Ladders

Happiness

Emil collapsed on the ground after being released from the choke hold. He breathed in trying to gain all the oxygen he could back. He's been choked before in the brothel but subconsciously he knew that they'd let go, but this time he didn't know. The tall Roman sauntered out with a large wad of cash that Yao had given him and left the restaurant. He left quickly, he didn't care to drive Emil back as he could just walk home as he has always done. "Emil!" His friend crashed onto the floor next to him and pulled him close. Watching your best friend with a gun to their head and not be able to do anything about it was the scariest thing Leon had even experience. "What the hell was that? Are you alright?" said his sister who knelt down and checked Emil's neck for bruising. She frowned and saw purple all around his neck, but what confused her was the random spots of purple below where Emil was choked. Emil clutched onto his friends shirt for support as if he let go he would be pulled back into the arms of Mr.Vargas. Emil felt piercing eyes on him and looked up and met Yao's eyes. They both made eyes contact and knew each other's secrets. Emil knew that of Yao murdering Anya and Yao knew that of Emil being a prostitute now just by Mr.Vargas having such easy access to the boy he assumed anyways Emil was a prostitute. Something about knowing each other's secrets would keep them both quiet. Leon looked up from his friend who he held closely "Yao, what the hell was that? What did he mean blood of an unborn child and Ana? Being on your hands?what aren't you telling?" Leon could barley remember the names of what the tall man said as he was more focused on the fact his best friend had a gun pointed to his head. What Leon could gather is that Yao may have murdered someone or at least Emil's pimp just wanted money out of Yao so he was blaming Yao for the death of her? He couldn't figure out where an unborn baby came into the equation though. "J-just drive Emil home Leon. Take the delivery car...I'll be in my office. We'll talk about this at home" he said as turned away from the three teenagers and went back to his office. He slammed the door shut causing a ring to echo in the kitchen and all three look at each other. "Emil, should I take you home or..." he didn't want to say the brothel as he knew Emil avoided people knowing about his work as much as possible. Though the number of people who knew of Emil's work was growing by the minute in Emil's mind. It scared him now that Yao and possibly Leons sister now know of his work. "Home" was all he could manage out as his mind raced with a million thoughts. Leon helped Emil up, he held him as he stood worrying that he would collapse onto the floor again. They walked out the same door Mr.Vargas dragged him through and walked to a beat up delivery car. Emil sat in the passenger seat and stayed silent. He didn't feel fear any longer but embarrassment. He didn't want to be so humiliated in front of anyone outside the brothel. Leon started the car and drove towards his house "dude you need to fucking get out of there" he yelled. He was sick of Emil avoiding getting chances of escape, "you don't just leave the brothel Leon!" He shouted back at his friend. Emil was becoming very defensive out of the embarrassment he felt and the thought that he could simple just leave the brother. Leon not knowing that Yao played at part in causing Mr.Vargas to come to the restaurant just thought he was using Emil to fish money out of his caretaker was pissed at Emil. Leon knew Yao had very little money to take care of him and his siblings and for some random pimp to just demand money made Leons blood boil. He scowled and looked at Emil "Well then I'm done trying to fucking help you! You put my family in danger and now Yao is going to have to pay so much damn money to this guy! You don't know what's it's like to have to worry about money every goddamn day of your life!" He said picking up the speed in the car as he got angrier. "You think this is my fault? And you know well that I know exactly what it's like to worry about money! What the hell do you think drove me to the brothel? And let me just tell you that it's Yao's fault not mine! He's the one who killed the prostitute!" Leon slammed on the breaks causing the car to swerve and go over a curb. Both teenagers lurched forward from the forced stop. "What the hell are you going on about?" He said looking at Emil, Emil kicked the door open of the car "whatever I'm just a stupid hooker to you so you don't need to listen to me" He said slamming the door and started walking towards his house. He wasn't too far so it'd be quiet a short walk than usual for the Icelandic boy. Tears welled in his eyes thinking he had just lost his best friend. His heart hurt thinking Leon would think so low of him, and blame him for the actions of Mr.Vargas. Leon got out of the car and pushed Emil forward "talk to me! All you do is close people off!". He was pissed off even more as Emil was just walking away and not including him in a topic that would effect him greatly. Emil stumbled but kept walking. He wrapped his arms around himself and just stared straight ahead. Emil didn't care anymore what Leon thought so he decide he would just tell him the horrible murder that was commited "Yao kicked a whore he got pregnant in the stomach. It killed the baby and caused such bad internal bleeding that it killed her in just a few hours after he abandoned her". Emil kicked a stray rock on the ground and watched it fall down into a gutter. If only he could just fall into darkness and disappear. "Why didn't you tell me before!" Leon yelled trying to keep up with his friend and abandoning the crashed car. Emil stopped and turned towards him "because whores die all the time and no one will ever care! I only knew she died because she and Chun-Yan talked of escaping the brothel all the time and they gave me hope, no they were my hope. And just like hope both of them died and yet the cops did nothing so I never found out who killed them! And guess what Leon? The same is going to happen to me soon and all the cops will say it is, is an accidental death! Just like they did with Chun-Yan and Anya" He yelled at his best friend. Leon slapped Emil hard across the face. He did it more out of reaction but resumed yelling at his friend "I would fucking care if you died! Stop thinking you're like all those other people who have no one to care for them! You're brother loves you, Matthias loves you, Gilbert and Maddie love you, Emil I love you!". They both were crying at this point. Emil held his burning cheek where Leon slapped him and yelled back "then save me Leon please! Please save me. I can't leave the brothel it's a fucking god damn prison! I signed a contract!"He yelled as he clutched onto Leon. Leon placed a hand on the back of Emil's head and just held him close. "What do you mean contract?" Emil breathed in heavily and let out a shaky breath as his tears finally stopped flooding out of his eyes. "Mr.Vargas made me sign a stupid contract stating that he owns me. I tried escaping a few months back but he found me and dragged me back to the brothel...".They just held each other until their emotions finally calmed. They were almost like a movie couple who fought and then kiss in the rain, except there won't be a happy ending to their story. "Good thing this is a pretty quiet street no one takes" Emil said quietly trying to lighten the mood. Though he was quite happy no one drove by during their fight, again they lived in a relatively small town and people talk. Leon smiled a little "people would just pass by and think it was young love and that this was our first fight". It was like the scene from Emil's favorite movie Heathers, where JD and Veronica fight and Heather Duke just calls it young love. Emil laughed a little thinking about the movie scene and his situation right now "yeah..." Leon look down the street towards the delivery car. "We should probably go get that" Emil looked at Leon with a sarcastic glint in his eye "no shit Sherlock". They both walked towards the crashed car and got in "hey Emil...I know I said I love you and I know your a-sexual but...could you maybe give me a chance?". Emil shrugged "I really don't know if I can Leon. I kinda think I find some sexual attraction in people but I guess sex was ruined for me awhile ago. Plus it's not like I've been in a committed relationship like Gil and Maddie so I really don't know". Leon nodded "makes sense...also my sister found out about me being Gender-fluid" she said bas she pulled the car out from the curb and into the street once again. "One, which sister? Two, how? Three, how did she react" he said worried for his friend. Leon sighed "my sister from Vietnam, she found my instagram that has me in dresses and make up, and she said as long as I'm safe and not disrespectful towards our family name and keep good grades she won't tell Yao. I'm still worried though she'll tell the rest of my family." she sighed and started driving once again. "I mean your close with her so I'm sure she'll keep your secret". Leon nodded "I hope you're right, I don't know where I'd go if Yao found out and kicked me out". Emil shook his head "family doesn't do that Leon. I'm sure if he does ever find out it won't turn out like that". Leon snorted "well here's to the best". Emil nodded and looked out the window. "To the best" he said watching the city go by.

