Madame Williams ( teacherxstudent )

67

DIANE'S POV:

"She's said she doesn't want you near her anymore."

"I'll give you a twenty." I said.

The tall brown man chuckled, "You're kidding."

"Fine. Fifty?" I looked straight into the man's eyes, hoping that amount of cash would make a yes.

"No."

"You're kidding." I rolled my eyes. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down, and ignore all the men that were behind me in the line waiting for me to get over this bribing situation; "Okay, how about sixty?" I insisted.

He surrendered and got the cash from me.

As soon as I was in, welcomed by the certain smell of whatever cheap aromatized they used, and the smell of bills and sweating beautiful women around the place.

I sat down in a table, and a beautiful black haired woman with red lace underwear approached me and asked if I'd like something to drink. I ordered a glass of white wine, and watched the woman disappear in the crowd of men looking at some stripper's long legs.

I looked at her too, and not only her legs, but I quickly reminded myself that I was picking Lou up after I got out of this place. And I reminded myself that the long legs I truly wanted wrapped around me were Lou's... but admiring is not a crime.

My glass of wine came quickly, and a sudden slap from Lila made me spill it on my outfit and get a red cheek that I would have to explain later to Laura.

"I thought I told you to back off." Lila said.

I put the now empty glass on the table in front of me and washed some wine off my face with a napkin; "Thanks for the drink," I replied sarcastically.

I don't know if it was the crowd of men staring at my bra through my wet white blouse, or the sudden realization that I was clearly not wanted in this place and sometimes my stubbornness would win over me.

I stood up from my seat and grabbed Lila's hand, dragging her backstage. She yanked her arm out of my grip and when she was about to slap me again I caught her hand.

"I'd like to slap myself too if I were in your position, believe me. But you must have thought about what I said and what I asked."

"People in america don't believe r4pe victims after the said r4pe happened years ago." Lila said.

I could see her eyes soften all of the sudden.

I had met Lila a few weeks before we went to California (Andy and I), she was one of those nice indie girls that would smoke pot after a long day and could recognize a virgo from a mile away.

"You have proof of it."

"I had proof." Lila said.

I rolled my eyes, "Don't say that. You have your statement, that's enough proof."

Lila scoffed, "Look, your DNA proof and whatever else you have, that's all you need. You don't need me."

"You're the only one I know who understands how it is. How it is when Andy... when he... I mean, when they get groping and violent."

Lila bit her lower lip, "I hate you so much right now," her tone came out so light and fragile. "I thought I was over it and now it seems I wasn't."

I looked down to her wrists and I can still see a bit of the scars even if she's probably put some makeup over it.

"Don't make that face," Lila said.

I looked up to her eyes, "Sorry."

"Let me think about it."