Standing Up Again
Collab w HermoineLennon
Chapter 1- Skid Row Beginnings
Audrey Fullerton had moved to Skid Row from her home in Long Island to get away from the troubles at home. Her mother was abusive both physically and verbally to both her and her father. Audrey was the strong female role model for her younger sisters Debbie and Darlene. At 16 she was a high school drop out and living on her own.
Her father and sisters drove her down to Manhattan from Long Island to help with getting settled into her new house. Her new apartment was right next to a flower shop.
Three girls about Audrey's age were hanging out outside the apartment building.
"Hey there, need any help moving in?" One of the girls asked
Mr. Fullerton smiled. "Sure, we'll need as much help as we can get. We've got a lot of stuff to unload."
The three girls got up and went to the car to start unpacking boxes.
"What's your name girl?" the girl with the box of dishes asked
"I'm Audrey. This is my dad and these are my two sisters. I'm just moving here from Long Island." Audrey smiled at someone she hoped would become a new friend
"Nice to meet you Audrey, I'm Crystal and those two are Chiffon and Ronette. Welcome to town. What brings you here from upstate?"
Audrey's father was quick to answer that question. "My wife is abusive and she needed to get away from the violence."
"Sorry to hear about your tough home life, wish I could be the poster child for brighter tomorrows on Skid Row." Crystal said.
"Are the people nice here?" Audrey asked.
"Mostly, though the one person you'll want to try to avoid is Orin Scrivello." Chiffon said
"Who's he?"
"He's a dentist who practices in town who is a little bit older than us." Crystal answered.
"What's so bad about him?" Audrey was curious as to why should she avoid this fellow. The name seemed vaguely familiar to her. She could pinpoint the reason why.
"He has unnerving practices on his patients. Instead of using the laughing gas on them he uses it on himself to get high."
"Why does he do that?"
"No one knows. Clearly he gets pleasure from other people's pain"
Audrey was quick to change the subject and make a mental note to avoid Orin if she were ever to run into him. She hoped she never would.
"Are there any places around here hiring? I'll be needing a job to pay the rent."
"We work at a night club as waitresses and cabaret singers ..they're not hiring right now but the flower shop right next store is."
Audrey smiled. "Great. When can I apply?"
"As soon as we're done moving you in We'll take you down there."
"See Audrey, you haven't even been here two seconds and you already have a job offer." Her father said smiling.
Audrey nodded and thought to herself
'Yeah, I guess it won't be too bad on Skid Row.'
After the move in was successfully complete Audrey embraced her sisters.
"You two be good for daddy and be strong for each other. I promise to visit." She said
Her sisters were crying but the oldest Debbie tried to regain her composure "We will Audrey. We love you."
"I love you too."
Her dad kissed her and rubbed her shoulder.
"You'll do great here Audrey just stick with these three girls and you can't go wrong." He smiled and pointed toward Crystal Ronette and Chiffon
"We'll take good care of her." Crystal promised.
After her dad and sisters left Chiffon Ronette and Crystal walked with Audrey over to the flower shop.
The four girls entered the store in a single file line.
"Hey Mr. Mushnik, we got someone to fill your job opening." Crystal called.
A forty year old man who looked slightly overweight came to the front of the store.
"Really?" he said
Crystal smiled "Yeah, really. She, Crystal and Chiffon made way for Audrey to move toward him.
"Hello Mr. Mushnik,. I'm Audrey Fullerton and I'm new to town. I was wondering about your opening."
Mr. Mushnik smiled "We're looking for a cashier and an assistant flower arrangement specialist. Seymour here will show you the ropes to the flower arranging."
A boy exactly Audrey's age looking slightly disheveled emerged from the back room.
"Audrey, this is Seymour Krelborn. Seymour, this is Audrey Fullerton she's applying for the flower arrangement assistant position."
Audrey looked in Seymour's stunningly blue eyes. She had never seen a boy so attractive in her life. Not even any of the boys she had attended school with on Long Island.
"So Audrey, are you interested in the job?" Seymour asked.
Audrey nodded "Very much so. I look forward to starting."
Mr. Mushnik and Seymour both smiled broadly.
"Great. You'll start tomorrow. Mr. Mushnik said.
"What time should I be here?" she asked
"Store opens at 9 but we usually do inventory around 8:15."
Audrey grinned. "Great, I'll see you then"
The four girls left the store.
"Wow, that worked like clockwork," Crystal said.
Ronette turned toward Audrey "Are you excited about starting work tomorrow?"
"Oh yes, definitely. It sounds like a lot of fun. Arranging flowers is something I've done before."
"What do you think of Seymour?" Crystal asked
Audrey blushed.
"I actually think he's really cute. I can't wait to get to know him better."
"He's a good friend of ours. Stick with the four of us and you can't go wrong." Chiffon said with a broad smile.
Audrey was so happy she had met such great friends on her first day on Skid Row. She couldn't wait to get to know them better… especially Seymour.
It was really bothering Audrey why the name Orin Scrivello seemed so familiar to her. It wasn't until weeks later when she would actually have an encounter with him. She had a night job at the Gutter and he frequented the bar.
"Hi pretty lady, what's your name?" the stranger asked
"Audrey, what's yours?"
"Orin. Orin Scrivello. I'm a dentist in town."
"I'm new here I've only been living here for two weeks."
Audrey's brain was refusing to make the connection that this was the same Orin that Crystal Ronette and Chiffon had warned her about. 'He doesn't seem so bad.' She though to herself. An innocent first impression.
"What can I get you to drink?"
"Jack Daniels."
"Okay, I'll be right back." Audrey disappeared toward the back of the restaurant.
When Audrey returned with his drink Orin continued making small talk
"So what brings you to Skid Row?"
"Getting away from a bad home situation. My mom was abusive. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Are you the only child?"
"No I have two little sisters. One who is thirteen and one who is ten. You?"
"Yup, I'm my mom's one and only. My dad was abusive too he walked out on us when I was two."
"Sorry to hear that."
"When you live on Skid Row you've got to take what you can get. Wanna come back to my place?"
"We just met."
"Figured we could get to know each other better."
"Sure why not?"
From their first meeting Audrey had no clue that getting in to a relationship with Orin would lead to the same type of abuse she moved to Skid Row to get away from to begin with. She would later regret ever getting involved with him.
Author's Note: This collaboration with HermoineLennon will be my last Little Shop fic for quite awhile. As much as I enjoy writing about Little Shop I am starting to lose interest in this fandom and a lot of my storylines are beginning to get repetitive. I have also been really busy with work so I haven't had as much time as I did during the summer months to write fics. I have fallen behind on updating current fics and posting new ones so with in the next couple weeks I will try as hard as possible to bring my profile up to date. Be on the look out for new fics, Thanks to all who have given me feedback on my previous LSOH fics and all my other fics. They are truly appreciated. Neither HermoineLennon nor myself own the rights to any characters from Little Shop of Horrors. Enjoy! Additional note: I will be writing the odd numbered chapters and HermoineLennon will be writing the even numbered chapters.