"You bastard, you poked holes in the condoms didn't you?" She screamed at the man standing in her shitty living room of her apartment. "I-I didn't Lovina I swear! It must have ripped. Why do you ask?". She rolled her eyes "what's the only reason you think I'd be asking to you damn Spaniard! I'm pregnant with your baby!". A confused look made its way onto Toni's face "b-baby....how do you know it's mine?". She blushed and turned away "I...I stopped taking any other costumers after you kept coming. I didn't want anyone else touching me...". Toni hugged her from behind and laced his arms around her waist "chica why didn't you tell me? If I were your only costumer than why not come live with me?". Lovina teared up "I've wanted to ask you to save me for so long...but Mr.Vargas owns me. I'm his property". Toni went quiet as he put a hand on Lovina's slightly swollen stomach. He had wanted her for so long since their first encounter together. Not just for her beautiful body, but her fierceness, her quick wit, and her artistic mind. "I run a few restaurants in Spain. I go back and forth between here and Spain. If I sell my restaurants here than we can both go live in Spain and raise our child. You'll be free of that man!". Lovina tried stoping the tears from rolling down her face "you better not be lying to me! I want our child to have the perfect life". Toni nodded and smiled "all I ask chica is one thing". She turned her head and looked at the tan man who held her in his arms lovingly. "What is it? I don't have much" she said worrying what he would ask was something she could not provide. "Marry me" he said as he smiled. Lovina laughed through her tears and whipped them away. She quietly whispers "you're that dumb you've fallen for a whore like me and now want to marry me?". He shook his head "if it's dumb to want to marry any angel then I'm the biggest idiot in the world". She smiled, the World was finally giving her the mercy she deserved.

((Told you there'd be a happy ending soon))