One Mississippi

Chapter Five✔️

Chapter Five: Too Late

AALIYAH stared at the dress in disbelief. Lucas had left minutes ago, leaving her alone in the quiet room. She had been sitting on the bed staring at nothing for a while. "I'm not wearing this."

You have to. Don't be stupid. Do you want to be sold off again?

"Of course not, but I can't do this. I can't walk around in this and have perverts staring at me all night."

It doesn't matter. Do what you have to do.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Flounce around in this as though Cinderella, waiting for my fairy godmother to give me my dress and allow me a night out?"

Whatever it takes to survive.

Aaliyah sighed, looking at the dress lying on the bed next to her. Groaning, she stood, walking to the door and locking it before snatching her clothes off and grabbing the dress and staring at it.

"This sucks."

She slowly slid into the dress, fixing the straps and looking down at the floor. She hadn't even noticed the shoes to complete the outfit.

"Can my life get any worse than this?" she asked, pulling the shoes on.

Yes.

"Oh, shut up!" she demanded, yanking the door open.

"Oh... what did I do?" Aaliyah looked up at the tall man attempting to pass by the door.

"I. . . I. . . I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Uh," he laughed, lowering his cup and looking down at her. "Well, I was just walking down the hall and then you burst out of a room and tell me to shut up," he explained, looking down at the beautiful girl.

Aaliyah looked around, trying her best to find an answer as the young man looked at her. She refused to make eye contact with the man. He took in her outfit and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry. . . I think?"

For the longest minute, it seemed, he stood staring at the girl and all of her beauty. He was a little confused, taking in her outfit of choice.

"Surely you're not, uhh. . ." he trailed off. Aaliyah followed his eyes, looking down at her outfit and closed her eyes, shaking her head. Tears began to fall down her face as she put her face in her hands. "Hey, hey," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't- why are you crying?"

The sobbing grew louder as she shrugged. "I'm not supposed to be here!" she cried. "I don't know where I am and I don't know! I just, I don't-"

At that moment, she could no longer take it. She had finally cried for the first time since she had left.

The man sat his cup down on a nearby table and gripped her shoulders, squeezing them tight. "Okay, you have got to calm down. Get it together!" he said, shaking her viciously. "Get your shit together! You are Whatever your first name is, whatever your last name is. You are Queen Bitch, a princess and you cannot be caught slipping into the great shadows of insanity! Wake up, Princess!"

Aaliyah stood there as she was being shaken awake by a strange man she's never met before. Her hair fluttered in crazy places and her arms were swinging back and forth like a rag doll.

Once he was done, her dress was ruffled and her hair was crazy. She looked up at him confused, a little frightened, but definitely relieved. He stepped back and looked down at her through raised eyebrows.

Seconds later they settled into a fit of laughter together. When the laughter settled, she sighed to herself, looking up at him. "Thank you. I needed that so much," she chuckled, running her hands through her hair.