The Battle of the Heart: Teenage Prostitution

(5)The Battle of the Heart: Teenage Prostitution

The rest of the week passed in a blur. The night of dancing and clubbing had ended pretty abruptly. Trey was nice and we had exchanged numbers, but I had no actual interest in pursuing anything. How could I? I was essentially damaged goods and I didn't need anyone else reminding me of that every day.

After about an hour into dancing, I had remembered my need for a day after pill and caught a cab to the 24-hour pharmacy and then home.

My mind had been ridiculously preoccupied. I was currently sitting in my last class of the week and was trying to work out a particularly difficult Calculus problem having to do with derivatives. I looked up to the clock and saw that time had run out. I quickly scribbled down the last of my work and the answer. Standing up I walked to the front of the class turning in my test.

Leaving the class room I quickly walked to mine and Dusty's meeting spot.

I saw him before he saw me, his head was down, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration.

"Dusty you think any harder and your brain might implode," I laughed.

He looked up and there was something dark and terrified in the depths for just a split second before he smiled, "Well you know we can't ALL be Mathematicians can we?"

"So, what're our plans for tonight?" I asked switching the subject. Yes, I did love school, however I always felt somewhat embarrassed when I talked his ear off about things that he couldn't care less about.

"Me, you, a bottle, a movie, and..." He smiled really dirty, "Sleep. This week has been rough. Three tests in two days? I am not made out for this college stuff like you. I'm glad I took the year off or I never would have made it this far."

I smiled at him, but somewhere in the deep dark abyss in the back of my mind, there was Leo and our night of passionate, thousand-dollar sex. "Not all of us procrastinate and have to stay up studying" I quipped back instead.

At this point the hallway we were in began to crowd, as most of the rest of the classes let out. Dusty grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the exit. With his hand in mine I almost felt like I could conquer the world. Almost.

As he practically dragged me out of the building, I saw a familiar flash of something in my left peripheral but as soon as I turned my head, it was gone. I couldn't even think where the familiarity came from and shrugged it off as someone I had met after a night of partying.

Once outside the chilly air hit me like a wave and a shiver was sent down my spine, Dusty glanced back at me with a pointed look at my shorts.

"You understand that pants are an acceptable fashion statement, don't you?" He threw at me.

I pulled my hand out of his and he frowned "I do, but maybe if I weren't dragged around like a rag doll, I would have some time to catch my bearings."

He had nothing to say to that and we walked in silence to our home. The one shining light of our dingy duplex was it was only a thirty-minute walk from school.

When we finally arrived home, I immediately saw the eviction notice on our door.

I turned to look at Dusty.

"Baby cakes I thought this was your month?"

He looked down at his feet ashamed, "It was, I thought we would have more time. I'm so sorry Blae, it was my mom, I had to help her again."

I wasn't upset, I had caused a few of those notices before I started my nightly business and even more Dusty practically supported his mom and sister, while going to school full time, and still tried to take care of me. How could I be upset? "Duster, you know it's okay." I said pulling the notice off the door, it gave us 4 days. We lived in a place that wasn't up to code and therefore we paid less, but it also meant we were at the landlord's whim.

"Fuck!" Dusty said when he saw the short period of time, every time we got a new one, the landlord would knock a few days off the time we had to pay.

I looked at him realizing, this might be the month. My thousand from last week had already been spent on catching us up on all our utilities. I was broke, I had no money.

We let ourselves in the house that may soon not be ours

As soon as we got inside, I heard it. My work phone which I had left in a purse by the door started to buzz.

Almost like some twisted fate.

Dusty looked at me with the saddest eyes I had seen, "No, Blae, I'll figure it out, I'll sell plasma, I'll sell all my things. I have enough for half of it already."

I think we both knew that wouldn't cut it. I gave him a small smile and grabbed my work phone sliding it into my pocket as quickly as I could. I gave him a small hug "You know I love you no matter what, don't you Duster?" I said into his ear.

"You know I love you forever right, Blaebae?" He responded giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I pulled away, gave him small smile "Pull the bottle out and throw something good on TV?" and went into my room.

I pulled the work phone out of my pocket. I had a few missed texts, some from unknowns, a couple I remembered.

Then there was one from Leo:

"$2000? Tom day 2pm till late, just me."
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A.N. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
-Relle Aine