flowing.

"Oh, sweetie, here you go" one of the stewardess handed her a napkin.

She looked at the women oddly

"Your mascara" the women winked and than walked away.

Rachel was confused. She dabbed her eyes and looked down at the napkin.

Her waterproof mascara, had come off.