Stand There and Look Pretty (side story)

Alright sorry for this being so late in the day but I just finished the chapter. Enjoy!

Chap 8:
Drunks in the Doorway

“Shya?” I ask not really sure how she managed to get so into her old ways in one night. She is wearing pants so dirty that they look black one of the pant legs is torn off and wrapped around her waist fashioning it into a sort of a skirt. Her shirt is just as bad the original color of a light lavender hardly, the material is ripped showing off all of her stomach in the front and most of one of her boobs also proving that she isn’t wearing a bra. Her blonde hair that looked perfectly clean yesterday is clumped with mud and in a horrible disarray, her skin is also caked with dirt. She doesn’t look well at all, on top of that she smells like beer. And then there’s the bruises on her stomach and her sides that I can only guess are from her former pimp. “Where’d you get the bruises?” She rubs her hand idly on her pants.

“Ryan.” Her eyes look me over and she doesn’t seem to be bothered by her appearance. “That where I hit you?” She asks looking at my eye that I know by now is probably barely puffy. I nod to her. “Can I come in?” She asks and I wonder if she plans to stay for once. I just move aside to let her in and she walks straight to the couch and sits down holding her knees to her chest.

“You look cold.” I say noticing her shiver and she nods. I go to my room and grab one of the blankets from my bed bringing it with me to the living room. I find it strange that she is sitting in the middle of the couch with her legs up so I sit on the side her back is facing towards more and cover her with the blanket. “You ok? Ryan didn’t hurt you too much did he?” Shya leans back on me and stretches out on the couch I can tell how tired she looks like she didn’t sleep all night. Before I know it she’s fallen asleep leaning on me. I ease myself out from under her and lay her head on the armrest. I grab up the dirty laundry from the bathroom and head out to the community laundry room.

Sometimes I wish that I lived in a slightly better apartment complex even so I wouldn’t have to stay in the laundry room to make sure my laundry isn’t stolen. So I get to wait around for about two hours doing nothing in the laundry room. I walk back to my apartment to see Shy still passed out on the couch peacefully. I put away my clothes then I’m presented with the problem of what to do with Walter’s swim trunks for now. I end up pondering the question for about an hour just thinking of the model in them. I put them away with my own underwear.
Shya ends up staying asleep for though out all of the day and my guess is that she really didn’t sleep last night. But then at around ten at night I hear another knock at my door. When I look through the peephole I am absolutely amazed. I open the door, “Hi Nny.” Walter says and I notice how he sounds drunk. He’s dressed up so I know he still went out tonight and most of me is wondering why he is here instead of there still. I’m not happy that he showed up drunk on the doorstep.

“Walter what are you doing here? I thought you and Tai had dates.” I ask him sternly looking over his mussed blue dress shirt and his crisp black pants. I also notice that for once his hair isn’t spiked it’s nicely lying down around his ears.

“I took her home.” He slurs swaying slightly on his feet. “I wanted to see you.” I can tell that he really means his words but he has also had too much to drink.

“How much did you drink?” I ask him almost knowing that he won’t really answer me.

“I’m not drunk.” He says seeming almost offended. “Can I come in, Mom won’t care if I don’t come home tonight.” His tone of voice suggests there’s more to his offer then is obvious. At this I lean over and whisper in his ear.

“Walter don’t even think for one minute that I want to say this. The absolute only reason that I am letting you in is because I think you’re too smashed to drive home.” I notice him tremble very visibly at my words, yet he still follows me inside and I lock the door behind him. As we walk into the living room I notice that Shya has actually woken up and now she is sitting up against an armrest her legs on the couch curled into her body. I sit in the middle of the couch and my hand continuously touches Walter just to make sure that he is steady.

Walter smirks at me lustfully and then clumsily climbs onto my lap. His lips clash first with my cheek then with my lips as well as he kisses me. He tastes horribly like booze and I’m hardly surprised that he tastes like cocktail drinks more then hard liquor. Still I quickly push him away then pick him up. “I think it’s time for you to go to sleep.” I tell him wanting him to go to sleep mainly to sleep off the alcohol in his system. I carry Walter to my room.

“Are you gonna sleep with me?” He asks his voice once again sounding lustful. I roll my eyes at first but as we actually get inside my bedroom I answer him.

“Walter baby, I want you to go to sleep because you’re drunk. I’m absolutely not going to sleep with you right now.” I lay him on the bed and he starts crying I just assume that it’s part of him being drunk. I pull up the covers around him and leave the room. I go back to the living room.

“Not gonna sleep with your little boyfriend?” Shya asks me sarcastically as I sit down next to her.
“Oh shut up Shya. I know he’s drunk as well as you do.” I snarl at her very unhappy about my uninvited guests. She rolls her eyes at me.

“It’s disgusting watching you two.” She tells me and I know that she means normally not now that Walter’s drunk.

“It’s disgusting?” I know that I actually sound disgusted myself. “You know Tai made us wait all day at the park because she was under some illusion that you would come back. After knowing you for not even a day. Or how about the fact that she probably cried herself to sleep because of you-”

“Well I don’t know how you managed to hear her over the noises your boyfriend was making as you fucked him.” She interrupts me and I know I cant really deny that.

