Misfortunate Molly: Would Heartbreak, Break You?

Chapter 15 Pressure

I damn near fall asleep in the shower. Standing under the pressure of the scolding water relaxes me. I clear my mind from all thoughts and literally picture a black screen. I am trying to remove as much emotion from my mind as I can manage. Breathing calming breaths, attempting to force the tension from my shoulders. I am solely focusing on staying calm for this interview. I feel like it is going to be more like an interrogation. Why did I want to do this? I am waiting for a response from my inner-self, but she is absent from all my thoughts on this matter. She really is pissed at me.

Before I know it, I am back in my room sitting on the bed, still figuring out how I am going to handle this whole thing. Taze's words keep playing over in my head. I wonder if she felt this before the first time she stripped. Not because of the nakedness but because she would have all the attention on her. That had to be more like a thrill. For a split second, I imagine if I were a stripper. I am broken out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I yell. I am still in a towel and think Dre would be more embarrassed than I would be if I said it was okay to come in.

"Do you need help getting ready?" It is Sherrie. "I brought you down the clothes you asked for."

"Not really but you can come in if you'd like." Poor Sherrie has seen my naked body more times than I can count. She is the one who taught me self-care and all the lady things people do not speak about out loud.

When my dad would be away on business, I would not bother having anything on besides a top of some sort long enough to cover my lady parts and if Sherrie was lucky, some panties. One night I did not realize my dad came home early and I was in the kitchen bare chested in a cheeky pantie. My dad really had no idea what to do when he walked in and I was standing there eating whatever the hell it was I was eating. He closed his eyes and turned around so quick yelling my name in surprise. Jumping from being startled, all I managed to say was, 'Shit. I'm sorry dad.' And hauled my bare ass out of there like I was a sprinter and the gun just went off. He could not look at me for a week.

I have no issues with the naked body. Not mine or anyone else's. Have never been shy when it came to seeing or being seen by others. I know. Kind of weird for a teenage girl. A body is a body. Baring my heart, mind, soul, and emotions is what scares me. I would rather someone see me naked than ask me personal shit. I shrug to myself.

Sherrie slowly opens the door and walks in with my clothing in hand. "I ironed everything for you." Of course she did.

"Why am I not surprised? Thank you. I appreciate you." She sets the clothing next to me and gestures for me to follow her to the vanity set. She picks up the brush. "You don't have to."

"When is the last time you brushed your hair?" Sherrie is looking at me with her eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

"I...", emphasizing the I, "...Have not brushed it since last Friday but Nurse Pamela brushed it the day before I left the hospital." I tell her as if they are historical moments in history.

"Get over here and sit down." She demands with her finger pointing to the stool. I listen.

She pulls my hair to the back of me, pulls my towel down my back some so she can brush my wet strands without the cotton getting in the way, and begins at the bottom of my strands. I watch her through the mirror in front of me. Going slowly and gently, she works her way up to the top of my head. She notices when I duck my head down a little out of a basic reaction to pain.

"Still sore up here?" She does not want to further my pain.

"Some but it's okay. You can finish, just don't press too hard." I assure her she is fine.

She continues until my hair has no more knots left. She pulls the hair from the brush and puts it in the garbage can in the room. I am staring at myself now. Seeing most of the cuts are about healed and the bruises are disappearing from my skin. You can still see the one across my chest and the one on my hand is still there. It is light but visible. There are a few minor scabs on my face from the glass assault.