Been a long time since I've attempted writing fanfiction again, so I'm probably a bit rusty. This chapter's pretty short and starting off a bit slow, but it'll pick up in later chapters. If my portrayal of Tim seems off then I apologize. Reviews are always nice.
Rated M for profanity, drugs, later mentions of rape and child abuse, underage drinking, violence, and probably some other stuff.
The road to Tulsa, Oklahoma was a hard one, but one I couldn't afford not to take. The clock on the dashboard showed a little after one in the morning, been up for seventeen hours now. Lack of sleep was starting to wear on me. Weren't many cars on the interstate and being in the car by myself made it kinda lonely. My only solace in this situation was knowing that I would have a bed of my own to sleep in soon.
As I went on it seemed like the night was closing in around me, making me feel claustrophobic. The stars were bright out here though, brighter than any I've ever seen in my nineteen years of living. I rolled the window down, the cool wind blasting me as I flew down the interstate. I finally had my freedom; the freedom I'd always wanted since my Pa passed away eleven years ago. I'd always heard that time allowed even the deepest o' wounds to heal, but it seemed that this one remained festering in my chest whenever I thought about him. I resented him in some way for dying, for leaving me, though I knew it was stupid.
Feeling around in the passenger seat, I picked up my pack of cigarettes and popped the butt of one between my lips. Nasty habit this was. Drove Pa to an early grave, but it was the only thing that bit back the nostalgia. The opposite end was lit in a quick second and with an inhale came a calm. I was pretty sure that I'd be dead before I hit thirty, but at this point I'd consider it a blessing.
It was almost two when I hit Tulsa city limits and started slowing down. The last thing I wanted to happen was to get pulled over by the cops without even a decent nap. Plus, I had a loaded gun and a few knives in the back in one of my bags. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the cops only catered to the high society folks. I wasn't worth any more than the dirt on the bottom of their boots to them. No excuse would be a good enough to explain why I'm packing heat.
The place where I was supposed to be staying was somewhere on the outskirts of town. I was grateful for that. I picked up the messily written directions and squinted at them. I'd curse myself later for having such shitty handwriting, but the only thing on my mind right now was crawling into a bed and falling asleep.
I managed to make it to the place after another ten minutes only to find the near dilapidated building fenced in on all sides by what had to be at least fifty cars. My forehead smacked against the steering wheel with a thump. Of course this would be just my fuckin' luck. Nothin' ever came so easy to me. Reigning in my irritation, I managed to find an empty spot along the street big enough to park my car for the time being while I found out where the hell I was supposed to be.
The stench of cheap booze, sex, and sweat hit me as soon as I walked in. There was a mass of writhing bodies in the room dancing to some Elvis Presley song I didn't really care about. How the hell was I supposed to find the guy I needed to talk to in here? I didn't even know what he looked like. Fucking hell.
I scanned the room to see if I could find someone capable of helping me. My eyes landed on a bar on the other side of the room. If someone was serving drinks here then they had to know the guy I had to talk to. I began pushing my way through the bodies, not without earning myself some dirty looks and swears. I didn't care.
The bar was sparsely occupied with only a few guys standing around it. The bartender had managed to disappear in the time it took me to get over here. I let out a groan and propped my arms up on the sticky surface, waiting.
"Hey, honey. What'dya think about coming upstairs for a bit of fun?" I could feel myself seething on the inside. The fuck did this fella think he was? I glanced over at the guy. Curly black hair, nasty scar, and blue eyes. His eyes roved over my body, couldn't tell if he was checking me out or sizing me up. Something told me not to fuck with this guy either way, but I didn't rightly care. "I think you got the ugliest goddamn mug I ever laid eyes on. You know where I can find Buck Merrill?"
I sneered at the dark look that crossed his face. His jaw clenched and he looked like he was about to say something before another voice interrupted. "That'd be me, little lady. What can I do for ya?" I stood corrected about my earlier statement. This guy, had the ugliest mug I ever seen. Tall and lanky with a cigar poking out where his two front teeth should have been.
"Marilyn Miller. My brother called you earlier asked 'bout lettin' me rent a room here." I gave his outstretched hand a quick shake.
"Oh yeah. Ronnie's sister, right? Second floor, third door on the left and bathroom's right across the hall." He dropped a pair of keys in my hand. "You can park your car in the back. Nobody'll mess with it there. Your room's paid up for three months, so make yourself at home."
I muttered a quick 'thank you' before tearing out of there and slamming back into my car and whipping it around back. I slung my two bags over my shoulder before locking up and heading back in.
It wasn't too hard to find my room. Was the only one sounds of fucking weren't coming out of. I unlocked it and stepped in, shutting and locking the door behind me. Wasn't nothing special, kinda grimy. A room with a window, a full size bed, a nightstand, and a dresser. Suited me just fine.
I didn't bother with unpacking, that could wait till tomorrow. Toeing off my boots, I slid my bags under the bed before crawling under the blanket and flopping on my stomach. The music could still be heard from up here, but it didn't bother me much. I was just happy to be out of the car and tucked away for the night. It'd be the first night in a long time that I could sleep peacefully. Hell… I didn't even know if I was capable of getting a decent nights rest anymore.
The bed smelled of cigarettes and musk, and I buried my nose into the pillow. Tulsa, Oklahoma was my home now, or for however long it took for my Ma to figure out where I was. I hoped it wouldn't be any time soon, if ever. Didn't know how many more long car rides I could handle. Letting out a sigh I forced myself to relax into the creaky mattress. I'd be damned if I didn't make the best out of whatever time I had here.