Heroin(e)

Chapter Four

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

That had become more than just a shower routine. It was my daily schedule. Sleep all day, get up in the evening, and get ready to go to work. Every now and then I would think about the man from the diner. Had I been too cold with him? Too cruel? He seemed friendly enough. But I could never be too careful. I wiped a bit of soap out of my eye. 

I wondered if I'd ever see him again. I'd never seen him around here before. Oh, but of course. He was in a band. They travel all over the world and would probably leave before our paths crossed again. Just another reason not to get mixed up with the likes of him. 

Scout waited for me outside the bathroom door. He licked my wet toes and sniffed the puddles of water I left behind. I made sure to douse myself in my One in a Million scented body spray before getting dressed. What did One in a Million even smell like? Fuck if I know, my answer was 'good'. 

I wore the same faded jeans with a different t shirt I pulled out of my hamper. My clothes were due for a wash. Regular clothes, and my work clothes. I decided to go to the laundromat after work and maybe stop by the boutiques and pick out a new dress. Customers eventually recognized the dresses we wore and got bored.

And the customer is always right. 

Scout's bowl was filled plenty and I managed to eat a bit of rice before leaving. I grabbed my wool coat and my bag. My cash from last night was hidden away in a box in my bed. Literally in my bed. Underneath where the lining had ripped was a pocket big enough to put the box into. I kept all my earnings in there. Time would tell if it really was the safest place to put my bread.

On my way out the door I tripped and almost fell on my face. Cursing I looked under my feet to see a dusty case jutting out from its place in the corner. It must have fallen the night before. I kicked it back and waved goodbye to Scout. "Another day another dollar, boy. Be good and we'll see about that new chew toy you've been wanting." Scout tilted his head and I blew him a kiss. "Love you."

The sun was out today, making it even colder without the cloud cover. But it also put me in better spirits. Barney waved me out the gate and I even waved back. Yep, today would be even better than yesterday. Every day would get better and better. Soon I'd forget all about it. 

**********

"I bet Essie has a crush on him!"

"Do not!"

Lana and her sister Lorraine were teasing me about the new boy in class, Mark. He was tall and handsome with a skip in his step. I could see the appeal but I wasn't interested. He was too...conventionally attractive. And I liked plain boys. 

That didn't stop the other girls from teasing me when he was around. Making kissing noises and everything. It pissed me off sometimes. Maria took me aside and whispered close so no one could hear. "I heard he has a crush on you."

"Really?" The idea seemed preposterous. In grade school I was short and fat and all the boys looked at me with disdain. My mom always told me to ignore them and keep my head held high. So I did. And eventually the kids backed off. Most of them, anyway. 

"He said he wanted to kiss you after school." Maria looked to be telling the truth. I had never kissed anyone before. Then again, I was only ten years old. Something about the idea of kissing a boy didn't sit right with me. But it's all the other girls could talk about. And I wanted to fit in. So I talked about it too. 

After school Maria took me to the bicycle rack and we waited for Mark to show up. He did, as he rode a red Orbea to school and would never leave it behind. My legs started to cramp from the crouched position Maria forced me into as we watched behind the bushes. Mark came up to his bike and unhooked it from the rack when Maria did the unthinkable. She hoisted me up and pushed me in his direction so I crashed right into him and his bike. Mark stumbled and fell backwards, his bike falling on top of him.