𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄

11

Soon, I am released from the hospital, coming back to days and days of school work missed and a club that continued on without Bunnie.

It's Friday, I'm still wearing sunglasses to hide my mostly healed eye, and Mrs. Dahle isn't taking my hospital paperwork seriously. Damn, did her daughter tell her what a whore I am?

"You still have a responsibility to get your work turned in on time, Ms. Cerbey."

"I could barely move, how the hell was I supposed to do that?"

The background classroom chatter quiets.

"Out. And don't think you won't be switched out of my course."

"Fuck your course," I snap.

I march out of the room, going outside to my car to cry. Crying still hurts, so now my face is all red and ugly again. I slam my car horn over and over, until I'm sure someone thinks their car is being broken into. I pull my knees up to my chest, pushing my hands up to my eyes and letting out an exhausted sigh. Still in debt. Still behind.

"I'm gonna drop out," I decide.

The idea fell out of the sky, landed into my brain, and made me want to orgasm. I don't have to put up with this shit. Fuck Mrs. Dahle, fuck my father, fuck my siblings, fuck my aunt, and everyone else. I can't keep Babe happy. My happiness isn't here at this school. So what I'll be disappointing her? She'll just have to go to school herself if she wants somebody to have a degree, damn it!

A slap stings my cheek. Babe and I stand in her suite, one of her outfits on the bed and a hair curler. "You are not dropping out, Bunnie. I don't give a damn how much you want to."

"You don't understand, Babe-

"No. I do get it. You prance around on the outside and complain when you feel a little heat while the rest of us rot in here," she snaps.

I'm hurt, and I step back from her. She goes on.

"Get your act together, Bunnie, unless you really want Vanilla to defeat you. Focus on Vanilla. Focus on school. Whatever you gotta do."

"What do you want from me, Babe? To climb up the ladders in this club, or to focus on my studies?"

"For you not to end up on the side of the street hungry, and for you to not end up in that man's hands," she hisses.

"That man," I step forward, "What man?" NJ?

"The Boss. Damn, you are dumb, Bunnie."

But I don't see it. I've never met the Boss. I don't know him. And why me? Why not Vanilla or some other easy bitch? He'd never want me. But maybe he would. You're easy, remember. NJ said so, I tell myself.

Babe only shook her head, grabbing her clothes and heading to her bathroom. "Go home. Stay here. Go to sleep. I don't give a damn. I heard about who was in your private room, Bunnie. You don't have to lie to me. If you choose to be dumb, then maybe you shouldn't talk to me."

And so that continued on, when I came back to work later on at night, Babe ignored me, an action that many girls took notice of. Stuck up Bunnie doesn't have anymore friends, some of their looks seem to say, good riddance. I didn't even get to tell her that Vanilla told me her real name. I pull on thick tights and a mini skirt, a hole-y crop top and smoky makeup. My shoes are shimmery and tall, and although I look sexy, I don't feel that way.

New Mother is quiet and hurried with her work. Her hands are young and her face too, but I hear a lot of speculations of fillers. I stretch a bit before I'm scheduled to go on stage. I'm standing in the tunnel, and New Mother shows me my private room schedule.