Alrighty readers of the internet and fanfiction universe, we've got ourselves another M rated chapter! The T rated version is connected to the original story, both titled Chapter 24. The biggest difference between this chapter and the T version is that the T version doesn't go into detail. The type of M in this chapter is not abuse like in 19, but rather more of a sexual nature. Personally, I enjoy the M version more, but feel free to read which ever one you like!
I got a lot of inspiration from this special scene from Mia Martina's song Beast. If you haven't heard it, go and listen!
I wanted to remind everyone of the characters stripper names so we don't get confused:
Shauna – Bambi
Tori – Paris
Tris – Raven
Christina – Candy
Marlene – Cherry
Lynn – Luscious
Myra - Glimmer
Onto the chapter!**
Tris POV - December 9th
Something is wrong with me. That must be it. It must be the stress of finals. Yes. That's the only explanation for how I feel. Definitely. One hundred percent. Two hundred percent! Yeah.
"TRIS! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"
"NO." I back away from the door as Christina's pounding becomes more and more incessant.
"Tris Prior I swear to God if you don't open this door, I will break it down."
"You'd pay for it!"
"I have plenty of tip money left."
"Our landlord would kick you out for damages."
"Not if I gave him a lap dance to convince him otherwise."
"Christina!"
She's growling now. "I'll have sex with Will on your favorite corner of the couch if you don't come out!"
"You're unbelievable!"
She's been doing this for the last hour. I need to face her eventually, but I can drag it out right? "I'm allowed some privacy in my personal life Chris!"
She laughs behind the door. "Not when I'm your best friend! Come on Tris! Your life is finally interesting."
"You're only saying that because there's a guy in my life."
"So you consider him in your life huh?" I can hear the smirk on her face, and oh how I would love to wipe the floor with it.
I could escape out the window, but then I have to deal with a faulty fire escape and a possible thirty foot drop. Eric would kill me before I made it to the hospital. The scary part it I'm not exaggerating. Unless I can convince him I'm vital to whatever experiment they have me on now.
That little guy, Fernando, only briefly described this new experiment as more physical changes, but not to make me womanly. My chest is still a cup and a half bigger than my genetically original chest. I miss it. My waist is smaller, and my appetite has all but disappeared. They must have sped up my metabolism while convincing my stomach I don't need food.
This new experiment is supposed do other things like increase speed, energy, and possibly even my mental capacity. Maybe they really are grooming me to be an Erudite transfer.
I can't avoid Christina forever.
A deep sigh falls from my mouth as I open the door, preparing for the onslaught of questions. But they don't come.
Christina stands there, dressed and calm, smiling. "So how was it?"
I walk past her into our small living room and sit in my favorite spot. I don't think I slept at all last night. Not really.
"It was, nice actually."
She sits down next to me. "Where'd you go?"
"Manson Falls."
Christina grimaces. "He took you to the lookout? I thought he was better than that."
It's my turn to smile. "No, I mean yes we went to the lookout, but we weren't parked in his car or anything. He took me past the boundary sign, down an old pathway to a cave of sorts. He called it the Chasm. Then he told me this sad story of how the waterfall got its name."
"How's that?" Christina tucks her feet under her and listens as I tell her the story of Veronica Roth, daughter of Manson Roth, the apprentice, her love and the jump. She called bullshit, just like I did when he told me. But I looked it up last night in my lack of sleep. The story is true more or less. Four left out a few details like Manson's wife leaving him for someone else when Veronica was five years old. Or that the apprentice was in and out of prison the rest of his life, and didn't die from Manson's gun shot. And that Manson still has living descendants in Chicago. He could have any number of great great great grandchildren in their thirties or so, or even great great great great grandchildren now. I find myself oddly fascinated by it, and I've never really been one for history, but I'd love to meet one of them.
Then I tell Christina about the questions we asked each other, that I attempted to open myself up to him, and then the two truths and a lie bit.
"I used to play that all the time at home!" She says suddenly, but then her face turns somber.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you—"
Christina holds her hand up. "No Tris, I know that wasn't your intention. Just, don't say it out loud, please?" Her other hand finds its way to her ribs. This is where her uncle used to hit her the most. She does this every time the subject comes up, like they're hurting all over again. And then it reminds her of Rose, and she begins to beat herself up once more for leaving her sister there. Rose will be sixteen in April.
"Anyway," Christina waves her hand in front of her face and calming her expression. "Did you kiss?"
I can feel blood touch my cheeks and my chest heats up gradually. "Well, no."
"Tris." Christina groans my name, and she rolls her eyes at a painful angle. "Must I be tasked with holding your hand every step of the way in losing your chastity?"
