Chapter Sixteen: The Storm

Trade yourself in for the perfect one
No one needs to know that you feel you've been ruined
Trade yourself in for diamond eyes
Watch the stars collide as you're lifted from your burden

When will I be able to stop this? I don't like being here at Tric; don't like what I do here. But I need the money. If someone could give me a job where I'd make four hundred dollars in one night, then I'm all ears. But that's not going to happen.

Mark assigned me to one of the private rooms. I liked it better that way. I was never too comfortable dancing on stage in front of a bunch of men. They were like animals. And I didn't like myself exposed to that. Of course, I can't go against what Mark says or he'll call the cops on me. And I can't support my daughter from jail.

After I danced for about six guys, I still had an hour left until I could go home. And wouldn't you know, Mark wanted me to dance on stage. I couldn't say no, so I reluctantly got into the outfit that I wore for stage dancing. Complete with a mask. It was a mask that only covered my eyes, and had sky blue feathers on it. My outfit matched the mask. I nervously stood behind the curtain, waiting for my cue.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Mark called from the stage. Ladies? Gross. "I would like to announce the person you have all been waiting for. Here she is: the goddess of our stage. The one and only Sky!" he yelled. I heart people cheering and the music came on. I ran on stage like I was supposed to and started dancing to the song. I tried not to focus on the guys, but I was supposed to go up to them and smile, waiting for tips. I did as I had been taught.

"She is hot! I like this embracing a bachelor's lifestyle again." I heard a familiar voice. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Still dancing and pulling my clothes off, I strained to hear more of the conversation.

"She looks like she's barely out of high school," another, even more familiar voice said. They both came from somewhere on my left. I felt someone grab my leg and reach up to put a tip in the top of my underwear.

"For your troubles," the first familiar voice said. I turned and looked. This cannot be happening. I forced a smile, then ran off the stage.

"I think you scared her off Joey."

"What are you doing?" Mark yelled as I ran into him.

"I'm not dancing up there anymore!" I hissed. I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arms and wouldn't let me leave.

"Yes you are. You're going right back up there," he spat into my ear.

"My father is here! And his best friend!" I said in a loud whisper.

"I don't care. Go backstage and change into your black outfit and mask; it's sexier anyway. Don't even think about leaving; you know what I can do to you. I expect payment tomorrow before your shift for this little stunt you pulled." He squeezed my arm hard before letting me go. I ran off backstage to change, holding back all my tears.

"Sorry for the delay!" I heard Mark yell from the stage. "Sky is backstage changing and will be out momentarily." There was more cheering and Mark went backstage. "Are you dressed?" he asked. I nodded my head and slowly walked toward the curtain once more.

This time he had me wearing a sexy black outfit that would be off in a few minutes, complete with a black thong. The music started again. This time it was "Fantasy" by Ludacris. Slow songs were always worse. I had to take my clothes off slower and dance even more provocatively, tempting more men.

As soon as I came out on stage and started dancing, guys were whistling left and right. I heard Joey calling to me to give me more tips, and I had to go over. It was the worst thing I'd ever been through. I'm so thankful that my dad wasn't as into it as Joey was. The worst part of the night was when I had to take my bra off. Joey was whistling along with everyone else, and my dad was looking at me. It took all I had not to cover my chest and run offstage again. I couldn't help crying either. Most of my tears were soaked up by the mask, but a few rolled down my cheeks. My breasts and butt were exposed to everyone there, including my own father and Joey. When the song was over, I fled the stage and locked myself in my dressing room, leaving the cheering behind.

I quickly changed into my jeans and t-shirt. I checked outside and saw my dad and Joey leaving. I decided to wait a half hour before I left. I wanted to make sure they were long gone. Once the time passed, I grabbed my purse and ran from the club, making it out without seeing Mark. As I approached the employee parking lot, I could make out a figure leaning against my car. I was unsure if I should keep going without one of the guards to walk me, but I didn't want to go back in there and risk talking to Mark. He might make me pay him now instead of later. I took a deep breath and kept walking. As I got closer to the car, I wished that I had someone with me. There, leaning against my car, puffing on a cigarette, was Craig Manning.

Deal with me
Don't even think about leaving yet
I'm not a part of some false regret
Even though I believe in fables
Come reset
A part of life that you'd soon forget
And maybe think about who you hurt
In the process

"Emma, we need to talk," he said after I threw my purse in the car, ignoring him.

"Since when do you smoke?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. I didn't want to talk to him at all.

"Since I found out you had a kid." His answer silenced me. I watched as he threw the cigarette onto the asphalt and ground it down with his shoe.

"What do you want to talk about anyway?" I asked.

"For starters, why do you work here?" he asked.

"It's the only way to support my daughter Craig. I have medical bills to pay on top of clothes, diapers, formula, and food!"

"You shouldn't have to work somewhere like this. I want to help you," he said quietly.

"Why would you want to help? It's none of your business!" I yelled.

"It sure as hell is my business!" he yelled right back.

"How do you figure?"

