*****
"It may not be glamerous, but its good, honest work"
"How much is this quart of milk?"
"12 dollars"
-SIMPSONS
*****
CHAPTER FOUR
"No Break For the Working Girls"
Jam Pony X-Press
The next day
Cree tried not to look uncomfortable at the guy who was scrutinizing her under his thick framed glasses. "I assume you have no experience like the rest of these kids."
Cree had to suppress a laugh at his remark. She had 'skills' just not of the messenger type. The 'delivery' side had been her main focus for years. "I can ride a bike. I can read. That's all the 'experience' I need for a job like this."
Normal looked at this new girl who stood before him in cut off jeans and a blue T-shirt. She had a smart and quick mouth, but so did every employee here. "I'm giving you a week to prove to me you aren't a waste of my time."
"Appreciate it." Cree responded.
Normal just shooed her away from his desk "Bikes are against the wall, lockers are out and about. Find one of both, and come back here for your first run."
Cree found a vacant locker, and shoved the little bit of money she still had inside. She adjusted the bandana on her hair that she had found on the road. Walking out of the locker area she went in search of a decent bike. One had a flat, and the other's seat was so old and torn, it made that sheet in the brothel bed look like a luxury item.
"You got the bike leftovers to choose from." Max called out, slightly surprised at seeing Cree here, but glad that she didn't have to hunt all over Seattle for her.
Cree looked up at Max "I guess all the people I met last night work here." she picked her wheels, the one with the shit for a seat winning out.
"It pays." Max informed, trying to think of a way to approach her on what she needed to tell her. How do you ask a former sex slave if they wouldn't 'mind' playing a little game of laying low? She finally decided on a slightly indirect approach. "What was the name of that song you were singing last night?"
"It's called 'From the Ashes'" Cree responded "I forgot who sang it. Hell I forgot I even remembered it until last night."
"Running takes a lot out of a girl." Max said
Cree looked at her cryptically. What was that suppose to mean? "I wouldn't know."
"I'm sure you do." Max replied, going for direct now. She inched closer to the other girl. "I know things about you that are important to save your life. This can be perceived anyway you like, but this is not a threat."
"My life is perfectly fine THANK you." Cree barked back, getting edgy at the road this conversation was headed. She started dragging her bike to the front to get her first package.
Max's hand shot out and snagged her arm "Things suddenly seem clearer when you bust of a sex ring huh?" she went for blunt.
Cree stared at her "How do know what happened to me?"
"I have my ways." Max responded, seeing that all to familiar 'deer in the head lights' look from Cree. It was the same one she got anytime someone said they had connections with Lydeker or Maniticore. "But onto more pressing matters, your last place of residency wants you back REAL bad, if you know what I mean."
"I don't care." Cree argued quietly "I'm not going back there."
"Don't think they give a shit about that." Max released her arm.
"Yea, well I don't give a shit about them." she snapped, "Those bastards locked me up like a dawg and only let me out when George Washington accompanied a man who wanted to fuck me." she stared at Max angrily "And here you come, hell bent on saving my ass. Why? Are you getting a cut?"
This made Max upset. She grabbed Cree's arm again and pushed her against a locker.
"Hey!" Normal called out, seeing Max's body slam "Don't rough house on my time."
Max ignored him "I don't make deals with sleazes." she looked at the younger girl under her grip. "One phone call from me and you'd be back doin' formula 409's on yourself every time a 'big' man asked for you. I'm only savin' yo' ass because no girl deserves to be fucked like an animal. I don't expect ya to be my home girl or nothin'" she let go of Cree's arm.
"Never said that." Cree replied, regaining her composure. "I just been screwed too many times to let my guard down."
"You ain't the only one." Max replied, cooling down from her rampage. "Just hang here when your shift is over." she released Cree's arm, and headed in the direction of her locker.
"What is that all about boo?" Cindy wanted to know, having watched the scene that just went down. "You got some issues with Cree?"
Max shrugged "Not really."
Cindy looked at her "Uh huh, and that's why the luv was flowin' all around you two sugas just now." she looked over at Cree, who had since straightened herself out, and was heading out the door with her first package. She leaned in closer "Original Cindy may not be super enhanced like her girl, but she knows the "shit fests" when she sees them."
"I don't have any dealio with Cree, she has thangs that she needs to deal with."Max finally admitted to her friend.
"Like what?" Cindy wanted to know.
"Bip, bip, bip ladies." Normal interrupted "Being lazy doesn't pay."
"Kinda like that issue about that stick shoved up Normal's ass." Max responded with a sigh.
"I hear that." Cindy agreed, "Better get going before he starts talkin' 'bout the days of dependant workers." she slung her backpack on her shoulder. "If you don't want to tell what's goin' down between you and that sweet lookin' thang Orginal Cindy respects that." she paused "But after office hours, I'm gonna nag ya until you spill."
"Can't get water out of a stone." Max remarked "But knock yourself out if ya want." she rolled her bike towards the door.
"Aiight." Cindy stated "Later suga." she headed out the door to start her day.