"Hey! I'm not completely pure. It's not like I've never kissed anyone." I smack her arm and she giggles.
"Yes, but that's ALL you've done."
"Not at the club." I snap. My mind replaying the various lap dances, and near sexual deeds I've performed.
"The club doesn't count! This is personal life Tris! You can't combine the two." I keep my eyes diverted from meeting her intense stare. She waits, a moment before she goes back to smiling and says, "I said it before Tris, and I'll reiterate, you will not be a virgin before the New Year."
I sigh heavily into the cushions, hiding my expression. The heat in my chest is no longer embarrassment, but longing, and it terrifies me. My fingers fidget by clenching and unclenching around the hem of my sleeve. The thought of Four, naked, hovering above me, and those deep blue eyes staring at me, is almost too much. His big warm hands caressing my skin in places I've never revealed to anyone by choice, covering my breasts, and lower, lower, much lower sends a dizzy spell through my head. A small hot spark hits my core and causes me to jump slightly the pit of my stomach and makes me jump.
This gets Christina's attention. "Everything okay there?" My face meets hers and she smirks. "You look at Four that way, and he won't be able to stop himself from jumping you."
A moan has bubbled itself up through my throat and threatens to fall from my mouth if I answer her, so I just nod helplessly.
Christina seems to get the hint and changes the subject by looking at the clock. "We should go soon. The Pit is opening in an hour."
I nod once more. "Okay." I swallow thickly.
"Tris." She stops me from getting up. "I told Will."
My being becomes serious once more. "You told him about leaving?"
She nods, biting her lip. I worry she's about to cry, but she smiles. "He told me he would buy me on New Year's Eve, and he would follow me to our new location. He told me he doesn't want to lose me ever again."
"Oh Chris, that's great." A genuine smile replaces my concern.
"And the best part, was that he didn't judge me at all for being in the business. He said a close friend of his does something similar, and if I want his help getting out, he'd be more than happy to help."
A weight drops in my stomach. A friend? Will didn't tell her, that he's a dancer too?
I keep the smile on my face, but Christina senses the change.
"Don't worry Tris, I'm sure Four will understand too. You just need to trust him. And you've already taken that first step by opening yourself up to him."
That's not what I'm worried about. "Yeah, I guess." I say casually. It's going to break her heart when she finds out he lied to her. Knowing now how strongly Christina feels for Will, she will probably forgive him and move on. But holy shit, when Chris is in a war path, duck for cover and move across the planet.
We eventually get off the couch and go to put on our uniforms for work.
As we leave the apartment and walk down the snow covered wooden steps, Christina suddenly tugs on her ear – our signal for that feeling we get when we think someone is watching us, or that something is wrong. I look around casually, and spot a black car with unmarked plates just down the street. Neither of us moves towards the car or acknowledges it. We're not supposed to. It's one of Max's. But why would he have his people following us, we haven't done anything wrong recently. Unless something else happened that we don't know about yet. I'll have to ask the others when we get to the Pit.
Christina drives, and I fiddle with the radio. Neither of us says anything as the black car follows us with every turn. It doesn't park in the lot with us at the Pit. There's already two black cars here.
Both Chris and I share a look. Marlene is just getting out of her cherry red car when we do, and she narrows her eyebrows. Her mouth opens like she wants to ask, but she closes it before Chris or I can tell her to. She's only been here a few weeks, and she's already mastered the "don't ask in public" rule.
We pile inside to see Shauna already running tables. Lynn isn't here on account of having a final. Myra is here too, in her new uniform. She trains today for the Pit, and tonight will be her first dance. Her face is white but she's humming some tune I don't recognize and it seems to keep her calm.
"Did you guys have escorts to work today too?" I ask as we all gather in the locker room.
Shauna nods. She's looking a little white herself. Or maybe green.
Myra has her arms wrapped around her chest. "I take it, this isn't the normal behavior?"
"I'm new and even I know something's not right." Marlene says as she ties her apron around her waist.
Christina pales slightly. "You don't think they found out do you? About us l-e-a-v-i-n-g?"
"They can spell Chris." I say rolling my eyes.
She hits my arm. "I'm just being cautious in case they set up cameras in here that we don't know about."
"Well I don't know what the situation is, but there are six black coats sitting in the guard's box." Shauna says. "They didn't want anything to eat. They just stare."
"Do we know them?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "I've never seen any of these guys before. And they don't, look, nice."
"No need for dramatic pauses." Matthew says startling all of us. He chuckles, but it's forced. "I'm sure it's just extra precaution for one thing or another. This wouldn't be the first time Max was paranoid."
