Cody Haskins adjusted her mask and fixed her wig in the rear view mirror. "How do I look?" She asked her partner in crime, whatever his name was.
"Like a fourteen-year-old in a mask. Cody, you really think you're gonna fool these guys?"
"Relax, kid," She replied, patting foundation onto her mask. "I've been fooling these suckers for months."
Dennis, her partner in crime, rolled his eyes as she got out of the car. She stood in front of it, cigarette in hand. She signaled him to turn the headlights off and he obliged. It was practically pitch black, minus the dim glow of the lighter and the little red light belonging to the lit cigarette. Cody's silhouette looked unfamiliar against the moon's natural light and the unnatural streetlights in the distance. Dennis couldn't even recognize her. He found himself believing that she actually did manage to trick people into thinking she was really Dolores Reed, a 58 year old woman.
"Dolores!" A man called out. His silhouette entered the frame. "Baby, how are ya?"
They hugged and "Dolores" flicked the ash from her cig before placing it back in her mouth and grumbling, "Not too good, Shrew. Got my license revoked."
"That's a shame, Doll. Anyway, you got the stuff?"
"Depends," She let out a perfect ring of smoke. "You got the dough?"
"I always do." Shrew grinned, producing a small stack of money bundled up with a rubber band.
"Geez," "Dolores" said, taking out a paper bag. "Ya can't be more subtle with this shit?"
They swapped products, him with the bag and her with the cash. Shrew tipped his hat.
"It's always a pleasure doing business with ya, Dolores."
She blew out more smoke in response.
"It's such a pleasure that I was wondering if we could do it somewhere more private. My place, perhaps? I would really like to get to know you better, Dolores. You seem like a girl who knows how to have a good time."
"Not that that isn't tempting or anything.... But I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
She started walking back to the car when Shrew grabbed her wrist. In a spilt second, she whipped out a pistol and shoved it in his face. He chuckled, and let go.
"Alright," He said, putting his hands up. "I get it. I'll leave ya alone."
"Dolores" got back into the car and put out her cigarette. "Floor it," She said. Dennis obliged.
Once they left town, Cody Haskins took off the mask.
"I thought you didn't like to smoke," Dennis spoke up. "You said-"
"Nevermind what I said," Cody slumped into her seat. "Dolores smokes. It goes with her character."
"You'd be a very good actress, you know that?"
"Whatever." Cody threw her cigarette butt out of the window with distaste.
The two of them drove back to Dennis' house in silence, excusing the Indie Music playing on the radio.
Dennis lived in a small shack that stood alone in the middle of an overgrown field. He had no idea how he managed to find such a place, but the rent is free and the water/electricity still works (miraculously) so it's home. Yes, the creaks and groans and the holes in the ceiling frighten him, but as long as he has his trusty space heater and his armless stuffed monkey, he'll be okay. It's embarrassing for a person his age to still sleep with a stuffed animal, but he can't help it. Smoky (the monkey) makes him feel... safe. The car stops in a dirt patch in front of the house.
"Cody," Dennis lightly touches her shoulder. "We're home."
Home. The word used to have so much meaning.
He thought her to be asleep, so he carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to lift her out of the car until she tensed up, her eyes flying open.
"What the fuck are you doing, you fucking pedophile?!" She screamed. "Don't fucking touch me!"
"Sorry, sorry-" Cody didn't listen to him, she just stomped into the house.
She left her things in his car. She left her things everywhere, she didn't care. Dennis barely knew this girl, and yet for some reason he pitied her enough to let her live in his house. He pitied her enough to steal drugs from the pharmacy he worked at just so she could sell them to scary men in alleyways. He cared about her, and he hated himself for that. Was she right? Is he a pedophile? He hoped not.
