Ti Amo [Discontinued]

Five

Words: 2881

Warnings: panic attack; suicidal thoughts (no actions);

Evelyn thought, after seeing the other drag queen, she knew what to expect from Charlie. She was wrong.

Evelyn had watched a film about these Australian drag queens once, and Charlie looked like he'd fit right in with the three of them. He wasn't wearing a dress, he was wearing... She couldn't describe it properly. It was a jumpsuit, big, bright yellow, covered in flowers, and the legs flared and covered his feet.

"Jesus fucking Christ, that's ugly," Evelyn stared.

"I know, right?" Charlie grinned. "I usually go for humour. I get paid more."

"What do you even do in that?"

"I just kind of stand there and lip sync. I can't walk very easily in these, they're big."

"I noticed. Do we get to watch you?"

"You can go out now and get a place on the floor, or watch backstage. I'd wait until Erik's done, though."

"I wanna watch him. You never let me," Maia complained. "I don't even know what he does."

"Erik is a stripper," Charlie explained, clearly starting to get uncomfortable. "I'd do it too, he gets paid a ton in tips, but I don't have the arm strength. Walking around in this is easier."

"You'd be a stripper?" Maia stared at her brother. "How did I not know this?"

"Because you're going to tease the shit out of me," Charlie complained.

"I'm surprised she doesn't ready the shit out of you for this," Evelyn laughed, raising an eyebrow.

"Believe me, she already does."

"How do you do that?" Maia asked, a frown on her perfect face. "I can't raise just one eyebrow. The other always goes up with it."

"We need to get going. I'd stay backstage to watch me, if you want to. Erik's still onstage, and that's not something you should see."

"I've never seen a stripper," Maia groaned.

"And you're not going to tonight. Ma would kill me if she found out you'd seen a stripper," Charlie told her firmly. "Look, I need to get backstage, is my makeup done?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's done."

"Thanks. Right, this way." Charlie led the two to another darkened door, and shushed the chattering girls.

"Get off my back," Maia muttered, irritated. "I know I have to shut up."

"Yeah, so do it. I go on once they've taken the pole off." Charlie pointedly ignored the questioning stares and raised eyebrows that were being thrown his way by various staff and performers.

"Shouldn't the pole be nailed to the floor or something?" Evelyn whispered, and hissed as Maia slapped her on the shoulder.

"There's a hole in the floor and they lower it from the ceiling, now be quiet," Maia glared.

Evelyn busied herself with staring at her fingernails. She wanted to ask Maia if they could go out onto the floor when Charlie started to walk onto the stage, but she didn't want to upset her friend, who was clearly on edge.

She tugged on the sleeve of Maia's white leather jacket and gestured to the girl, silently asking to move back. Maia nodded, and tapped Charlie, giving him a thumbs up, which he returned.

"What's up, babe?" Maia asked the younger girl.

"Can we go to the floor?" Evelyn asked, painfully aware of her limbs, which had started to twitch as her anxiety grew.