Suddenly a thought hits me. That one guard from The Nook when I was with Caleb, he wore all black. Is it an Erudite thing? I never did get to ask Cara.
"We should get to work." Marlene says as the door chimes signaling customers entering.
Everyone nods in agreement. "Myra," I call to her. She looks up, alert and ready. "You're shadowing with me."
Lynn joins us shortly after we begin and gives us a look about the men. She's about to make some snarky comment but Shauna shuts her up. Lynn accuses her of trying to be Mom and storms off for a few minutes.
The whole service goes by fairly smooth after that. The only real alarm is the black coats still sitting in the corner. One of them looks almost exactly like the one I saw in the Nook, but I can't be too sure. They all look so similar, it's almost like a horror movie. Customers look a little put off too, and I hope this puts a damper on revenue today so that Eric and Max won't put so many creepy guys in here next time.
At the end of service, we're locking up getting ready to head to Dauntless when the men get up too.
Shauna seems to be the only one getting really pissed off. When the men move towards us, she puts herself in a defensive stance, directly between them and us. As though she were shielding us.
"Who are you?!" She demands.
The one out in front puts up a hand. "We're here under orders. We're your protection."
"Protection? From what?" Marlene asks.
"From yourselves."
No one moves a muscle. They know. They must know.
"All will be explained once we escort you safely to Dauntless. Eric will provide answers."
"They know." Christina whispers to me once we go to the back and grab our belongings.
I can only nod. But something still feels off. They would have man handled us and brought us into Max's office wouldn't they? This is much calmer. Like they're trying to make us feel safe. Protect us from ourselves? Self-harm?
The drive over to Dauntless feels like we're driving around the city three times during rush hour. It's long, and the car is filled with anxiety.
When we arrive, the black coats escort us inside. Lauren even gives them a weird look as they wait for all of us to enter.
Al is practically pacing backstage, his clipboard in hand. And Tori, who is already here, is sitting at her station giving him a glare in annoyance.
"Everything okay there big boy?" Lynn snarks as she walks by him.
His head snaps up as his eyes search our faces. Quickly, they land on mine. And he looks relieved.
I don't really feel like talking to Al, but I'm trying to be more open, and I guess I'm trying to me nicer. "Al, what's wrong?" Plus I'm incredibly curious to see what happened to cause the black coats.
"Something happened Tris, I was—I was so worried." His arms wrap around me suddenly and he pulls me into a hug, one that I don't return because my arms are squished. I can see Christina giving me an odd look and I just return it. I have no idea what warranted this.
I pat his arm. "What happened?"
He releases me, gives me a smile, and keeps his hands on my shoulders. He smells like sage and lemongrass. It's comforting, but too calming, too gentle.
"I'm not supposed to say out loud. But no one's in trouble. Eric will tell you. Oh Tris I'm so happy you're here." His smile is brilliant.
It makes me a bit uncomfortable, but I make an effort to smile back. "Yeah, me too?"
Al laughs. Then brings me in for another hug.
Eric walks out at that point, I give him a weird look. What made Al so touchy-clingy?
"Al! Let go of Raven please." His voice is harsh, and dark, but there might be a hint of sadness in it.
Al lets go. "I'll see you later Tris." He smiles once more, then heads for the stairs to the rafters.
"Seems you have an admirer." Marlene hums in my ear. I swat her shoulder like a fly and she laughs. The other girls smile, especially Myra, who I think is smiling out of nerves more than anything.
"Listen up ladies, the extra protection today has been for your own good. They've been reporting to me your activities and your moods from the day. This was all precautionary. You see, one of our dancers killed herself last night." I swear I see him smile.
Everyone goes quiet, even Peter who has made his way off to the side looks a little shaken.
"She was a Dauntless dancer like you, but she was in group B. You probably never met her. You would have known her as Luna. She wasn't much of a dancer, but she was one of you. The protection detail was just to make sure no one else was planning on offing themselves without my permission."
Christina balks. "So the guys in black coats were to make sure we weren't planning a mass suicide?"
"Pretty much." He nods.
"How cheery." Marlene mumbles.
"But we won't let this affect your performances tonight, will we?" Eric eyes each and every one of us. "And now, in Luna's name," he waves over to the side. "Peter."
Peter walks out in front of us, with a bottle of scotch. My least favorite form of alcohol. "One swing each. A toast to our fallen member."
Eric nods, picking up his own glass already filled with the amber liquid. "She was a terrible dancer, but she was brave for venturing into the unknown."
