Jess

morning bruises

The early morning air smelled sweet as I watched the sun rise over my apartment building. I stay silent and listen to the tweeting of the birds.
"Jess," said a whisper from beneath my patio. It was my close friend Emily. "You think you could sneak down for a smoke?" Our pimp was asleep in my bed. Hopefully he wouldn't wake from the squeak of the door.
"I'll be down in a few" I walked softly into my kitchen making sure there was something for him to eat when he woke. I was lucky that I had his favorite cereal. I set it out along with a bowl and spoon. I tiptoe to my bedroom door listening for his deep breathing. I assume I have about 20 min till he wakes up. I walk out only partially closing the door trying to be silent. The cement was extremely cold against my bare feet. Jess greats me at the bottom of the stairs.
She hands me a cigarette and a lighter. The relief of a smoke was a small heaven in its self. Emily saw the new bruises on my wrists. She softly glides her hands over them she took a long drag from her cigarette. Letting the smoke out slowly.
"Its worse than usual..." She looks up to me our eyes meeting.
"Yeah...I don't mind though, it doesn't hurt any longer." She gets up and goes inside, I sit and wait.
"don't just sit there, come in" she motions for me to go inside.
"he just can't understand that men don't like their products bruised " she said yelling as she walked into the back room. She came out with a small Altoids tin.
"I learned a few years back that this stuff" she rapped her fake nails on the tin fast paced. "it's a miracle worker" she turned and grabbed an old tattered purple bandana covered in stains. She puts a stool in front of chair and signal for me to sit. She sits on the stool in front of me. She softly traces her fingers over the bruises before applying the ointment to them. She tears the bandana in half tieing each one around a wrist tightly. 
"try to leave them on for as long as possible, but you should be able to take them off by tonight. If you don't have to then don't." she started back out of the house.
"i'ma finish my smoke but you can stay if you want." she didn't close the door behind her almost expecting me to come out with her.  I get up then hear the floor creak as if someone was getting out of my bed. My breath gets caught in my throat, though he shouldn't get mad that I am with Em...still the fear gets to me.
"Jess!  Where are you?" I hear John yell.
"best get up there or he'll beat your ass." yelled Emily from out side.  She was probably right even if he didn't sound upset. I hurry outside and up the stairs. He see's me come in.
"Hey baby, where have you been? " he was leaked against the fridge eating the cereal I had left out.
"I was with Em" he saw the bandanas on my wrists.
"good,  they don't pay as well when the bitches are all bruised up" he slapped my ass and headed down stairs. I go into my bedroom that smelt Obviously of pot. I never wanted to smoke it but I didn't mind when he did. It made him less violent. I climbed into my bed hugging the blankets trying to sleep till he came back up. I slowly drift off to sleep...