Chapter 4

Chapter Text

She and Rachel are shopping together, Rachel telling her how beautiful she is, how boys just leer at her, but Rachel can see beyond that.

'Look at your skin. It's so perfect. So soft. I bet boys just want to…' she twists up her lovely mouth in disgust, 'ruin it. I appreciate you. I'd never ask you to degrade yourself. With Virtue, we can save all the others out there who are being used and exploited like you have been.'

Alisha feels hot shame, remembering the disgusting things she let boys do.

And girls, thinks a small voice, but she tries to ignore that, she'd hate Rachel to guess just how depraved she's been. It's understandable to be corrupted by boys, but messing around with girls suggests she's innately…wrong, somehow. Like she led them astray.

If Rachel guessed, she might not want to try on clothes with her, telling her how flattering her new dresses are.

'Alisha, you look wonderful. When you conceal the obvious, people can see how perfect your face is. Your hair, your skin. I'm sure boys never noticed your bone structure in those horrible hotpants, but now you look…like a person. Like a nurse, someone important and useful and intelligent.'

Alisha's thrilled. No one's ever thought she could be brainy enough for a profession, although she's been offered gigs nude modelling a few times.

She dropped sixth form halfway through, which was a relief after that messy incident with the guy who caught feelings, and with her record, she'd assumed she'd fucked over her chances.

But if Rachel can believe she can be better, maybe she can.

'Maybe I can help some of the others at community service?' she offers, shyly.

Rachel clutches her gloved hands happily, giving Alisha a little shock of joy.

'What a wonderful idea! They certainly look in need of some direction. That boy you were with…' she shudders.

Alisha feels embarrassed again, thinking of what she and Curtis were doing, and worse, Rachel hearing it all, her moaning, panting release.

'He was going to be a runner in the Olympics. Maybe someone like him becoming better would be an inspiration to others' she suggests.

Rachel favours her with a lovely smile, and squeezes her hand softly. Alisha almost wishes she could take off the gloves, just to feel the contact, but Rachel doesn't know about her power, and it's so embarrassing to explain.

'See how clever you are, Alisha? I'm so glad we can be friends.'

Alisha feels proud. She hasn't acted like a friend to the others before, but now with Rachel's help, she can save them.

'Curtis needs help the most. And he can help us with…persuading the others.'

'See, boys do have their uses', Rachel teases gently.

Inspiration strikes Alisha suddenly. 'Nathan's staying in the community centre at nights!'

'The marijuana smoker?' Even the words sound odd, like Rachel's lips are too lovely to speak them.

'Yes! Simon and Kelly like him. If he joins us, they'll want to know why.'

Rachel hugs her, suddenly. Alisha feels strange. Nervous, almost tingly.

Her old self would have corrupted the feeling, made it about sex; but now she's changed, she likes to think of it as faith or belief.

Rachel's told her about Mary Magdalene, about how her past made her most valuable to Jesus, his closest and most beloved companion; and suddenly she feels wickedly glad for all her sins. Without them, she could never have aided Rachel like this.