The bottle of scotch moves down the line. Tori, who looks pleased with its presence. Lynn who holds back a grimace. Christina who actually enjoys scotch. Shauna refuses, but doesn't vocalize it. She brings the bottle to her lips, but she doesn't take any. No one else but Lynn seems to notice. Then it goes to Myra, who takes the biggest gulp of all, coughing harshly after. Marlene who takes a sip. Then finally to me. I let the golden liquid into my mouth and squeeze my eyes shut. I'm not worried about showing everyone else my distaste for the burning drink. Most of the girls know I prefer vodka, and rum filled fruity drinks.
My nostrils flare of their own accord and my cheeks and chest are on fire. It feels like I haven't taken a breath of fresh air in days.
I hand the drink back to Peter, and he takes a swing of his own, before handing the bottle back to Eric. Eric then refills his glass, and takes it all in. "Alright," his voice is dry and cracks. "Back to work."
Before I can turn, Eric motions for me to follow him. I do.
We go into his office, he shuts the door, and hands me the needle. All I can do is glare at him, but I take it willingly, and press the needle into my thigh. I've gotten better with needles throughout these experiments, but that doesn't mean I like them.
There's no theme tonight, no special occurrence or party coming in. It's just a basic Tuesday night at Dauntless.
Our outfits are simple. A shiny black bra two sizes too small, a few even have glitter on them. I'm fortunate enough to escape that. Our bottoms are tight black underwear with our personal initials in a bright color. The letter R is stitched on mine in dark blue. The whole outfit is made of a leathery material. Fishnet tights come after, and topped off with my favorite stomping black boots.
I take a look in the full length mirror in our dressing area, and do a turn for myself. I do surprisingly look good, but I also look like I starve myself, and a hooker.
At my station I slide my wig into place and start to pile on my makeup, topping off with bright orange-red lips tonight.
Peter walks through, his Eric type voice in place. "Private dances tonight: Bambi and Paris duo dance in room 2 at 11PM. Candy room 5 at 11PM. Luscious and Cherry" Lynn looks excited and I smirk. "room 4 at midnight. Raven room 2 at midnight. Bambi room 1 at 1:30AM. Glimmer, first private dance." Everyone looks over to Myra. "Room 3 at 2AM."
Myra nods nervously as she fidgets with her outfit. A bright yellow G stitched on the front of her underwear, no doubt she'll get some grief for that tonight.
"First dance, Candy and Luscious center stage. Raven on the rope, Cherry in the tank."
Marlene grimaces.
We all split up to our assigned locations, but Christina comes up to me before she heads for center stage. "So why were you and Al so close exactly?"
"Trust me, I have no idea. He acted like he thought I was the one who died."
She nods. "Maybe he just knew one dancer died, but didn't know which one?"
"That sounds like something Eric would pull. Tell someone one of their friends are dead but don't specify which one."
"Still, he reacted so badly, and was overjoyed when you walked in. He probably has a crush on you." She smirks and nudges my shoulders.
"Let's not let it get to that." I mutter under my breath. Just then I hear my name and look up, Christina does too. Al is standing in the rafters, smiling and waving to me. I force a smile and wave back.
"Good luck." Christina waves at him too and says quietly to me as she walks towards the stage.
I want to glare at her, but Al is still staring at me.
I heave a sigh and walk towards the ladder up to the rope swing.
The crowd is at a usual, cheering and screaming. Al mixes up the music a bit tonight and creates new jams and beats. It's good. He adds more bass for me like I knew he would, because the bass is my favorite.
The clients who've booked me for a private dance are three couples, and by the looks of it, married couples. But when I start to dance to the music, they begin to dance with each other. They switch partners, and begin some kind of six person make-out session. Wives on wives, husbands on husbands, wives on husbands of other wives. Must be some kind of swing group. Normally during this kind of thing I'd be really turned off and creeped out. Yet, one of the couples in the corner catches my attention. It's the man on woman couple who aren't married to each other, and they look at each other like they're the only two in the room.
He strokes her breast, under her top. His other hand caressing her petting her most intimate area. She moans on the floor and writhes under his touch. His mouth dips down below her skirt and follows his hand. There's a change in her reaction and she tenses and thrusts her hips roughly. He surfaces, and the heat in the room intensifies and my vision is blurring. Sweat lines his brow as he concentrates. Her eyes roll to the back of her head and her back arches painfully. And then his mouth is on her, everywhere at once, my eyes are blurring it's so hard to keep track. Everything is dizzy as she grips him tighter and tighter and ever.
My limbs are hot and heavy. My own back arches on it's own accord. My core is aching and throbbing, and in my mind I can see Four's eyes hovering over me, taking me, making me moan and fall apart.
