𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃

25

HER PREY

I was standing in the bathroom, I remember, and it was so late at night that it might as well had been early morning. My parents were snoring and sound asleep not too far away, and my thighs were raw and sore. My legs had scratch marks from fingers that weren't mine and my hair was fucked up too. Stiff, straight strands were this way and that way, my lip was busted, and my feet were all cracked and fucked up from walking outside in the sun all day.

Bags were under my eyes from no sleep and I don't remember the last time that my eyelids had a break. My eyeballs were literally burning right now in the harsh light of the bathroom.

My cherry red razor is sitting on the once-white, dye-stained counter.

My tan camisole is a material close to satin and my nipples stand out against it. Stretchy shorts that barely end at my panty line with more holes than I could count are hidden amongst the pattern of flowers and butterflies on my ass.

All my clothes hang off of me.

My mom tells me that if I want to lose weight so bad, I'll have to buy my own clothes from now on. I don't think that she sees. I don't think that she quite understands.

She sees the marks on my wrists, and he sees the marks on my hips. Neither of them care.

So, I flick off the light switch and envelope myself in darkness. I push the chair underneath the door knob and sit in the cold, tub water. I slip my shirt off as I sit but leave my shorts on. I fall backwards into the water and wake up to my mother banging on the bathroom door.

'It's seven o'clock in the mornin', and your father needs to eat breakfast. Hurry up, Casei, so I can piss!'

It's already Monday and I don't know how the fuck it is. I sit up in bed, rubbing my eyes and grumbling my entire way to my closest. What can I even wear? My clothes are still bleached and now I don't have a work uniform. What if the guys decide they don't really even need me and now I'm out of a job because my mom decided to act like a freaking two year old.

Eventually, I settle on my clothes that I interviewed in and get ready for the day. I leave the house while my mom's cooking breakfast and I actually manage to witness my father doing some type of working.

I text Lowen that I'm heading out the door and she tells me that...she's already outside?

"Uhh, hey, Low," I wave awkwardly, my own set of keys in my hand as I come up to her Jeep.

"Go put your keys up, so we don't be late," she told me.

"Um, I don't remember requesting a ride, Ms. Bossy?"

"Go put your keys up, sweets," Lowen nodded.

And so, not really knowing why I was listening to her, I went back upstairs and gave my mom the keys, coming back down and sitting in the passenger seat that low key still smelled like liquor and perfume from Lowen's mother.

"Why'd you decide to pick me up for work today?"

"I figured it makes sense to carpool. It's a more efficient method of transportation and reduces greenhouse gases. Carbon monoxide, other types of fuel residuals."

"Why'd you really come and get me, Lowen?" I turned to her as we drove past Dylandra's place.

"I don't know...I just...figured you'd need some peace in your morning after dealin' with yesterday and the day before. And your mom got us Hartz. So...I'm buyin' me and you some Dunkin," she explained.

"Dunkin what?" I kept the most innocent expression on my face.

"Dunkin-

"Deez nuts," I giggled.

"Boo, lame," she threw up the L at me. "I could have came up with that in third grade, Casei."

"In third grade, I was still getting people to spell out 'I cup'," I giggled again, "We are not the same."

"And, I also figured that you'd need some peace from today because of social media and shit," Lowen added in with a sigh.

"Why? I'm not in no drama," my happy demeanor immediately switched. "I needa mop another female dog?"

"Uhh, well," Lowen's voice got a little hesitant.

"Ask them people down at the ice cream place: I had Maeve head down, ass up, on the floor while I was slingin' hits. Don't play wimme," I scoffed.

"Maeve was drunk and shit, Live, and she was namin' everybody in Quercitron that she didn't fuck with since apparently Chocolate had ran up on her on Sunday and won. Twice."

"Oh, so the concussion was speakin' for her and she wanted all the smoke?" I asked.

Lowen chuckled. "She named you, Chocolate, um, Dylandra of course, and a few other people. I think I would've been on the list too if me and Chocolate gettin' into it didn't spread around town and shit."

"Everybody she think isn't on her side is on Sioyana's side apparently," I rolled my eyes, "I'm so sick of this shit. Maeve been mad at me for the longest for no fuckin' real reason. It's never a real reason with these bitches. They just like to fight to have sumin to do. We are not in elementary school, and we are not wild chickens."

"I just wanted to cheer you up today before we went into work and shit," Lowen finished.

"Thanks," I sighed, "Donuts should do it."

Lowen phone started to ring and I pretended to mind my business as she answered it. I could tell by the tone of voice that it was Brian and I could distinctly hear him through the phone yelling all loud. "Come down to this motherfuckin' firm right now, Lowen! This bitch den broke all our windows!"

"Fuck," Lowen said as soon as he hung up.

"Who broke the windows?" I turned to her, "Did he say?"

"Shit, you could hear him," she got all snappy with me, "I guess he don't know. Shit, ion know either. And ion think he had any cameras set up just yet, outside or inside of the firm."

"Probably Dylandra or Maeve, at this point," I sighed.

"Whoever, Brian not playin' and I hope I still gotta job."

"Park 'round the corner like you always do, I'm tryna keep my job so ion wanna show up next to you," I half joked.

"Man, this shit is crazy. And knowin' Brian, he gon find out who did it," Lowen commented.

"Yeah, we better hope so. This shit wild," I shook my head.