A/N sorry for the long wait between updates. I'm not sure if I said this in
the last one, but I can only update once a week now because of the
ridiculous homework load that's been dumped on me this year. So anyhoo here
it is.
O and it's another flashback since I love 'em so much!
Ah and if I spelled 'aunk' wrong I'm really sorry. For those who don't know or those who can't tell from this slaughtersom spelling and aunk is the Egyptian symbol for life. Its like a circle, with a horizontal line under it on top of a vertical line. Kind of like the symbol for girl only different.
Chapter Eleven
ANGEL
I died on my fifteenth birthday and was reborn as Angel Jones of the Soho street corner, with an aunk tattoo on her left hip, a million rainbow wigs and the best outfits this side of the world. It was in a way liberating to start work for Jones at last. After that first night, all the weight and fear that had been resting on my shoulders gathered itself into a ball and jumped up into the air. After that first night I was rarely afraid of anything ever again.
Maybe that's because that Saturday I used up all my fear.
I remember crying the before I went out. I was all dressed up in an itzy pink skirt and tank. I'd only worn drag a few times before and the clothes felt alien to me, like I was in someone else's skin. I stared in the cracked full length mirror propped against one wall and saw a slim Latino woman with long blond hair, a skimpy pink outfit and far too much make up staring back at me.
This isn't me, I thought. This will *never * be me.
"You look good, Ang." Said Sara, smiling an over bright smile and adjusting my skirt. "You look real good."
"Thanks." I whispered. "Sara..."
"Yeah?"
"I..I don't wanna do it." I choked out, sobbing and sinking down onto my mattress.
"Oh, Ang!" she wailed, hugging me tight, "Oh, Angel."
"C'mon Angel, we ain't got all night!" I heard Shelley call from down stairs.
"Shut-up!" cried Alice. I could just see her slapping Shelley's arm to shush her. Alice and Shelley were best friends, and at eighteen, the oldest of Jones kids still living with Mother Mary. They were the unofficial leaders of Jones kids who still staid on as they did.
"You guys go on, I'll stay and wait for Angel." I heard Jordan say.
"No!" I called, wiping my eyes and motioning for Sara to fix the make-up, "I'll be down in a sec, just hold on!"
"Speed it up Ang, we're losing money!" warned Shelley only to get another slap from Alice. I smirked and stood cautiously, still unsteady on the steep heels.
"Pray for me, Sara." I said quietly.
"Here, take this." She said, fumbling with the clasp of her gold necklace and handing putting in around my neck. I was shocked. The necklace was Sara's favorite, it had Jesus and Mary and her favorite saints on it.
"Sara no.."
"Take it or I'll scream." She warned.
I snorted. "Fine, fine. Jesus, Maria child I'll take it."
"Good." She smiled and sat back down, "Good luck Ang."
"Thanks."
"ANGEL JONES GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!"
"KEEP YOUR FUCKING SHIRT ON SHEL I'M COMING!!" I yelled as I thumped down the stairs. Behind me Sara exploded into giggles, and I did too a second later when I realized the irony of what I'd just said.
"Took your sweet time." Grumbled Shelley.
"You look great, Ang." Said Fred. Alice nodded in agreement. Jordan smiled slightly but he didn't look proud like Alice and Fred.
As we left the building I fell in stride with Jordan. Unlike me Jordan wasn't in drag. Jordan worked the club circuit with Fred, while the girls and I took the street corners and docks. The clubs may sound safer, but they aren't. At least, the ones Jordan and Fred frequented were not. They were small, packed rooms filled with black light and undulating, half naked bodies. In these clubs being high was almost a requirement. The boys who worked the clubs leant against the grubby walls by the bathrooms, waiting for a trick. The problem with standing there is that it's dark, and the kid is high and the clubs are loud. If anything happened to you you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd be able or willing to stop it. If they even notice what's going on.
The five of us ducked down an alley and Fred pulled a plastic bag with a small portion of white powder inside a lighter and some strips of foil out of a cavernous pocket. I watched, slightly queasy as he shook some out onto the foil and heated it. White smoke curled upward and he handed it to Shelley who took a large gulp of the smoke, holding it in. Fred gave us each a strip of foil in turn. When it was my turn I hesitated.
"I dunno..."
"Trust me, Ang. You'll *need * it." said Alice.
"But..."
"It ain't gonna kill you. Jeez, you use once and it won't make you a junkie. Do I look like a junkie to you?" snapped Shelley.
"It helps to be a little out of it, Angel." Said Jordan. "Seriously."
I nodded and sucked down the smoke and...
And I felt terrific! It was like everything just vanished. Like I'd never have problems ever again. It was like all the fear and anger at my situation just floated away like a red balloon and nothing would ever be able to hurt me again. I was in love with everything. I grinned.
"She likes it, ladies and gents!" exclaimed Fred.
And it was true. I did like it. I liked it *a lot *.
* * * * Later that night I leaned against a street light, basking in the safe island of light. A car slowed down as it passed me and I leaned forward, hooking my cat claw finger nails over the edge of the drivers side window.
