Chapter 10

(Three years pass)

With three years passed a lot has happened. Clyde now nine and Billy barely starting up his business again. Velma, Sally, and Buck have done some traveling with their shows, and are constantly working. Velma, Billy, and Clyde still live at the theater, and Eli and Clyde are the best of friends… still no word from Roxie and Buddy.

"Hurry Clyde! Sal' hold 'em up!" Clyde rushed to Vel and threw the fur coat over her shoulders. Sally walked off stage calmly, then rushed around to the other side of the stage. Clyde threw her coat off and gave her a matching one to Velma's. "Buck, hit it!" Buck started to play the slow music. Velma and Sally took one deep breath before they slid back on to the stage. Clyde watched from side stage happily. He didn't like the second half of this particular act though… "So Sally" "Yesss Vel?" they kept a tune as they talked. "Guess what?" "What?" "A man asked me out yesterday" "and…" Sally and Velma walked up to the middle of the stage. "I said no" "why Vel?"… "He was a she" she spoke, just after they threw their coats back off them, and the piano started to kick up. Buck started to really pound the keys as the women continued to do side splits and back turns and every other unimaginable dance move known to man. Clyde was bored, always bored, and with Billy not home much, he goes to Eli's room. Eli still couldn't speak great English, but she was better now, much better, and the two of them would play cards all evening. Once in awhile Eli would take him outside, get a little fresh air and they would talk. She was more like a friend or mother or father then anyone Clyde had grown to know. Sally was very important to Clyde too, but busy with work and… other matters, so to speak, he depended on Eli most.

After the night was through, and the girls and Buck were as tired as could be, Velma went to Buck again, like she usually did after a show.

"Good job Velma, like always" Buck nodded as he stood, closing the top to the piano.

"You know, Buck, you can call me Vel, you're the only one who doesn't. Even people I don't know, call me it!" Velma joked, as she walked over to him.

"I know Velma" He looked into her eyes, seeing into her she felt. With one deep breath she lunged herself at him, as they kissed. Clyde knew it was going to happen, he knew a long time ago. Of course, he didn't think it would be at such a bad timing as his father walking in on them. Velma quickly pulled away from Buck, and scurried off to her room. Clyde watching this happen from Eli's room doorway, as Billy glared at Buck, and stampeded his way past Clyde into Velma's room.

"What do you think you were doing!" Clyde could hear Billy shouting.

"I don't know Billy! It just happened!"

"What? It just happened! What else have I missed that's 'just happened'! Huh!" Billy shook her as he tightly held her arms.

"It's the first time! Ok. It won't happen again- I just had to see, I had to see if it meant something, Billy, but it didn't- it didn't!" Velma pleaded as tears started to dwell in her eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you're trying to fool? Huh! I'm not a common joe, like Buck, ok!"

"What is that suppose to mean!" They continued to argue. Eli got up from the floor where they had been playing cards.

"C'mon Clyde lets go" She got his jacket and they went for a walk. Sally nodded at Eli, knowing that was a good idea.

"It didn't mean anything, Billy! I am telling you! Let go of me!" she tried to push away from him.

"Shut up!" he yelled as she continued to whine. He finally just slapped her across the face as hard as he possibly could. She slipped from his arms, and fell to the floor, hitting her head on the wood of the vanity. Getting up slowly, she put her hand out for his help. He took her hand and started to pull her off the floor.

"You do it again, and I'll kill you!" he came around with his left hand and slapped her again. She lay on the floor a wreck, as he pulled her off the floor and threw her on the small couch. She was simply unconscious, as he slid off her costume.

"This is what you get for doing that" He quickly separated her legs, as she started to slightly come to. Sally got worried and knocked on the door.

"Is everything ok?" she didn't mean to intrude, just was worried.

"Go away Sally" Billy's tone in voice was haunting, as she did so. He continued to hold her down as she woke up a bit more. When she realized what he was preparing to do, as he unbuttoned his pants, she started to scream a bit. Not to long before he placed his hand over her mouth, he was to strong for her, and she was so weak. She fainted as he continued to do what he felt he had to do.

"Bad people like you Velma, need to be taken care of sometimes" he grinned as he lunged himself into her.