"Because I'm her father!" he yelled. I grew silent again and let tears fall from my eyes. When I didn't say anything, he spoke again. "I'm right, aren't I?" he asked. "You never had sex with Jay! You lied to Manny about that and I can see why. Emma, I just want to help."

-Flashback-

Sitting on the picnic table at the ravine, I cried my eyes out. Jay had just rejected me. Why would he do that? I heard someone come up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped. He sat down next to me and I turned to look, realizing that it was Craig. And he was crying.

"You want to talk?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"No, I don't want to go home right now. I can't," I cried. "I guess we can talk over there." I pointed to the van. I didn't want to get with him or anything; I just knew it was the only spot at the ravine that was private. And I needed to talk to someone I could trust. Craig was a family friend; we'd known each other for a long time.

"Okay," Craig said. I led him over to the van. We climbed in and sat down across from each other. Once the door was closed and locked, Craig asked me what was wrong.

"Jay just rejected me. I know what you're going to say; that he's trash. But he really isn't! And I think I'm starting to like him," I cried.

"I'm really sorry Emma," he said. "I know how you feel." I watched him wipe some tears from his face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I think Ashley broke up with me. She went to England and told me I couldn't go with her. She needs space from me. I didn't think I was such a horrible person," he said, cradling his head in his hands.

"You're not," I assured him, moving next to him and putting an arm around him. He leaned over and hugged me. When we broke apart, he stared into my eyes and I couldn't look away. Before I knew it, it was happening. I was kissing Craig. He pulled away from me. "I'm so sorry!" I said. I made a move to leave, but he gently pulled me back to him. Looking in my eyes once more, he kissed me.

Before long, his tongue went into my mouth and we were making out. In the middle of making out, he laid me back to the floor of the van. His hand reached down and started undoing the buttons on my jeans.

"Craig, we shouldn't be doing this," I said between kisses. He stopped and looked at me. He was kneeling with his knees on either side of my legs, his face less than an inch from mine.

"Why not?" he asked. He kissed me again before speaking. "Jay doesn't want you and Ashley doesn't want me. I say screw 'em. We can do our own thing." He kissed me again, then looked in my eyes for an answer.

"You're right." I pulled Craig's pants off as he worked on mine. Clothes went flying as we continued to kiss. And then it happened. I had sex with Craig Manning.

-End Of Flashback-

"I don't want your help," I said.

"Why not? Don't I have a right to help feed and clothe my daughter?" he asked, walking closer to me.

"She's not your daughter! You weren't there when she was born. You haven't been there at all and she doesn't even know you!" I cried.

"That's not my fault Emma. I didn't even know she existed until a few days ago. When I saw her at the store, I knew she was mine," he said.

"I don't need your help Craig. Even if I did; I wouldn't ask for it. Go be with Manny and mind your own business about how I raise my child." I got into my car before he could protest. I drove away, looking back only long enough to watch him light another cigarette.

I know you can't feel a thing
It hurts to feel anymore

I was hoping to sneak past my parents and go straight down to my room. But they were in the living room sitting on the couch.

"How was work?" my mom asked.

"You don't want to know," I mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked. She obviously hadn't heard me.

"It was fine."

"Why don't you come sit down with us?" my dad asked. "I was just about to tell your mom about my night with Joey." I definitely did not want to hear about it. I already knew. But I sat down anyway, knowing that if I left, they'd be suspicious.

"Did you have fun?" my mom asked him.

"Not really, but I know Joey did. He took me to a strip club!" he said, laughing a little. "I guess he's enjoying single life." I looked over at my mom. She didn't look in the least bit worried about her husband watching women strip. She knew he would never leave her or cheat on her or anything. "So anyway, right when we were going to leave, the owner announces that some girl is coming onstage. Her name was Sky I think. Christine, she looked like she was barely out of high school!" he complained.

"That's disgusting. Who would let their child do that?" my mom asked. I fought back tears. If they ever knew they were talking about their own daughter, they'd die.

"Yeah. She danced around, pulling off her clothes. Joey gave her a tip and then she ran from the stage. I don't think she wanted to do it. The owner made her change her clothes into something even more revealing, and finish dancing. I swear I could have seen her crying. The poor girl. It looked like he was forcing her to do it," he finished.

"That's terrible. At least we can be glad that our daughter isn't like that!" my mom said, smiling and looking over at me.

"I'm gonna go to bed," I said. I got up and ran down to my room, letting my tears flow freely. If only they knew. They'd hate me. I looked into Danica's empty crib and almost panicked, before realizing that she was at Oliver's. Flopping on my bed, and burying my head into my pillows, I continued to cry. What am I going to do about my job? And what am I going to do about Craig?

You see me
And you know I am not the same
Can't pretend to just fake a smile
Cause you know I feel every ounce of
Pain combined
With the loss of a youthful mind
You need to look at what you've become
And try to figure out where you came from

A/N: I know that Jay didn't reject Emma the same day as Ashley left for England, but for this story, I'm pretending that's when it happened. It fits better with my idea of how they were both at the ravine on the same night. The song is "Trade Yourself In" by Shinedown and they own it. I didn't get nearly as many reviews as I would have liked on the last chapter, but I figured I'd post this one.