Chapter 1:
"What are you going to tell mom?"
"Haven't told her yet."
Bella smiled," She's going to kill you."
"Maybe. But only if she finds out. Don't you dare say anything," I responded dumping my uniform and cap into the trash bin, shutting it, and returning back inside the house. I could still feel the whips of hot panic at my back. But there was no turning back now.
Bella followed putting an arm around me," Look at it this way, at least you don't have to smell like grease and sweat when you come home. I swear I thought you bathed in that meat bucket."
"There's always other places that are hiring. Fast food places are always looking for young high school employees."
"What other places are left? It's a small town, pancake," Bella smiled.
Getting fired sucked. But yelling at my manager for not giving me a paycheck for the past month felt even better. The orange sunset transitioned into pink and purple sending the entire neighborhood into a soft peace. Dad was in the living room watching the game. Homework was done. College applications are checked off my list. Every thought blazed through my mind like fire. It was like my life was beginning to unravel before my eyes. Bella dipped her brush into the crimson red paint before carefully applying the polish to her toenails. I was surfing the internet on my twin bed mirroring across from hers. The nape of my nape prickled at the sound of mom pulling into the driveway, their car pulling to a stop, and their headlights flickered across the room. Quickly jumping off the bed, I snatched my laptop and curled in the closet looking at Bella.
"I'm not here," I whispered closing the doors.
She gave me a thumbs up.
I reopened the doors," Don't you dare say a word!"
I scooted behind the coats and dresses and blouses until my back met the wall. Every shoe, sandal, sneaker, high heel, and boot felt like boulders against my butt and legs. I swiped my thumb across my screen to lower the light setting on my cellphone pushing my knees up to my chest. Footsteps came up the stairs coming towards the door.
"Mom."
"Bella," she addressed, her voice sounding muffled," I tried calling Evey she didn't answer. I thought she would be home by now... Do you know what's going on?"
They both sounded muffled at this point. My legs stiffened. I was so dead.
"Um, yea, she texted me and told me that the-the boys from the football team came by and she was really busy. You know Fridays, the place gets really busy. They like to come in and order burgers and stuff"
"Ok. I'll pick her up from the Burger Shack tonight."
I squeezed my hands together. Crap.
"No! No! M-Mom! I promised her that I-I'd pick her up and take her t-to… the store because she told me that today is… heavy flow day for her. And she sounded like she was in a mood today."
You sassy bitch, I rolled my eyes.
"Yea, it's just a heavy flow day for her, and, uh, she didn't want to tell you because she's embarrassed about her wide-set vagina. You know how it gets. It's like a murder scene down there. There's, like, buckets of blood down there."
Mom raised her hands in defense," Ok, I get it."
"She said it was like the elevator scene from The Shining."
"Ok, I get it! I get it! Just let her know I need to speak to her about something important."
"You can find an ear down there…"
"Bella! Ok, I get it. Just make sure you two get home safe. Dad wants to watch his game downstairs with Phil."
"Ok."
The door closed. Footsteps went down the stairs. I let a few minutes of silence go by and Bella whistles giving me the signal to come out. Bella pursed her lips forward and turned her head towards the closet doors. I crawled forward emerging.
"Wide-set vagina?" I repeated.
"What?" Bella shrugged. "Or else she'd never believe me…"
Groaning, I slapped her leg and set my laptop on the bed. Bella pursed her lips together and blew on her crimson nails and looked at my screen.
"Why don't you become a stripper? They make good money. You can wear the G strings, pretty glitter all over your body, and high-heeled shoes. They got free buffet dinners and free drinks with a lot of bacon-wrapped shrimp. You can work on a pole for the summer."
"I think that would be my last resort. And besides, I think I wouldn't even enjoy dancing and twerking for awful men living in hotels after their wives kicked them out. Casey from my Biology class did that last year and now she's a divorced 18-year-old with triplets living behind the movie theater."
She smirked, "You're totally right. Your boobs are too small, anyway."
"Jesus.."
She typed something in.
"What the hell am I looking at?" I cringed looking closer. "A pornstar!? I'm not filling this out! Do you know how many unhealthy sex juices are being splurged at every second between two people? Don't you know that if you have sex with one of them then you're having sex with every person they've been with! It's like a cesspool! It's completely gross!"
"Don't be such a wimp. You just have to lie in bed while the guy does all the work. Wear a lot of cheap blue eye makeup and you have to push up your boobs together with your hands and moan like this! OOhhh yea! Oohhh yea! Give it to me! Give it to me good, baby. Oh my god, you're so big!" she exclaimed.
"Shut up!" I covered her mouth. "Mom thinks I'm still at work, you tampon!"
Bella shoved the laptop back in her lap typing.
"Well, what about becoming an escort? You can wear fancy dresses and get paid for escorting businessmen to nightclubs and golf courses and you don't even need to have sex with them! Or, I mean, if you want to. You can bang them if you want. But on second thought old saggy balls aren't really firm, are they?"
