1. The Closet underneath it All

A secret kept for so long taken advantage of, the thought of blackmail and manipulation crept all over her skin. Rain laid on her kitchen floor, lights from the opened refrigerator, as she kept her eyes staring at the ceiling above her.

"This is a surprise." He started, cornering her in her dressing room. "Miss Rain Vivienne Antoinette, an ace student in class, is also a first class stripper." The boy before her mocked.

"Why are you here...?" She asked, anger and worry evident in her brown orbs.

"My brother wanted to go out." He answered. "I'm glad I tagged along--" Ha added further, trapping the girl between him and the wall.

She looked away, unable to defend herself from the genuine insult.

"So behind long skirts and dorky blouses you have this hidden under, huh?" He stated as he scanned the girl's half exposed body from head to toe.

"Go home." She quietly commanded, pushing the boy away from her as she made way to leave.

"This'll be great news for the class... and the whole school." The boy responded in return.

Rain stopped, facing him with her eyes at their sharpest, "You wouldn't--"

He didn't need to say it. The boy before her showed no sign of bluff or weakness in his expression.



Her vision slowly clouded when her eyes started to flood with tears. The feeling of hate she felt was numbing but she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything about it--

She was officially a follower, a slave to a master.

"Of all people-- It just had to be him... "

She closed her eyes, tears leaked a few moments after she fell asleep on the cold floor. She was exhausted from a night of an unfortunate night. Rain had to rest. The briefest moment of serenity, the feeling of regret reeked amongst the four corners of the room, but it satisfied what was left of her freedom.

---

7:00AM

The sun made way to warm the cold floor from the quiet evening. A different feeling of disbelief woke Rain up as her phone rang beside her. Her eyes felt heavy, her body felt sloppy as she sat up from a different sleep. It took a few more rings before she could answer the call. Eyes kept closed, she said hello at the person on the other line.

"It's me."

She heard the most familiar voice.

"Who is this?" She asked.

"You already forgot about last night?" The voice on the other line responded.

Her chest throbbed with pain, heart beating impossibly with the simplest anger she felt.

"Lexis." She quietly said, unable to believe he had her number. "What do you want?"

"I need you to do a little work for me." The boy ordered.

Her face expressed no sign of amusement or whatsoever. She pulled her knees close and rested her back on the kitchen cabinet beside her.

"What work?" Confirming what the boy wanted.

"Come over and I'll tell you."

"It's 7 in the morning." Her answers were brief and impatient.

"I don't care. I need you now." He gave an absolute order.

"..." She gripped her phone tighter.

"Unless you want your secret kept a secret, Mademoiselle." His voice was plain and cold.

It took a few seconds before she could respond but she was aware she had to agree, "I'll be right over." Rain replied.

The girl softly sighed as she leaned her head on the support behind her. "I can't do this..." She murmured, slowly letting down her weakened hand on the floor.

"But I have to..."

His flat wasn't hard to find, Lexis belonged to Blood and Roses after all.

"Blood and Roses. A band famous in our school and other schools in France. They have all of Brishe Colle's University's student body worshiping them at their feet despite being pure Americans. Cars, money, their own flat and studio, name it, they had it. They're too well-known that even I know them."

Rain rode a cab to get there. She took the time to notice the simplicity their flat had to offer. And basing on its location, she soon realized that his house wasn't that far from hers. The more she thought of the advantage of it for someone like him, the more she felt uncomfortable about it all.

"If I don't do this now--"

She stopped at their doorstep. Even before Rain could ring the doorbell, someone gave her a light tap on the back. She turned around to see who it was and was surprised to see the oldest member of the group--

"Hey." Kraez greeted, holding a plastic full of food with one hand and a dozen of beer with the other.

Rain smiled in response and said, "Hi." A pause. "Is Lexis around?" She asked politely.

"Oh." He warmly smiled. "He's inside. Come in, come in." Kraez kindly offered, opening the door and leading the way in.

The girl followed, anxious and quiet until they reached the living room.

"Make yourself at home-- Umm?"

"Rain." The girl responded, smiling warmly at the figure treating her with kindness.

"Make yourself at home, Rain. Do you want soda or beer? Anything to eat?"

"No, thank you." She answered as her eyes wandered around. "This is a really nice place." Rain complimented.

"Thank you." Lexis answered for his brother. "I hope you'll like my room as well." He teased further as he approached Rain closer, emotion absent from his expression.

"Lexis." His older brother started, voice evinced worry for his younger sibling's action.

"Relax." He intruded. "I won't do anything she won't like." He added as he held onto her wrist with possession. "Isn't that right?" The boy rudely asked; glare piercing through the girl's eyes.

Her lips faded pink; the girl managed a nod and a soft pretend smile on her lips.

"See?" The boy started making his way. "If you need me. Us. We'll be in my room." After that said, he took the girl upstairs.

---

Rain felt as if the walls were watching her every step, it narrowed and came close to touching her skin. It was beginning to suffocate her, worry lingering her every thoughts on fear.

She noticed the boy's movements were evident of haste. She wasn't dragged but she wasn't pulled with care either. The hold on her felt as if she was being displaced from her own shadow. Lexis did not let her go and she remained watching his emotionless claim on her. He looked bored, too unfamiliar.

"We're here." He opened the room and took her inside. The boy locked the door and started, "How much do your customers pay you?"
"What--?"

"How much do they pay you for your service? You do more than just strip, right?" He asked again, not a single wrong on his face.

No answer.

"I know you're a whore. You don't need to hide it."

Still no response, deisbelief eating up her expression.

Lexis pushed the girl against the wall, his hand planted on her shoulder. "If you want me to shut it you'd have to answer me."

Cornered.

"...How did y--?" Rain stuttered .

"A girl approached me after you left." The weakest notorious smile on his face. "She asked how much you offered me for your services." He paused and added, "Looked like she was watching us all the time and misunderstood everything."

"..." Her mouth felt dry. The time when she had to be the strongest, her body fell at its weakest.

"I suggest you start naming your price." Lexis declared, superiority evident in his voice.

Two of her most valued secrets, held by a boy beyond what infernal can define--

"...It varies." She started quietly, air becoming thicker and harder to breathe.

"A full service in bed." He continued.

Her eyes filled with tears from every feeling of helplessness. "...3,000 Franc for every hour." She answered, lips shaking with deceit and forged feelings.

"Done."

Her hand unconsciously clenched itself into a fist, gritting her teeth with the disgust she felt for him and herself.

---