Too young

6 The show must go on

"Do you have the answer to number 12? I ask. The biology homework was kicking my ass, I really need to pay more attention in class.

Gina flips her fingers through the pages of her work book until she finds the question. "No not yet, I'm going to have to Google that" she replies with a groan.

My friend hated school work as much as I did but with her parents always pushing her to achieve high marks she usually knew all the answers. I wish I had more time to spend on my school work but with all the extra hours I was taking at the bar I really didn't. Surprisingly I was getting Bs but it was hard.

Like every other Saturday lunch time my friends are at my home. Gina, Fiona and I were cramped on my bed doing the week's homework. The one benefit of living alone was that my friends could come visit whenever they wanted.

"Are you seeing Diego tonight? Fiona asks. Fiona is desperate for a boyfriend. I don't understand how someone so beautiful could be single. Fiona really has it all blonde hair and big blue eyes. I'm extremely jealous of her, she doesn't have to plaster herself in makeup to look beautiful like I do.

"No, he's at a bachelor party, he's going to a strip club" I answer. I'm careful what I say as they don't know just how old he is.

"and you're letting him" Fiona says in disgust, taking me by surprise . Fiona's eyes are wider than usual. She looks up at me, but she's clearly appalled. Why would I want to stop him going on a night out? He wasn't my property. We are hardly even dating.

I examine the look on her face, she looks like she had just sucked a lemon. Even if he and I were dating I would see why it would be a problem.

"why would I want to stop him"

"there will be women practically naked thrusting their junk in his face, it's totally gross" Fiona's distaste for strippers and exotic dancers was clear. I'm more than a little insulted.

"it's dancing, it's harmless fun" I try to persuade her. Maybe at one time I might have agreed with her but now I knew what it was like first hand I knew it was mostly harmless fun.

"no I agree with Fiona, it's seedy. They are so grotty and full of old fat men. The women are so skanky, I bet at least half have aids'' Gina says the venom in her voice was obvious. I'm totally taken aback by how closed minded my friends are .

"aids" I snap. I can't believe the garbage coming from their mouths.

"Well yeah they will sleep with anyone for ten bucks" Gina comments as though she was an expert on the subject. I watch in horror as my friends laugh between themselves.

I can feel the Anger filling me, my eyes were almost bulging from my head. Was this really what my friends thought about people like me. It makes me feel sick. I take the bottle of whiskey from the side of my bed and gulp it down. I had started drinking a few months before, sometimes it was the only thing that got me through the day. Gina and Fiona look at me strangely, they know somethings going on.

"your being unfair, the strip clubs are probably cleaner than hospitals mine is anyway. There is no sleeping with customers for money and most dancers don't even take off their underwear. It's just dancing" I say as I take another swig from the bottle. I'm so mad, I can hardly contain it.

It really annoys me that people are so against this, everyone has a preconceived opinion and so far no one has come close to the reality. The bar wasn't like the ones portrayed on TV and films.

"yours" Gina says under her breath.

I looked at her in confusion.

"You said the club's were clean that yours was anyway" she repeated my words back at me.