"I can't believe what's coming out of your mouth right now…" I pulled the screen back onto my lap. "I just want to do something that isn't questionable, full of skeezy cheating married men, pornstars and adult entertainment, or stripper money or even the slightest hint of burger grease."
"Well, there's only one place to go when all those options are gone," Bella smiled, pulling the laptop back into her lap. Her fingers flew all over the keyboard smiling with intent. "Where is the one place where people go and be free to advertise what they want? The one place where you can buy what you want if you look hard enough? The one place where anything goes? The one place online where there's a thin line between legal and barely legal?" she pushed it back into my lap.
"Oh good god."
"That's right… Crehygzlist."
This time Bella locked our bedroom door and we both crawled into the closet. Shutting the door, we both peered at the screen. Bella was the person that helped me with everything, even if her solutions were unconventional and a little ridiculous. I sighed looking onto the bright screen riddled with advertisements, sales, personals, jobs, and housing. It was my last resort. It was either this or saying goodbye to a new car and my own college dorm across the country in my dream school. Graduation couldn't come any sooner! The mouse on the screen scanned through each title until it reached 'Jobs' and my finger double-clicked without hesitation. The screen loaded and opened. Bella and I both stared and read as fast as we could, scrolling through each listing. I double-clicked onto page 2.
"You could be a sandwich maker?"
"Pass."
"An Uber driver?"
"Forget it…"
"You could be a receptionist?"
"No, I want something that will keep me occupied. I don't want to sit in a chair all day answering phone calls and getting coffee for somebody. And besides being a receptionist only pays me $10.50 an hour! We're living in a Pandemic for goodness sakes!"
"What about working at the mall? I hear working at Victoria's Secret has its perks and benefits. It's got a lot of cute stuff. I worked retail it's not that bad."
"It says I need retail experience and it pays depending on experience. The only things I've sold in my life were tacos, burgers, secret menu specials, and hot pockets," I bit my lip, double-clicking onto page 3.
She pointed to the screen.
"What about working at the sex shop? Outfits, lube, vibrators, rope, lube, dildos, porn, lube, and toys! Those bridesmaids cup with those little penis straws. Did I mention lube? They get great benefits and half-off prices for you, your friends, and your family members. Don't ask me how I know that."
I blushed," No. Oh my god, do you know how filthy those places are? Maggie from last year in my French class told me that's where orgies happen! She said she let 4 guys bang her at the same time. She doesn't even have that many holes! I don't want to get STDs!"
Bella nudged me," That's now how that works, pancake. What about working as a greeter in a store market?"
"Ugh, that sounds exhausting. I would break my face smiling too much. And it only pays $9.25 an hour! And that's IF I have experience! I have to have a job that will earn at least 3,000 over the summer or else Mom won't help me get a car. I won't be able to go to college and I can say goodbye to the West Coast…" I double-clicked onto page 4.
Bella pointed," What about selling your panties to a guy for $10 online? $20 if there's pee on them. I heard from Jessica in Drama Club that men in prison will pay top dollar for a pair from a woman in the outside world. It's like that shit from Orange is The New Black."
"Gross!"
"Or going on a 'Live Stream Cam Session' to let guys watch put lotion on your feet?"
I gagged," Oh my god! Stop, just stop! Who comes up with this stuff? No! A definite no!"
"Beggars can't be choosers, E! Do you want that car or not?"
My heart slowly sunk into a hole of doom and despair. What if Chris was right? Maybe I should stay in town and live here for a while longer. My future isn't getting any brighter. Without that scholarship, I wouldn't be seeing the sandy beaches of California any time soon. How am I going to get my degree and Masters now? I was only in my Junior year of high school. Working in fast food chain restaurants in clown uniforms with minimum wage was another nail in the coffin. I rubbed my face with my hands and typed into the Link Bar, watched it load, and double-clicked the Jobs section. The last string of hope began to unravel until the mouse glided over a title that caught my eye. Looking closer there seemed to be a feeling I recognized. It was hope and joy. Maybe it was serendipity. Suddenly the world didn't suck. Bella had already given up before I did. Reapplying her nail polish kept her distracted from my amazing miracle discovery. I blinked several times before I was convinced that it was real. It was real! The mouse clicked on the blue words.
Caregiver Needed Immediately: No Experience Necessary
Must have a fingerprint clearance card (apply at the local police station)
Must clean, cook, shop for groceries, run errands, and be reliable daily.
Must work from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday
Must have a copied photo of identity
No resume needed. Walk-in interview required
1837 Buena Vista Rd, Detroit Michigan
$30.00 per hour
I nearly shit myself reading that last sentence. I punched Bella.
"Ow! What the fuck!?"
"I think I found my saving grace! Look at this! This is what I want to do!"
Bella read it and shook her head," There has to be a catch. There's no way it's real. Bitch, you have to work 12 hours 5 days a week! That's insane! There's no human strong enough to do that! Even doing laundry brings dirty pores to my skin!"
"There's a phone number at the bottom."
Bella crawled out of the closet to her bed lifting a magazine to her face," Well if you want to be a little 'maid' to some person then go ahead. It would totally cramp my style if somebody told me to scrub their toilet or something. I would have nightmares if I found a hair on a bar of soap in the tub! Oh my gosh, pancake, you're so brave."