And
I
Can't
Think.
My body focuses on it's own needs but my mind focuses on dancing. It's more sensual than I've ever been and I don't hold back a moan as my center rubs against the tight leather when I arch at a certain angle. I don't care about my blush as I keen when my breasts rub against the ice cold pole. This only seems to add to the pleasure in the room I'm providing for the couples. And when the hour is up, I find I'm disappointed.
Oh sure I made plenty of tips, nothing to worry about there. But I'm dangling on the edge of a euphoria and I can't make myself fall over it.
The couples get up and leave thanking me for such a wonderful time.
I walk back out slowly, still craving that friction the leather underwear creates against my wet center whenever I take a step. I bit my lip and smile.
The clock on the wall says it's just a little after one in the morning, so it's a free period for us girls. Meaning we can do whatever we want. I want the stage. I want people to see me enjoy myself for once.
I whistle at Al up above and point to the stage. He looks shocked when he sees me, and his cheeks redden, but he nods. The music starts as a bass, and it's building.
My legs whisper in pleasure as I roll my head around my shoulders and close my eyes when I walk across the stage. Eyes are on me, and I like it. When I'm in the middle of my solo stage dance Al switches to a slower grinding song rather than speeds up the intensity. I can build the pressure this way even better.
I think I've heard people refer to it as trap music, except there's no vocals here. We never do vocals really. On special occasions we sometimes act out the words to a song and it's almost always guaranteed to be sexual or that nature.
My stomach is coiling and hot, and my knees are shaking, but I don't let that show. I move in fluid and graceful steps, while getting lower, and tenser, ready to spring. The pole is my friend, but tonight, the audience is here for my pleasure. They don't shout and holler like normal. They moan and groan with me, covering up my own noises as they escape my mouth.
My eyes, which I'm sure are beyond dilated scan the crowd as my hands begin to feel myself up. It feels so good I could cry. One man is actually jacking off in the crowd. I move my gaze quickly trying not to let it disgust me and ruin my powerful momentum.
A woman catches my eye in the crowd. She's staring at me, she's older, and I don't recognize her. I can't see too well since all the spotlights are on me, but she's almost smirking at me.
It doesn't matter to me really. I'll dance for men and women. But there's something off putting about her.
Suddenly she nods her head to the left, and I follow her motion just as I collapse for the end of the song. I fall to the stage in defeat of whatever force I was fighting against. The crowd goes nuts. I take their money and pick my head up to see what exactly the woman was nodding at, but the woman is gone, and there's nothing to her left.
I shrug it off, still not getting my release and take a bow on stage before turning to head into the crowd.
I'm walking casually as the music changes once more, luring men in with my smile and caressing their cheeks like the vixen I am.
When I reach the spot where the woman was looking, all I find is a gray ribbon on the ground. I reach over and pick it up, examining it. If I didn't know any better I would say it was one of the ribbons that Eric attaches to a dancer's frame when they're transferring factions.
I stand up straight, and when I pick my eyes up, my body goes cold.
"No, no no no…." My mouth mumbles so quiet, it's the only word to fall from me as he stares at me. His eyes hard, his mouth in a firm line, but I know he's upset. Beyond upset, he's fuming. His fists are clenched at his sides as his eyes tear me limb from limb.
I want to run towards him and run away at the same time. I can't move. I can't…
"Four—" My voice breaks, giving me away.
He shudders at the name and takes one step closer. I've seen a look like he's giving me before. It's the look a man gives someone when he wants to hit them. It scares me, and I can feel a thickness in my throat building. The warm glowing feeling that resided in my chest just moments ago, now feels as though it's been carved hallow by a spoon. My heart stops, then starts slowly, before stopping again.
Four's look is pained, and hurt, and angry, and confused, and it's so much worse than I thought it'd be. He wasn't supposed to find out this way, not by watching me. I was supposed to tell him in private. I was supposed to be honest with him.
Then he turns and walks away. I follow him. His strides are longer and faster. Soon I'm running through the crowds. I see him pick up an empty bottle off some drunken man's table and slam it against the wall. The music's too loud for anyone to notice.
My eyes water, and he looks at me once more, before turning and stalking out the door.
I can't hear anything. Soon I'm kneeling on the floor, just staring at the door as my vision blurs with water. Numbness soothes me like a drug, and yanks the life from my heart. I have no anger left. I can't move.
My voice dies on my lips. "Four…"
**And… it finally happened. Four found out! Uhhh not the best way Tris was hoping for. Hope you liked!
Please Review!**