"It may not be glamerous, but its good, honest work"
"How much is this quart of milk?"
"12 dollars"
-SIMPSONS
*****
CHAPTER FOUR
"No Break For the Working Girls"
Jam Pony X-Press
The next day
Cree tried not to look uncomfortable at the guy who was scrutinizing her under his thick framed glasses. "I assume you have no experience like the rest of these kids."
Cree had to suppress a laugh at his remark. She had 'skills' just not of the messenger type. The 'delivery' side had been her main focus for years. "I can ride a bike. I can read. That's all the 'experience' I need for a job like this."
Normal looked at this new girl who stood before him in cut off jeans and a blue T-shirt. She had a smart and quick mouth, but so did every employee here. "I'm giving you a week to prove to me you aren't a waste of my time."
"Appreciate it." Cree responded.
Normal just shooed her away from his desk "Bikes are against the wall, lockers are out and about. Find one of both, and come back here for your first run."
Cree found a vacant locker, and shoved the little bit of money she still had inside. She adjusted the bandana on her hair that she had found on the road. Walking out of the locker area she went in search of a decent bike. One had a flat, and the other's seat was so old and torn, it made that sheet in the brothel bed look like a luxury item.
"You got the bike leftovers to choose from." Max called out, slightly surprised at seeing Cree here, but glad that she didn't have to hunt all over Seattle for her.
Cree looked up at Max "I guess all the people I met last night work here." she picked her wheels, the one with the shit for a seat winning out.
"It pays." Max informed, trying to think of a way to approach her on what she needed to tell her. How do you ask a former sex slave if they wouldn't 'mind' playing a little game of laying low? She finally decided on a slightly indirect approach. "What was the name of that song you were singing last night?"
"It's called 'From the Ashes'" Cree responded "I forgot who sang it. Hell I forgot I even remembered it until last night."
"Running takes a lot out of a girl." Max said
Cree looked at her cryptically. What was that suppose to mean? "I wouldn't know."
"I'm sure you do." Max replied, going for direct now. She inched closer to the other girl. "I know things about you that are important to save your life. This can be perceived anyway you like, but this is not a threat."
"My life is perfectly fine THANK you." Cree barked back, getting edgy at the road this conversation was headed. She started dragging her bike to the front to get her first package.
Max's hand shot out and snagged her arm "Things suddenly seem clearer when you bust of a sex ring huh?" she went for blunt.
Cree stared at her "How do know what happened to me?"
"I have my ways." Max responded, seeing that all to familiar 'deer in the head lights' look from Cree. It was the same one she got anytime someone said they had connections with Lydeker or Maniticore. "But onto more pressing matters, your last place of residency wants you back REAL bad, if you know what I mean."
"I don't care." Cree argued quietly "I'm not going back there."
"Don't think they give a shit about that." Max released her arm.
"Yea, well I don't give a shit about them." she snapped, "Those bastards locked me up like a dawg and only let me out when George Washington accompanied a man who wanted to fuck me." she stared at Max angrily "And here you come, hell bent on saving my ass. Why? Are you getting a cut?"
This made Max upset. She grabbed Cree's arm again and pushed her against a locker.
"Hey!" Normal called out, seeing Max's body slam "Don't rough house on my time."
Max ignored him "I don't make deals with sleazes." she looked at the younger girl under her grip. "One phone call from me and you'd be back doin' formula 409's on yourself every time a 'big' man asked for you. I'm only savin' yo' ass because no girl deserves to be fucked like an animal. I don't expect ya to be my home girl or nothin'" she let go of Cree's arm.
"Never said that." Cree replied, regaining her composure. "I just been screwed too many times to let my guard down."
"You ain't the only one." Max replied, cooling down from her rampage. "Just hang here when your shift is over." she released Cree's arm, and headed in the direction of her locker.
"What is that all about boo?" Cindy wanted to know, having watched the scene that just went down. "You got some issues with Cree?"
Max shrugged "Not really."
Cindy looked at her "Uh huh, and that's why the luv was flowin' all around you two sugas just now." she looked over at Cree, who had since straightened herself out, and was heading out the door with her first package. She leaned in closer "Original Cindy may not be super enhanced like her girl, but she knows the "shit fests" when she sees them."
"I don't have any dealio with Cree, she has thangs that she needs to deal with."Max finally admitted to her friend.
"Like what?" Cindy wanted to know.
"Bip, bip, bip ladies." Normal interrupted "Being lazy doesn't pay."
"Kinda like that issue about that stick shoved up Normal's ass." Max responded with a sigh.
"I hear that." Cindy agreed, "Better get going before he starts talkin' 'bout the days of dependant workers." she slung her backpack on her shoulder. "If you don't want to tell what's goin' down between you and that sweet lookin' thang Orginal Cindy respects that." she paused "But after office hours, I'm gonna nag ya until you spill."
"Can't get water out of a stone." Max remarked "But knock yourself out if ya want." she rolled her bike towards the door.
"Aiight." Cindy stated "Later suga." she headed out the door to start her day.