Make Me Stay

9| PAPER-GUY

"It's not that bad." I tried to convince myself. The room I was dragged into was by far the the most intimidating place I had ever been. The wooden floor cracked under my feet and there were literally pieces of paint that were supposed to be in the walls instead. The layer of sticky black dirt seemed to have spread to every single spot I looked at and even though I tried I couldn't help observing the lack of vocal hygiene the tall blond man here making sure I didn't escape had.

As I continued pacing I noticed some glasses fallen from an old broken chandelier and another door behind the guy, which was surprisingly not as shabby as the other.

"Don't try anything funny or I'll take you directly to the night club. Maybe you won't manage to satisfy me, but you will to many other men."

Did he just said "N-night club? Am I going to be ta-"

"Shush! You're much hotter when you're silent." His attempt of smirk making me gag.

Well, if he covered his face with cow shit he would still look much better too and I don't see anyone criticising him.

"Okay", I started an inner dialogue "do not panic, you've been tought what to do in this situations. Step one, try to call 911." But I don't have my phone with me. "Right. Nothing to worry about, you just don't have the most important item with you when you most need it."

The next thing I did... Well, yes. I panicked. I'm human. I was scared and locked in a room with a creepy vampire looking guy who wanted to take me to a club full of old bored and desperate men. And to top it all, although I was trying to plan my escape, a big part of my attention was focused on ignoring the sound of whatever dead animals' bones made when paper-guy stepped on them purposely just to tick me off.

I tried to put into practice what I had learnt in self defence classes but chickened out when I spotted a gun mid hidden in his waistband.

Hundreds of textbooks I had had along the academic years opened in my mind, but they were of no help. That's when I started to think about what do we really learn at school and uni. They are supposed to prepare us for the labour market as well as for the big bad world, but why do we need to know what the xylem and phloem are for if we aren't even able to protect ourselves.

We've always been told that studying is a process. But you only learn to memorise and do more complex exams over the years. For sure, that is exactly what will lead us to later on have a good job and pay the bills, but it is just too sad.

They don't really teach us the laws except the most obvious ones, but hey, if you break one, be ready to pay or go to jail.

I'd always been under my family's wing and there was no mistake they couldn't pay. It didn't seem so bad then. Now I don't know what to think about my own family's ways. If your actions define you, then what are my parents? What does that make me?

Paper-guy received a text and after reading it he instantly straighten his posture. I was in the corner of the room facing the door behind him when the door swung open to reveal a tall, bald man around his forties.

"I have JC waiting in the other room, it better be important because God help me I will rip your balls with my bare hands!"

Paper-guy shifted unconfortably "I caught this outside the office sir." Great now I'm definitely feeling degraded.

The bald man finally noticed my presence and lifted his chin as to show who was in charge here. He was wearing an expensive looking black leather jacket with a plain yellow shirt and radioactive-green tight jeans. He clearly hadn't learnt what having a sense of fashion meant.

"Well would you look at this doll, who do we have 'ere Mitchell?" Asked the bald man while getting closer and closer every second.

"She claimed to be with a friend or something, not that I paid too much attention." Wow, paper-guy was a total keeper.