"Hey cutie, wanna party?"
* * * * A/N okay well there it is. Please review!
O and it's another flashback since I love 'em so much!
Ah and if I spelled 'aunk' wrong I'm really sorry. For those who don't know or those who can't tell from this slaughtersom spelling and aunk is the Egyptian symbol for life. Its like a circle, with a horizontal line under it on top of a vertical line. Kind of like the symbol for girl only different.
Chapter Eleven
ANGEL
I died on my fifteenth birthday and was reborn as Angel Jones of the Soho street corner, with an aunk tattoo on her left hip, a million rainbow wigs and the best outfits this side of the world. It was in a way liberating to start work for Jones at last. After that first night, all the weight and fear that had been resting on my shoulders gathered itself into a ball and jumped up into the air. After that first night I was rarely afraid of anything ever again.
Maybe that's because that Saturday I used up all my fear.
I remember crying the before I went out. I was all dressed up in an itzy pink skirt and tank. I'd only worn drag a few times before and the clothes felt alien to me, like I was in someone else's skin. I stared in the cracked full length mirror propped against one wall and saw a slim Latino woman with long blond hair, a skimpy pink outfit and far too much make up staring back at me.
This isn't me, I thought. This will *never * be me.
"You look good, Ang." Said Sara, smiling an over bright smile and adjusting my skirt. "You look real good."
"Thanks." I whispered. "Sara..."
"Yeah?"
"I..I don't wanna do it." I choked out, sobbing and sinking down onto my mattress.
"Oh, Ang!" she wailed, hugging me tight, "Oh, Angel."
"C'mon Angel, we ain't got all night!" I heard Shelley call from down stairs.
"Shut-up!" cried Alice. I could just see her slapping Shelley's arm to shush her. Alice and Shelley were best friends, and at eighteen, the oldest of Jones kids still living with Mother Mary. They were the unofficial leaders of Jones kids who still staid on as they did.
"You guys go on, I'll stay and wait for Angel." I heard Jordan say.
"No!" I called, wiping my eyes and motioning for Sara to fix the make-up, "I'll be down in a sec, just hold on!"
"Speed it up Ang, we're losing money!" warned Shelley only to get another slap from Alice. I smirked and stood cautiously, still unsteady on the steep heels.
"Pray for me, Sara." I said quietly.
"Here, take this." She said, fumbling with the clasp of her gold necklace and handing putting in around my neck. I was shocked. The necklace was Sara's favorite, it had Jesus and Mary and her favorite saints on it.
"Sara no.."
"Take it or I'll scream." She warned.
I snorted. "Fine, fine. Jesus, Maria child I'll take it."
"Good." She smiled and sat back down, "Good luck Ang."
"Thanks."
"ANGEL JONES GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!"
"KEEP YOUR FUCKING SHIRT ON SHEL I'M COMING!!" I yelled as I thumped down the stairs. Behind me Sara exploded into giggles, and I did too a second later when I realized the irony of what I'd just said.
"Took your sweet time." Grumbled Shelley.
"You look great, Ang." Said Fred. Alice nodded in agreement. Jordan smiled slightly but he didn't look proud like Alice and Fred.
As we left the building I fell in stride with Jordan. Unlike me Jordan wasn't in drag. Jordan worked the club circuit with Fred, while the girls and I took the street corners and docks. The clubs may sound safer, but they aren't. At least, the ones Jordan and Fred frequented were not. They were small, packed rooms filled with black light and undulating, half naked bodies. In these clubs being high was almost a requirement. The boys who worked the clubs leant against the grubby walls by the bathrooms, waiting for a trick. The problem with standing there is that it's dark, and the kid is high and the clubs are loud. If anything happened to you you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd be able or willing to stop it. If they even notice what's going on.
The five of us ducked down an alley and Fred pulled a plastic bag with a small portion of white powder inside a lighter and some strips of foil out of a cavernous pocket. I watched, slightly queasy as he shook some out onto the foil and heated it. White smoke curled upward and he handed it to Shelley who took a large gulp of the smoke, holding it in. Fred gave us each a strip of foil in turn. When it was my turn I hesitated.
"I dunno..."
"Trust me, Ang. You'll *need * it." said Alice.
"But..."
"It ain't gonna kill you. Jeez, you use once and it won't make you a junkie. Do I look like a junkie to you?" snapped Shelley.
"It helps to be a little out of it, Angel." Said Jordan. "Seriously."
I nodded and sucked down the smoke and...
And I felt terrific! It was like everything just vanished. Like I'd never have problems ever again. It was like all the fear and anger at my situation just floated away like a red balloon and nothing would ever be able to hurt me again. I was in love with everything. I grinned.
"She likes it, ladies and gents!" exclaimed Fred.
And it was true. I did like it. I liked it *a lot *.
* * * * Later that night I leaned against a street light, basking in the safe island of light. A car slowed down as it passed me and I leaned forward, hooking my cat claw finger nails over the edge of the drivers side window.
"Hey cutie, wanna party?"
* * * * A/N okay well there it is. Please review!