Play the Leader

Last night's regrets

The fading sun set the scene for the brunette as she rushed into the club, tears staining her face and a large red mark. She didn't have to work today, it was her day off, but she needed a friend and didn't know where else she would find somebody willing to talk to her without paying. Plus, she didn't feel safe going to the diner or to her apartment anymore. She had to couldn't lose them as her safe spaces.

She opened the door to the dressing room and just as she suspected - there was nearly nobody around.

Nearly nobody.

A girl, hunched over her bag, rummaging through it with her hair tied messily in a bun on the back of her head. Clementine held her cheek and felt tears run down her face, almost hissing as they contacted the redness of her face. She winced.

"Z-Zee,"

The woman stood up straight, no longer occupied with her book, she looked over at the girl and narrowed her eyes for a moment to focus her vision before they became wide.

"What happened?" She ran towards her, putting both hands on Clementine's shoulder when the brown eyed girl completely broke down, tears drenching her shirt and her mind being torn apart into a mold of pain and loss. 

Zee spun one of the chairs around and sat her down, cradling her head close to her chest as the brunette clung to it and cried as loud as she could, her chest rising and falling almost violently beneath her hoodie.

"Let it out," Zee commanded, stroking her hair and rocking her slightly against her chest. It was all she could do. The other girls would come to the room every few minutes, but Zee would wave them off to someplace else. They weren't always respectful in the club, but the girls always stuck together, whether or not they liked each other. Clementine was the odd one out - and Zee was almost like the leader. Everybody respected Zee, and she'd never take it for granted. It gave her the power to protect the odd balls in the group.

Once Clementine's sniffles died out, she held onto Zee's arm and stayed in her embrace for a few minutes before explaining what happened. 

"I had a fight with him."

"Hmm," She leaned her head against the girl's and stroked her cheek as she spoke 

"And, I... we were close by. He was driving me here. He wanted me to get my stuff, you know, my... other outfits, I guess,"

"I know what you mean,"

She bit her lip tightly, "I didn't want to. I just wanted to go home. I'm really tired. I just wanted to sleep. He wanted a fucking lap dance. It's like I can't escape it. I come home from giving people lap dances all day, and he... he just expects more," she took a deep breath before continuing.

"He slapped me. I got him to pull over, and he slapped me. He pulled my hair, and then he slapped me again. I got out of the car and he chased me. I didn't know where else to go, so I came here."

"Is he still looking for you?"

"I don't know," She bit her lip, "I don't wanna go back to my apartment because he's gonna be waiting for me and I don't wanna go to the diner because he's gonna be waiting for me. I'm scared to even be here because he's always just waiting for me. I'm really scared, Zee,"

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay," She promised, brushing through her hair. 

"You can come home with me, Clem. We'll go to the police if we need to. I'm not going to let him hurt you."