•ScarFace•

•II•

1982 | 24

"Angie! I need some conditioner!"I pat my customer on the shoulder, signaling her to sit up while I ran off to the back storage room. Today was a bright and full day. It was full of children, men, and mostly young women who were getting ready for the weekend. I ran to Gina, dodging little kids than ran after each other. "No running in the salon!"

"Here."

"Gracias." She squirted some in her hand and eased it in a girls hair. I continued on my costumer. I sat her under the blow dryer while getting another costumer. "So," I began to make convo with Gina. "What are you doing Friday?" She tsked. "You already know, working and catering to Mama." She wasn't lying. Girls like us never go out. We work day in, day out, with very little pay. "Why?" Her costumer asked. She was caught off gaurd a little, "I mean, because. Thats just us."

"Wanna come with us?" My costumer under the dryers asked. "My name is Catya." The one under the dryer said. "That's Lola and Mami." Lola had beautiful long black hair, which was my current costumer. Mami was Gina's. "And where will they go?" Mami asked towards Catya in a aggressive way.

"They could work with us, shut up. We get paid a lot, like a lot a lot. 200 a day almost, even more." My ears and eyes perked up at this statement. "What work do you do?"

"Fluffing." Mami said with an eye roll. "Eh, I don't think I want to do that. But thanks for the offer." Gina chided with a grimace. I nodded. I didn't judge the women, I just didn't want that to be me. "Y'all are missing out...you sure?" Catya insisted. "All you do is fluff an old guy and he'll pay you. Then we get money from our boss, just because." Although it sounded nice, I knew it wasn't.

•••

Night time rolled in. Gina left 30 minutes ago.I locked the double doors and hopped in my Ford Mustang.

I arrived to my uncle's house a few minutes later. I quickly unlocked the door, but not loud enough to wake him. I went through the living and to the kitchen to see if he cooked. All i could spot was beer and liquor cans everywhere. There was a half way smoken blunt on the island, this was nothing new. Uncle Dean would smoke and drink his way through life, this was a punishment from my parents. "Angie thats you?" Uncle Dean slurred out. "Yeah!" I began cleaning up before he stormed in the kitchen. "It is y-you, how's my ole girl?"
"Im fine, its late, shouldn't you be sleep?" He got quiet and began to scratch his head. He picked up the blunt,"I was waiting on you." After I was done, I heated up the food that was cooked. Fried chicken, mash potatoes, okra, and spaghetti."How was your day Unc?" I walked over to the TV set with him right on my tracks. "It was lonely with my ole girl."
I gave him a smile and watched reruns of Knight Rider.

I went to get my food and sat back down next to my Uncle, who nodded off. I took the blunt from him and placed it in the ash tray. My eyes and attention averted to the TV. Suddenly I felt a pair of hands caressing my cheek.  I took to see my uncle staring deep off into my eyes. "Im glad you're here." "Gracias, tio." I gave a reassuring smile and turned to the TV. His hands drooped down to my collarbone. "You are very pretty, you know?" I began to scoot away before a fist full of my hair was grabbed. "AH! TIO LET ME GO!" He hoisted me up to my feet and pushed me towards the hall. "What the hell is a matter with you?!"

He shoved me again. He pulled his Beretta 92 and held it up to my cheek. "Go to my room. GO!" I got up slowly and made my way to his room. I felt hot tears threatening to spill. "You wanna feel like a woman? Look at you, you got a job, you drive, you got a woman body." He began to not make sense. He cocked his gun and pushed me on his bed that smelt like weed and old sex. "Uncle stop! What the fuck are you doing??!"
"Shut the hell up bitch!" He grabbed my work pants and tugged them off. He reached for my underwear but I clenched my thighs closed. "UNCLE DEAN STOP! NOW!!" He held the gun up to my head and forcefully tugged at my underwear. His palm collided with my sex. He gave out a hum and unbuckled his pants. I quietly cried, hoping that someone would call or i would get free. I tried to think of anything, anything of trying to get free. His "choda" sprang free and slapped at my sex. "You're a sick bastard!" I screamed. And i screwed more, more and more until I felt his hand collided with my cheek. "Shut the fuck up you stupid whore, that's why you were sent here you-"

The phone rang, loud and proud. I thanked God, mentally. 'Get up,' he mouthed out. I got up and picked up my pants. I dashed out his room. "ANGIE!" I heard him call for me, but I ran straight for the door. I ran until I reached my car door. A gun shot rang out, but it didn't stop me from jumping in the car and rushing out the driveway. I drove until I found myself lost.

•••

It was the next morning but it felt like the same night. After my father found me at the party, my parents grew fed up. They threatened to send me away to a boarding school or a mental hospital. A week later they tried to "beat the sins out of me," they took me to church and got me baptized. I was on my best behavior until one day they decided to send me off with my drunken uncle. I dropped out of school and was forced to get a job at this salon, since then I've been here. 

"Helllloooo!" I looked up from my booth to see Catya walking in wearing a Fendi fur coat and boots that came up her knees with heeled sandals in her hand. "I wanna see Angie. Ya'll got her?" Catya had soft caramel skin with bushy hair that was neatly done, by me. "Ah there she is!" She skipped to me and grabbed my hands. "How are you hun?" I nodded. Her smile faded quickly. "I see past your puff wet eyes...what's wrong?" I shook my head. 

"Personal?" I nodded. "Well, after you do my feet, I wanna take you out. My treat."

After I painted her beautiful toes a light brown color, I slapped lotion on them  and massaged them. "So, how's fluffing life?" She shrugged. "All I do all day is meet old men, fuck em, and get money. Some of us strip, some of us just fuck around." I nodded, unknowingly. "But Mami doesn't do that shit. All she does is fuck boss. She's basically his personal little hoe."  

"How many of you are there?" She thought for a moment. "Just 6 for now. He opened up a club in his house called 'Floriano's Girls.' It's crazy, you should come." She giggled in thought. "What do I do to...apply?" 

"Apply?" She giggled harder and wiggled her toes. "You just come, if you're cute, you're in. If you can dance, then hell yea. You dance?" 

"Nah, I sing...?" 

"No babygirl, it ain't a talent show. But since you cute, you'll pass."

After her massaged, she payed me an extra 100. She took me downtown to have lunch. "So what's your real name?" She asked. "Angelina," I slurped on my banana milk shake while she ate her crispy slated fries.  "Angelina Ana, sometimes Sanchez. I just liked to be called Angie Ana. Ana like 'Ahnah' not 'Anna'." We both laughed at my unnecessary statement. "Well i'm Catya Lisa Bonet. Since we giving out middle names and shit." We both doubled over in laughter, causing glances from other people.  

"Tell me about the rules of the club." I said breaking silence. "Well, first. No one is your friend, only me," She made a kissy face to me. "Two, don't date Floriano. Three...I don't know. But those are important." "What if I want to leave?"

"There is no getting out hun."