𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, boris pavlikovsky

eleven, betty beth

XI. CHAPTER ELEVEN
BETTY BETH

trigger warning. cat calling. if you're uncomfortable with this theme, please skip this chapter. cat calling is a serious problem and we should learn to draw a line between simple compliments and actual harassment. thanks for coming to my ted talk.

▬▬

the cold was devouring her skin, her narrowed eyes stinging as she walked against the freezing wind. she rubbed her hands together, trying to stay warm but failing miserably.

she looked around her with fearful eyes, her own arms wrapped tightly around her petit form in a protective manner.

she didn't like las vegas, not one bit.

the lights were blinding and way too lavish for her liking. she was raised by strict parents and taught to hate cities such as las vegas.

she thought if she'd run away, see the world, live a bit and making the usual mistakes people her age did, she'd accepted it, grow accustomed to it.

but she was wrong.

a few whistles approached her. they came from two men near her. her grip around herself tightened as she tried to get as away from the men as possible, but the hoarse voice of one came to her ears nonetheless.

"you're such a pretty girl, what are you doing all alone in vegas?"

she didn't reply.

just keep walking, she told herself, sucking in a breath. keep walking and it'll be fine.

"are you looking for some company, baby girl?" the other slurred out. she rolled her eyes, fear for her own life eating her heart.

"oh man, look at those legs."

"i'm wearing fucking trousers, you dick." she finally spoke, her hands clenching around the fabric of her grey sweater.

"feisty," one commented, the stench of alcohol reaching her nostrils even through the wind and the fair distance between them. "we like the feisty ones, don't we, matt?"

"i recall we do, warren."

"i'm not warren, you idiot!" the man yelled, his nose red - probably from the alcohol rather than the cold - and threw a punch at that matt guy.

"i don't care about your goddamn name, liam!" matt shouted, throwing another punch at the man and kicking him when he fell to the ground.

"my name's sean, you fucking dick!" another punch. and another. and another. the sound of nuckles cracking against one's cheek made shivers run down the girl's spine. her hands clutched tight around her frame as she ran faster.

she hated this.

"hiya, babygirl!" a man, this one ever more drunk than the other two, shouted from the other side of the road. he was sitting on the ground and he was whistling at her.

he looked way too drunk to be able to stand up to follow her, but it didn't stop the girl from shaking with fear.

i want to go home.

those five words repeated over and over in her head as her eyes stung, now not from cold, but because of bitter tears.

"oh, i see what kinda girl you are," the man yelled, crawling and screaming through the wind, ignoring the insults of the people he was momentarily preventing from walking to their car or a taxi.

"you're looking for y/n george," aren't ya?"

she stopped walking.

who?

her head tilted to him with a questioning expression plastered on her frowning face.

"yeah, you're looking for protection," the man tried to stand up, but fell, cursing loudly as he hit his knee. "some luke did too about a year ago. he and a russian - or polish, i don't fucking know - friend of his. boris, i think."

she crossed the road, mentally cursing at herself for doing so. it's dangerous, she thought. you're gonna get yourself killed.

"protection?" she repeated, her voice coming out soft. she bit her tongue. don't look weak, don't sound weak, don't act weak.

"yeah, y/n was well known around the block. she was a grade a dealer - brought more a few times from her, actually! - but she called out and, apparently, she's getting over her addiction. god, what a waste. i loved the stuff she used to sell, but now she's all about being normal, her and her boyfriend. they-"

"can they still offer me protection?" she asked, cutting his rant off.

"i don't know, babygirl. they live in the crack house of the block - look, it's around the corner, over there." he replied, rolling his bloodshot eyes at the girl.

"thanks." she stuttered.

her grip around herself got even tigher, so much that she wondered if she was going to break her bones.

"wait!" the man shouted at her, his ass still on the ground. "what's your name? you gotta have a name to live in las vegas, babygirl."

kim-

"bethany." she lied, the cold invading her as her teeth started clattering.

"betty beth is gonna be your new name, then." the man smirked, his yellow teeth making the girl want to throw up right then and there.

kim- no, betty beth nodded, turning around and walking as fast as humanly possible.

"my name is mark, by the way!" he shouted from behind her.

betty beth ignored him and started to run.