I Have Nothing

Chapter 2

I finish up my last dance. It was time for my shift to be over. It was 4:00 in the morning. I had worked an hour overtime. Which was usual. I walked into the back room and plopped down in my chair next to Melissa. I started pulling the money out from my bra and underwear, and I counted it as I went. I then started to get dressed.

"Are you gonna leave Hunter?"

"Melissa. I can't."

"Abigail. He beats you!"

"Shhh. Keep your voice down. You haven't told anyone, have you?"

"Of course not. I'm your best friend. I keep secrets. I may not want to, but I do it because you want me to."

"He didn't mean to this time..."

"That's what you always fucking say! He keeps doing it, and then he apologizes and you forgive him! This relationship is toxic. It's not healthy. I know you love him, but you've given up so much just to be with him. He is obviously not worth it. He's an awful guy with a terrible drinking problem."

"I just can't leave him. I love him. He's not bad when he's sober. You remember last year when I first came here. We were happy, and we still are. I need to head home. I'll see you later."

I walk out and over to the pizza place. I walk up to the counter. The guy who was usually working, Nick, wasn't working tonight. A new girl was behind the counter.

"What do you want?" She is chewing gum very loudly and has more makeup on than I do. Which is saying something. She had a bitchy tone and judge mental eyes. She was judging me, I could tell.

"Uh yeah. Can I get a medium pepperoni pizza? To go?"

"Fine. $7.45" She took my money and rolled her eyes. She grabbed the money like she was repulsed by it. She held it with two fingers away from her body like it was contaminated or something. She had a disgusted look on her face as she put it in the drawer.

"I'm sorry, but is there a problem here?"

"Um. No, but I hope you got all the ones off the stage when you left." She snickered and sneered at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you wash all the glitter off your ass?" She giggle.

"You have no right to talk to me that way!"

"You shouldn't have a right to talk at all! How much do you charge for a blowjob? Because I know some guys that would-"

"Excuse the fuck out of me if I have to work a job in order to survive. I am a stripper. Yes, but I am not a fucking prostitute! I'm out on my own. I don't have mommy and daddy to buy me things, or to rig me into a minimum wage job. I had to find a job by myself. And yes. My job may not be the best one in the world. It may not be considered 'appropriate' or 'normal', but it pays the bills." I grabbed the change out of her hand, snatched my pizza off the counter, and walked out.

I took a piece of pizza out of the box and ate it as I walked back towards the house. The sun was just starting to peek out from behind the hills. There weren't many cars out. Mostly just big tractor trailers. I heard a car slow down behind me.

"Looks like you need another ride."

I turned around to see the same guy who gave me a ride last night. He unlocks the door. I look at him skeptically and then hop in.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked him. I knew little to nothing about this guy, but I felt comfortable in his presence.

"I could ask you the same thing." He smirked and looked at me.