Dance Moms - Lorelei (3) James & Hilliker

Chapter 13 : Business

The roof wasn't locked, they probably didn't expect an aerial incursion. She made her way down and found herself looking at a line of doors, like a corridor of a hotel.

She vaguely knew how these places operate, usually consisted a common area for people to gather, then private rooms where they get down to business. She assumed she was on the business floor.

Further down the corridor a door opened, a man near his fifties came out, he was wearing a suit, but his collar undone and tie loosely hanging on his neck. He turned the other way and disappeared around the corner.

Chloe went for the room, wanting to find evidence, but as she reached for the doorknob it turned, inside was a girl with purple hair staring at her. Chloe froze.

"You need the room already?" to her surprise, the girl asked. "Here, help me with this!"

The purple hair girl turned back casually, began removing the bed sheet. Chloe stood bewildered, not knowing what to do.

"Come on! You want the room, don't you? Get me new sheet!"

The girl pointed to a cabinet, Chloe opened it and found stacks of bed sheets. Under the girl's instruction, Chloe pull out the sheet and helped her making the bed.

"What is your name?"

"Why do you care?" the girl shrugged.

"Did they force you into this?"

"They? You mean the world?" she scoffed.

"No, I mean these people." Chloe corrected.

"Nobody likes to work, but you need to make a living, right?"

They tugged the new bed sheet into all four corners, there were no pillow or cover, just an empty bed.

"I'm Violet." the girl brushed her purple hair like it was significant.

"I'm Lori." Chloe said.

"Well Lori, you can take this to the laundry room." the girl pushed the ball of used sheet into her, Chloe felt goosebumps just touching it.

"Who got you this job, Violet?"

"We don't ask questions." the girl answered. "We make money, that's all matters."

"What about school?"

"What are you? Five?" the girl threw her a look. "School gets you working at cashier in McDonald's. Won't even cover your rent!"

"Do you live alone?"

"Beats the hell out of living with Chad."

"Who's Chad?"

"My stepdad." the girl added. "And my boyfriend."

Violet collected her belongings and left the room, leaving Chloe alone with the bed sheet. She dropped it right away and ran to the bathroom, washing her hands frantically.

She came out the corridor and turned to the corner where the man went, it took her down a flight of stairs. Music grew louder as she was descending, and came across another pair coming up, a man with a young girl in his arm, they passed her as if she wasn't even there.

As expected, the floor below was a gathering place, decorated with dark couches under colorful spotlights. Young girls dressed in appealing outfits parading around, with men enjoying the show with wine in their hands.

Chloe kept to the wall, staying in the dark and made a quick study of the place. She identified the staffs wearing black suits, waitresses in white shirts and black bowties, and bouncers in black T-shirts.