Upside Down Life

"Rest"

I wake up to find my arms around Andrew. I sit up to see him just sitting there with his arm around me watching the cars pass. He looks over at me and smiles slightly.
"How was your sleep?" He says in his morning voice.
"Better than what I'm used to." I say quietly. I look up to find that hes staring at the cars passing. He turns his head to meet with my eyes again. I turn my head to avoid eye contact with him, as if I'm still shy towards him. He lets out a little chuckle as he slowly zones back to the cars.
"What?" I say in a jokingly tone of voice.
"Oh nothing, it's just how you seem shy to me today. It's kinda cute." I stare at him as I feel my face turn red. I snap my head the other direction so he doesn't see me blush. I hear another chuckle out of him while I'm staring at the ground trying to get my head wrapped around what just happened. I can feel his eyes on me studying me.
"You look well rested. Well rested enough to have the blood flow through your body." It's like hes trying to get me to blush.
"So last night... what was going through your head?" He caught me off guard.
"What?"
"When we were changing our appearances. When I started to shave you were glaring at me in the mirror smiling." I began to think when I feel my face heat again. He has been keeping eye contact with me so he saw me. Andrew smiled that smile that gets me every time. The one where he half smiles, half doesn't. Why is he driving me so crazy? I don't understand myself sometimes.
"Man, your blood must be pumping more than normal today. You need some water?" He breaks the silence and catches me off guard again.
"Uh, sure" He takes his bag from under the bench and grabs the single water bottle then hands it to me. I take the cap off and take a sip when suddenly a thought came into mind. I forgot about Emma because my mind was so focused on Andrew. I take a final sip then start to pack up.
"Why such a hurry?" Andrew says.
"I'm not in a hurry, just determined." I went all serious I even surprised myself. I rolled the blanket up and tossed the water over to Andrew. I zip the bag closed and start to walk down the road again. He jogs to catch up behind me.
"Where are we even walking to anyways?" I slow down to think if I should tell him about the plan I have for Emma or not.
"You'll see." I say.
"You said that two days ago."
"Well you will see when we get there."
He went silent and took his bag from me. We walked in silence just listening to the cars pass and the wind blow. I looked down to see what I look like. My clothes are already darker from the dirt, my plain black and white converse need to be cleaned badly. I look down at my arms to see how beaten I actually was. I had small bruises up and down my arms. I had the urge to feel my hair, when I did it was greasier than ever before. I'm surprised I didn't notice all of this yesterday when I was looking directly at myself in the mirror cutting my hair.
"You okay?" Andrew breaks my train of thought.
"Y-yea. I was just thinking about how much of a wreck I look like now."
"You're fine, all you need is a shower and clean clothes."
"That's what I meant." I return back to my normal speed. He continues to walk in silence. I turn the corner to see another long road ahead of me. I daze out and start to think about the day I've been thrown out. That's all I catch myself thinking about when nobody is talking to me. I feel Andrews hand on my shoulder when I refocus my attention to what's in front of me.
"Can we go in here and take a break?"
"Go in where?"
"Turn around and you'll see." I turn around to a beaten up building called ''Girls Next Door."
"What am I looking at?" I say hoping I don't get the answer I was thinking.
"It's a strip club. Don't get the wrong idea though. I just wanted to go in and ask a few people for money so we can continue on your journey to where ever you plan on taking us." I look down at my watch.
"Would it really be open at 1:36 in the afternoon?"
"You'd be surprised." He grabbed my hand and dragged me along inside before I could say or do anything. It turned from the light of the sun to darkness with flashing lights. My eyes hurt. They had to adjust before going any further. Andrew and I stop in our tracks to look around and capture our surroundings.
"Hey there are new comers!" A shout from onstage says. Two girls, one in thin bra and underwear with her hair curled and up and the other in a skirt and a shirt that doesn't cover anything, came over and split me and Andrew apart.
"Hey. What are you looking for? A lap dance, a drink or just some sexy fun if you know what I mean." The girl with the thin clothing says in my ear. I immediately rip from her hold and gather myself looking for Andrew. I catch him in the corner of my eye being dragged into a room with the other girl.
"You okay?" The girl said to me. I give her the death glare to see if she would still play her role with me. She leaves me near the sit down bar and couch in the corner. I stand there looking for somebody I could talk to, somebody who won't play their role with me. The girl with the thin lingerie comes back with two shots.
"Here, it's on the house." I take it and study it. The flashing lights seem to slow down and the music genre turns into dub step. I look at the girl.
"What's your name?" I ask her.
"Phoebe" She says as she knocks our shot glasses together and chugs down her drink. She pulls me over to the couch and sits me down.
"I'm not interested in anything, sorry."
"It's fine, not everybody who comes in here want something. So what did you come in here for? A drink or just a rest?" She said in her semi-normal voice.
"Rest, begging and directions."
"Begging for what? Money? Oh it's fine more people than you think come in here to beg." She surprised me. Phoebe and I started to talk more and more about out personal lives and what's going on. It's not everyday you get to know the real personality of a stripper.
"So how did you end up here out of all places?" She said kindly.
"It's a long story... if I tell I might take time of yours."
"It's fine, tell me pleeease." I think to myself to decide if I should or not. After a minute or so of silence I decide to tell her. I chug down the shot I didn't take earlier.
"Well it all started like this..."