"Oh, my god!"
"Should we wake her up?"
"That looks like it hurts."
"It looks like a werewolf slashed her back."
"I wonder what happened..."
"Do you think someone else tried to break in?"
"How could someone even manage to hurt her?"
"There's no way anyone could do something like that to her. They'd be torn to shreds."
"Do you think Marv did it?"
My eyes snap open at this. I don't want the girls thinking of Marv as cruel, especially since she wasn't the one that hurt me. "Marv didn't do this," I groan sleepily. I lift myself up off the couch to sit, wincing when the flesh on my back stretches. I was sleeping on my stomach, not wanting to agitate my wounds. Patting an itch on my shoulder, I look up at the girls, who all look worried. "Do you girls remember some creepy guy in a pinstripe suit last night?" I ask them.
"I remember him," Miranda says, her brows scrunched up in worry. "He asked if he could whip me. I said no. Is that what happened to you?"
"Yeah. He payed five thousand dollars. A good deal, right?" I say, standing up slowly. I feel my shirt clinging to my wounds. It's going to hurt trying to seperate cloth and flesh.
"That's a lot of money," Cat says, "but I don't know if it was worth it. I mean, look at you." She huffs and flings her hand at me, indicating my back.
"Yeah well, whats done is done," I tell her. Slowly I stand and rub my lower back. My fingers sting me but I accept the pain. "I'm going to take a shower. Can one of you go up to Marv's office and get me an extra change of clothes, please?" I ask them sweetly.
Alice nods and squeezes my arm then runs out of the room, and the other girls laugh at her enthusiasm. I'm grateful to her and brush off the jokes the other girls sling. Rolling my shoulders, I grab a towel then head to the shower. Taking off my shirt is just as painful as I thought it would be. I look at it now that it's off and grimace at the huge blob of blood showing. No wonder the girls had looked so worried.
Turning on the shower, an immediate stream of hot water makes me smile and I step in, forgetting about my wounds. The heat intense, I let out a slight scream when the scalding water touches my back, and I clench my teeth, needing the water to wash away the crusted blood. The girls ask if i'm alright, and I manage to reply a firm 'yes'. I quickly clean myself and shave, not wanting to spend a second more than necessary in the shower. When I'm done I almost sigh in relief. Being clean is nice but I wonte be able to enjoy bathing for a while.
I wrap my wet body in a towel then brush my teeth before leaving the bathroom. Alice hasn't returned yet, so I have to stand awkwardly in the dressing room, with all the girls grinning at me. Reese has taken the bathroom so I can't go back in there to get away. I brush my dripping hair out of my face and shuffle my feet. It's embarrassing having so many eyes on me and I'm not sure what to do.
"Where is Alice with my clothes?" I chuckle nervously. My skin is getting cold, though the blush on my face is making my cheeks hot.
"I hope she doesn't get here soon," Ruby says, winking at me.
All the girls laugh, amused. They like playing with me. I wrap my towel tighter around me, wishing for Alice to hurry up. Finally after what seems like forever, Alice runs back in holding a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans.
"Sorry I took so long," she says, huffing. "Marv wanted to talk to me. Here are your clothes, Lost." She jogs up to me and hands be my clothes.
I clutch them to my chest, watching everyone. "Do you guys think you can turn around while I dress?" I ask hopefully.