“My relationship is my own business, you really hurt Tai. Am I supposed to think you weren’t with Ryan last night? Because your life is so bad that you go get hooked on drugs and prostitute yourself.” I know my words are out of anger.

“I haven’t hooked or done drugs in years unless you count smoking. You think I meant to hurt Tai? Apparently I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and I don’t remember any of it. Half my nights I black out and do things I’m not even aware of. I didn’t know how to handle it when Tai brought it up. I haven’t had anyone even accept me since I was ten. I quit school after elementary because there wasn’t any food in my house. It’s hardly what I want.” Listening to Shya I can tell how sincere she sounds and I know this isn’t one of her great acts. I move closer to her and cradle her body into mine as we are face to face, my hand soothes her hair.

“Sorry Shy. I’ve just been under pressure with Walter. I didn’t really get to talk to him at all this morning because his mom showed up. And actually I did sleep with Walter last night, so it’s even worse that we haven’t talked.” Only once I say the words I notice that I was subconsciously avoiding that issue.

“Wait you’ve been dating Walter six months and you only slept with him last night?” I feel myself almost blushing.

“This weekend was the first time we even got to spend the night together. He’s a model, I’m not really allowed to see him that often. Look this isn’t really something I want to talk about with you.” I tell her wanting to change the topic badly.

“Ah don’t want to talk about your cute little boyfriend convulsing under you?” I actually smirk at the words she chooses. “So if Walter’s sleeping in your bed where are you sleeping?” I think a little over her question and I know that it would be best if I don’t sleep next to Walter to prove my point to him.

“I was thinking about just waiting ‘till he falls asleep. It only seems fair that you should get the couch.” I tell her not really liking the idea.

“I’m used to sleeping on the floor, you can take the couch. I bet he’ll wake up to puke anyhow, you don’t want to sleep next to that.”

“You sure?” I ask her liking that more; she nods to me. “Thanks Shya. Oh and please would you at least talk to Tai?” I notice that she doesn’t really want to but then she nods again.

“But could you go buy me some cigarettes? Please I left mine when I ran away from Ryan.” She asks and I know it sounds like a bad idea but I also know it’s a lot better then things she used to be hooked on.

“On one condition, you have to stay here and get on your feet.” She nods again still not seeming to like her options. “Still smoke camels?” I ask her amazed I remember that, she nods. “Watch Walter k?” I ask her knowing that she means she wants them now and so I figure it’s fine to leave them. She nods so I get up and leave the
apartment.

I try not to think much as I drive to the nearby gas station and pick up her cigarettes. I’m a little amazed that the cashier actually asks to see my id because I know how easy it is for minors to get cigs around this area. Still I just pay for them and leave. As soon as I open the door I know something is wrong. I see Shya walk out of the bathroom and she doesn’t look too happy. “Walter puked; he’s asleep in the bathroom.” She tells me.
I rush to the bathroom tosses her the carton. I see Walter sprawled out on top of the toilet asleep just like she said. “Matches in the kitchen?” I hear Shya yell to me.

“Yeah.” I yell back trying to think of what to do with him. I tear off a bit of toilet paper and wipe off his mouth before tossing it in the toilet and flushing. I pick him up and move him into my bed again and he stays asleep. After that I walk out to the slight walkway in front of the apartment where Shya is smoking. “Better?” I ask her seeing how much happier she looks with the nicotine fix. She nods continuing ruining her lungs. “Why didn’t you stop that when you quit drugs anyhow?” I ask her mildly curious.

“It was easier to quit when I still had at least one thing to stop cravings.” She answers smoothly. “Why’d you move him anyhow? Chances are he’ll end up back there by the end of the night anyhow.” I shrug agreeing with her slightly.

“Just seemed like the right thing to do.” She just shrugs and smokes her cigarette. I look her over and I know that I can’t take her to see Tai like this. “You need better clothes.” I tell her, she nods. “Do you have any at your dad’s house?” She shakes her head. “I’m guessing you don’t have money either?” That one’s practically rhetorical and she just smiles in response. “We’ll get you clothes in the morning.” I tell her and she nods. She takes a final drag then crushes the stub with her bare foot and I wonder how she manages to do that without burning herself. “Shoes too.” I say, another nod.

We walk back inside and Shya goes to the living room and I go to my bedroom to get another blanket. As I grab the covers from the closet I hear shifting around so I look to my bed. “Sorry John.” Comes the mumbled sentence from under the sheets. I wake towards the bed slightly then stop.

“Go back to bed baby, we’ll talk in the morning. Just sleep it off.” I tell him then I walk into the living room.

“He still asleep?” Shya asks me and I just nod, not bothering to tell her about the small conversation. I lie on the couch glad that the light was never on in the living room so I don’t have to turn it off. I spread out my blanket. “G’night John.” Shya says as she lies on the floor.

“Night.” I say dryly back as I still wonder how my conversation with Walter will go in the morning. All the same I fall asleep quickly.

Alright updates will continue but possibly at a slightly slower rate. Will update in two or three weeks.