Nor⭐️Cal

XXV.

Nor⭐️Cal

CJ

As much as I'd have enjoyed to have a seat and watch some women dance around a pole basically naked, I left just as fast as I got there. My concern was now for Vanity since she's not answering her iPod and she's obviously not at work like I thought she'd be.

Right now I was in my car heading to her house with my phone to my ear waiting for Chastity to pick up again. 

"Yes?" She said in an off tone. In the background I could hear faint yelling. 

"Where's Vanity? She's not answering and she's not at work. I know you said you had no idea but tell me when you last saw her." 

"She walked out of the house when Mom was explaining things. She said she wanted to be alone and that was a while ago." 

"Is everything okay?" 

"Right now, things are heated but I'm fine. If you're gonna look for her, please let me know when you find her. I'm worried but I don't this area so I'm fucked as always." 

"I'll let you know. If you need anything, just call and make sure you stay clear of drugs. I need you with a straight mind for court." 

"Alright, alright. I got'chu and good luck finding her. Bye CJ." 

"Bye Chastity." Hanging up the phone, I already knew where Vanity had run off to. Lucky for me, I was right near her neighborhood and parked my car outside the gates. Walking around to the side, I found the hole in the fence and crawled through. Pushing the palms out of the way, I could see her Dad's house across the street but my attention was set on the cliff at the upper end of the street. 

It was well onto about eleven clock at night so it was pretty dark but I could see Vanity's outline as she sat on a bench looking out towards the ocean. I approached and took a seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her, she turned and buried her head into my chest. 

"What's goin' on, V?" I asked rubbing her arm. I could feel the goosebumps she had so I slipped off my jacket and wrapped it around her. "Tell me what's wrong with you?" 

"My entire life is composed of lies. Everything I was told and grew up knowing was just a lie." She said in a voice that was strained from all the heaving as a result of her crying from earlier. "I just don't know anymore."

"You're life's a lie?" She nodded. "How so?" 

"I grew up thinking my mother was just never there and I was born in Nevada so Dad worked hard in his business, selling it to buy those big houses he loves and so we can relax. Then Dad moved us out here because of the church and then the restaurant but it was all wrong. I was born here in California, some man named Jaxon drugged and took Mom, Dad prostituted her out and then raped her countless times till she was pregnant with Chastity and I. They left but one day cops were investigating the neighborhood so Dad wanted to run off but he didn't know I was in the car when he took off. He thought Mom had taken Chastity and I inside at the same time. Now we're here in California because of Symphonic." She started to break down into tears again. "I already went through hell with Marquis, the struggle of the ecstasy- which I'm still not in the clear with but I'm managing, and now it's all this on top." 

"I'm sorry, Vanity." I said. "I really am." 

"What do I do from this point, CJ? I don't know what to do." 

"I don't want to add anymore bad news but I might as well just come out and say it. Your Dad's restaurant is basically a strip club and that's probably why he doesn't want you working night shifts. I was just there to see if you were workin' but that wasn't the case."