Strip

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After I finished my gross sob session, I peeled myself off the couch, wiped the snot off my face, and went to check on James. Before knocking on Mrs. Copper's door I quickly checked my reflection in my phone to make sure I didn't look like I had just finished crying. A little redness around my eyes, but other than that, I looked ok.

I knocked on the door. James opened it a second later. "Molly!" He yelled, hugging my legs. 

I felt all the ucky-ness from crying melt away as James looked up at me with his big brown eyes. 

"Hey James," I said, dropping down to my knees to be at eye level with him. "How was the day with Mrs. Copper?"

"She's grouchy," James said, as (speak of the devil) Mrs. Copper appeared in the doorway behind him.

"I'm raising my prices," She muttered. 

I reached into my bag, and pulled out my wallet. "Here," I said, handing her two 20 dollar bills, that I had gotten from tips. Tips from Dirty Girls. That's what we like to call the money shoved into our underwear. We actually made most of our money off tips, not that it mattered.

Mrs. Copper snatched away the underwear money, and slammed the door, leaving us alone in the hallway.

"Hey," I said. "I gotta go to work."

"I know," James said.

"You get it right? We need money."

"I know," James said.

"You're a really great kid," I said.

"I'm not a kid Molly," James said. "I'm almost 6 and a half. That means I'm not a kid any more."

I laughed. "Of course, how could I have forgotten."

I opened the door to our kitchen, and threw open the fridge. "Chicken nuggets?"

"Yes please."

I handed him the cardboard box, and quickly kissed the top of his head. "I'm off to McDonalds. I'll be back to check on you around 7 ok?"

"Ok."

I ran down the stairs, and to McDonalds. I raced behind the counter without even saying a word to Cath, and tied my apron around my waist.

A group of girls from my school walked in almost immediately. "... And she like, totally got a nose job. Like. I swear. Really."

I took a quick breath, to compensate for all the air I would be unable to breath until they left. I hated these girls- There were 5 of them, all bleach blond, except for one, the leader, who's hair was dyed red. They all were wearing full faces of makeup, fake tans, fake eyelashes, nothing about them was real.

"Oh we can't get food here!" A blond girl wearing bright pink lipstick said.

"Yeah," A girl wearing a shirt that said 'I'm to pretty for homework!' said. "I'm on a sugar cleanse."

"And I'm cutting out all carbs, and protein," A girl with a prada bag (that she was very clearly trying to show off) said. "It's supposed to help with your thighs."

 "Yeah," Said one with 6 inch heels. "And like, carbs."

"I want fries guys!" The red head said, shutting them all up. She was clearly the leader. "Plus, Starbucks is closed, and like, they have coffee here right?"

"I... think so," Pink Lipstick said, staring up at the menu above my head.

"I want fries too," Prada Bag said (even thought she couldn't have carbs or protein).

"Shut up, you can't have fries," Red head said. "Think of your ass."

"She's right," 6 inch heels said.

"I'm just helping you hon," Red head reassured Prada Bag.

"I want a milkshake," 'I'm to Pretty for Homework' Said, forgetting about her sugar cleanse. "Come on."

They walked up to the cash register.

"Fries," The red head said. "Small. I'm eating healthy." 

I punched the small fried into the cash register. "Anything else?" I asked, trying to keep the mixture of disgust and fear out of my voice.

"Do you have skinny, soy, caramel, fractions with light whipped cream, and a raspberry drizzle?" 'I'm too Pretty For Homework" asked.

"No," I said after a moment. "We have... coffee."

"Oh. Can you make that like, caramel? And... frapachino?"

"Shut up," Red Head said. "That's it."

I finished punching the buttons on the register, and told them there fee.

"You're paying," Red Head said to Pink Lipstick, who immediately started rummaging around in her bag.

"Here," She said after a moment, handing me a 50 dollar bill.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "For here or to go?"

"To go. Ugh, this place is so gross," Red Head said. 

"I know," 6 inch heels said, pulling out her phone. 

"Like, really," Pink lipsick added.

"Totes," 'I'm too pretty for Homework' agreed.

I grabbed the bag of fries, and handed it to them. Red head grabbed it from me. As she did, she scanned me, from top to bottom. When she was done, she looked me in the eye, and scoffed.

"Fat ass," She said, as she whipped around. "Let's go girls," she said, as she walked to the door. They all followed, quickly scoffing at me before whipping around the same way. They all walked with long strides, tossing there hair as they went. It took me a minute to place it- it was the stripper walk.

They left, leaving me feeling hollow, and... sad. I didn't know why. I hated girls like that- They were stupid, they were mean, they were just... stereotypes. And I hated them. 

So why did they make me feel empty?

---

Hey Ho, Kermit the Frog here.

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