"I'll call them tomorrow."
"It's in Buena Vista right? Isn't that place a ghost town? I heard from Mandy who heard something from Jake who heard something from Tiffany who heard from someone named Toby who heard something from Max who heard something from Angela who heard something from Sam who heard from Brian that there's this hermit living on Buena Vista. No one really knows who this person is but they're the only resident there. How freaky, right? You could be working for Buffalo Bill!"
I knew that Bella was saying something, but honestly, I wasn't listening to a word. I added the number to my contacts list, saved it, and smiled. Rereading the ad one more time, it was too unreal. Something in my gut fluttered like butterflies. I shut my screen and pushed under my covers thinking of all the possibilities of my future coming to light.
Later that Night:
"I'm still unconvinced that you're saving up to buy a car, E. If you're out there doing god knows what with those football boys, I hardly think you have enough money for a car. Let alone a dorm for college."
"Trust me, mom, everything is going to change. I'll have the money before you know it." Not that you ever believed in me.
The four of us sat at the dinner table eating dad's famous spaghetti. It's Thursday. Every Thursday is spaghetti night. Bella and dad are sitting quietly while we have our usual back-and-forth banter. So far, mom is comparing me to every darling debutante in the state and wonders why I'm not a pro athlete or a homemaker by now.
"Sophia, Karen's daughter, the one next door, she's going to college on scholarship."
"That's great for Sophia…" I groaned.
"She's got a bright future."
"Well not everyone can win a fucking beauty pageant every year. Everyone said she cheated when the judges found out that she had implants done. She was 15! I'm not going to win Miss Congeniality anytime soon, ma!"
"Watch your fucking language. I didn't say you had to be Miss Queen of the ball. Just choose a path and stick to it this time. High school is a breeze compared to real life. When you turn 18 life is going to hit you in the face like a shovel and for the love of all that is holy- don't be like your older sister, Bella. She's had three pregnancy scares this past year alone."
Dad almost pukes," Jesus Christ…"
"Devil's working hard but my cooch is working harder," Bella beamed in her seat sticking a meatball in her mouth.
"Why couldn't I have had boys…"
Mom looks at my dad," Did you say something, honey?"
"Oh, I forgot to check the mail," he rose from his seat and walked out the door.
Bella, mom, and I sat in more silence as I tried to think of something else to say. But I knew that my mom wasn't done making me feel guilty for not having my ducks in a row. Bella scrolled through her phone underneath the table while my mom pointed her fork at me.
"I want you to know that I will always support whatever decision you make in your life. Just don't make it a stupid one."
"Sure…"
"And for god sake's girls, wear a condom. The first rule in life is to wear a condom."
"Mom, stop being a psycho. Evey's got it together. She's got a job at least. Right? Stop sounding like the fucking mob, too. She'll get the money."
For some reason, mom always felt better when Bella talked to her. It was like Bella had this magical thing when she talked to her. It must've felt nice to be the favorite child.
"Good," she smiled, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
"And I'm just going to let guys finger bang me for the rest of the year."
Later That Night:
Dreams of finishing my upcoming senior year without worrying about any financial situation or finishing debt student loans for college disappeared from my mind. Then I'd climb my way out of this hell hole once and for all. Looking across my room was my calendar marking every detail of my summer right to the beginning of my senior year of high school. I'll be leaving my Junior year with high hopes.
"Are you listening to me?" Bella asked giving my elbow a nudge.
"What?" I snapped back to reality.
"Mom will wonder where you are."
"Well that's your job, isn't it? Please, Bella? Please Bells? Hells Bells? Bella my fella? Cover for me?"
She sighed pushing her hair behind her ear and rolling her eyes," Well I am kinda the best… and I am amazing… and beautiful… and wonderful… and a good sister."
"Thank you!"
"But don't you think this is a bit extreme?"
"No. Mom is never going to get off my back. Senior year is coming, summer is here, admissions are coming, I want a car, and mom is never going to get off my back. And I have no job. I repeat: I have no job, Bells! I can't be like you and be homeless for a year and claw my way through New York digging through the garbage."
"Beggars can't be choosers! Ok, calm down, Jesus. You act like you're going to run for President or something."
"Well, Bella. You have your life in New York and your fiancé. You have an apartment. You're not in debt. You have no kids, that we know of. That's life. You made it and you had to do it by yourself. That's something mom can brag about to girls at Blackjack night on Tuesdays when they leave Applebee's for happy hour."
"Ok, I guess you're right. But mom will kill me if anything happens to you. So, you better be safe, bitch."
I understood where she was coming from, but my financial future was in a crisis. There was no way I could mess up this amazing opportunity.
"I want to go college, Bells. It's all I ever wanted. To get a job and get out of this place. The west coast is my best chance to see the world for a little bit and start over. And if this job is completely authentic and real… I'll be ok. Then there's nothing stopping me from walking in there and acing that interview."
(A/N: Do I have daddy issues? Oh yes... yes I do.)
