So this story is dedicated completely to Cynthia (pinkcracker89), without who it would not exist. She came up with the idea and presented it to me and asked me to write it, so she gets total credit for the idea.
Discalimer- I don't own Degrassi. I do own Ryan though. Lol. Ryan James Yorke that is.
'What are you doing Liberty?' she thought to herself pacing outside the strip club, 'How did it get to this? You have a baby at home, a boyfriend whose working two jobs and attending school full time. Are you really considering this?'
She knew the answer. Of course she was. For all the reasons she had just listed in her head.
Alex spotted her by the door, "So you coming?" Alex knew Liberty was coming, though she wished Liberty wouldn't have too. She wished she herself wouldn't have to... but sometimes life deals you a crappy hand and you just gotta bluff your way through it. Liberty nodded and Alex held the door open for her, "The first time is always the worst, but it gets..." she was gonna say better, but she knew that would be the wrong choice, so she just left the sentence hanging while Liberty once again ran through the list of reasons she had to do this, rent, Ryan's diapers, baby food, food for herself and JT, bills...
"And now here's a treat folks... the lovely Lextasy and our new girl Lady Liberty." the announcer said as Alex nodded to Liberty.
Liberty noted how strange it was that just yesterday she and Alex were strangers, and now Alex knew her biggest secret.
2 Days Earlier
JT siphoned through the bills, "This one says 'Absolute Final Notice' we'd better pay it, and this one is still saying 'Please', so it can wait another month right?"
"I guess." Liberty shrugged, trying to change Ryan's diapers, "Great, he's grown again."
"No, I just bought a whole thing of threes," JT said holding up the bag, "What are we gonna do with them."
"What for the next one?" she asked sarcastically.
"Don't even joke." He said, "I guess I can return them tonight."
"We defiantly need to pay the daycare." Liberty said picking up a bill.
"With what money?" JT asked.
"I don't know. I guess we can live without cable right?" she asked.
"We've been living without cable for the past two months." JT pointed out.
"JT we need daycare. It's the only way we can both finish out of senior year."
"I know." He said.
"I guess I could get a job." Liberty suggested.
"When?" he asked, "We have school from seven to two, daycare ends at seven, I don't get home till seven thirty the earliest."
"Missy from next door?" she said, "I could ask her to pick up Ryan when she gets her kids. We could pay her like ten bucks a day."
"Once again, with what money?"
"The money I'll be making." She shrugged.
JT's watch beeped, "Well, we can try it. Come on Ry-guy, we gotta drop you off. Mom and Dad have school."
"Hey Mom." Manny greeted her friend at lunch that day.
"Hey." Liberty sighed sitting down next to Emma.
"Liberty!" JT called entering the café, "I just got a call, and they need me to cover a shift. It's a double shift with double pay or each shift so it's like a quadruple."
"When?" Liberty asked.
"Now. Take notes in Kwan's." he said passing her his notebook, and kissing her on the cheek quickly.
"No problem." She said quietly.
"Wow, I can feel the love." Manny said sarcastically.
"Yeah." Liberty sighed again.
"What's going on Lib?" Emma asked.
"Nothing, it's just hard raising a baby all on your own with no money to speak of while going through high school."
"Well, yeah, but you knew that going in." Manny pointed out.
Liberty chose not to answer that as she pulled out her newspaper. She was gonna start looking for a job now and hopefully have some interviews lined up tomorrow.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked thinking she was changing the subject.
"Looking for a part time job."
"But JT works like two jobs as it is." Manny said.
"Food isn't cheap, neither is rent, or diapers, or pacifiers." Liberty said circling things with her red pen.
Emma looked at her watch, "Oh Manny we gotta go, Snake needed us to help him set up and I still have to find Sean."
"See ya Mom." Manny said while Emma nodded.
"They don't get it." A voice said from behind her, "Mommy and Daddy still pay for everything."
Liberty turned in her seat to see Alex, "Yeah, it used to be like that for me, still is, except I'm the mom who provides everything. Though I'm not sure if I'm doing that good of a job."
Alex shrugged, "Seem to be doing a lot better than my mom. Plus your kid still has his dad around and he's like what one already? My dad was out of the picture when I was two months old."
Liberty gestured for Alex to sit down, "So what do you do?"
"I work at a… club." Alex said averting her eyes, "The money is the only reason I keep it. I pay the rent and bills while my mom uses her money to pay down the credit cards."
"You make that much? Are they looking for people?" Liberty asked pushing the paper aside.
"They're always looking for people." She said with difficulty.
"Can you get me an interview?"
"Uh Liberty, I'm not sure you'd want this kind of job."
"Alex, I have a one year old at home who goes threw diapers like they're paper plates, which by the way, we buy and use then rinse them off and reuse." She said, "I'm desperate."
"Liberty, I don't work in a regular club," Alex looked around and then added in a whisper, "I work in a strip club."
Liberty's eyes widened, she wanted to say something along the lines of 'how could you degrade yourself like that?' or 'why would you ever even consider something like that?', but instead it came out sounding more like, "Can you get me an interview?"
Alex looked taken about, "They aren't really interview people. What are you doing at eight thirty?"
Liberty tried to figure out what happened. How had she gone from circling clerk wanted ads to trying to pin point a good time to audition to be a…stripper? "Eight thirty? Putting Ryan to bed."
Alex shrugged, "If you get this job, you'll be doing a lot of night work. I do eight to twelve school nights, seven to two weekends."
Liberty nodded, "And the pay is…" Liberty wanted to say worth it, but she knew that wasn't the right word. Nothing would be worth that right?"
"It's a small price to pay for your soul, but it's enough to keep you out of debt."
"Ok, so eight thirty tonight." Alex nodded, and stood up.
'What the hell did I just do?' Liberty thought to herself, watching Alex leave.
"Liberty Van Zandt." She said holding her hand out to the man Alex introduced her to as Red.
"Nice to meet you babe." Red gave Liberty a once over that made her feel uncomfortable, especially when he smiled at Alex and said, "She's a good one Lex."
Alex nodded uncomfortably, "Uh-huh."
"Can I ask how much I'll be getting paid?"
"Oh don't worry Sugar, you'll be taken care of." He said, "You've got a kid at home right?" Liberty nodded, "Don't advertise that to any of the guys or they'll be completely turned off to you."
"Wasn't planning on it." Liberty muttered. Alex stifled a laugh.
"Same hours as Lextasy here, school nights you work eight to twelve, weekends you work seven to two. Sound good?"
"Sounds great." Liberty lied.
"It's not that b-" Alex started as she drove Liberty home, "It'll get e-…Congradualtions on the job."
Liberty nodded, "Thanks for getting it for me."
"Don't thank me." Alex said seriously, pulling to the curb in front of Liberty's apartment, "What are you gonna tell TJ?"
"JT." She corrected.
"I know." Alex said.
"I'm not gonna tell him anything. I'm just gonna tell him I got a night job. Working at a club." Liberty said softly.
Alex nodded, "My mom doesn't know either. See you at school Mama."
Liberty half smiled and got out of the car.
"And now here's a treat folks... the lovely Lextasy and our new girl Lady Liberty."
Hope you all like it. I'm just trying it out, so if you like it I'll continue. I'm not sure who to pair Alex with though. I don't want her with Paige cause she might not be in this story. I was leaning towards Jay, but after seeing the promos for the new season I'm really into the flirty thing between Jay and Manny, so it probably won't be him. If you have any ideas let me know. Please Review.
-Em