Damian stands to his full height, head tilted as he thinks. “She doesn’t own the bakery. Or the 7/11. Or the gas station.”
“But she owns everything else?” Justice asks, clearly intrigued.
“Well, my Pops did. Won a lot of it in underground poker nights with all the grandees. Weren’t so grandee after losin’ their businesses.” He grins.
“You got anywhere that’s hiring?”
Damian looks Justice up and down. “I thought you worked around here, doing Keep business.”
“Not for me. One of our guests here. He’s early forties, used to run a building contracting business before he got sucked into a cult. Now he’s trying to rebuild his life for him and his daughter.”
“Oh yeah, Jason. He’s a good fella. I’ll ask Mama, she’s always got somethin’ tucked away.” He looks thoughtful for amoment. “This is what we do, yeah? Help people get back on their feet?”
“Pretty much.” I tip my head, “The hardest part of rebuilding your life isn’t just having to unlearn the shit you’ve been told. It’s integrating into society and getting the chance to have a home, a job, a car. All the shit normal people take for granted.” I remember those days vividly. If it wasn’t for the terrifyingly grumpy woman at the diner with the heart of gold, the one my sister took her name from, my brothers and I would never have made it.
“Good to know. I need to see a man about a horse.” With that he turns on his heel and leaves.
“As someone who had a weird childhood, I’m right in saying that Damian is even weirder, right?”
I pat Justice on the shoulder, shaking my head. I mean, yeah, Damian is a little odd, but he’s got nothing on what’s about to land on Justice’s doorstep in a couple of days.
Loyal
“So you’ve got people comin’, right? That’s why you’re making me study alone for the next exam?” Joe sulks through the little online camera, but it doesn’t last long before she breaks out into a grin. “It’s cool. Might give me the edge on you, little Miss High Achiever,” she cackles.
“Hey! I am not!” I say indignantly, pointing at her image on my screen.
“No baby, you totally are and you should embrace that. Means you’re gonna be one hell of an EMT. I’d let you work on me. That Britney woman though?” Joe shudders and I can’t help but giggle.
“Do you think we should offer to help her?”
“Loyal, I get you’re a nice person and grew up weird as all get out, but no. That woman is a menace. And mean to boot.”
I try to hide my smile. It feels good knowing that I have a friend, a real friend, that I made all on my own that isn’t from Eden’s Keep. Someone from the outside real world. She may not know all the horrors I endured, but she knows some. It helps that she shared some of her past, and lets just say that it’s not too dissimilar to mine. Just two young girls who were wronged by people who should have protected us.
“She was actually really mean about my jeans that day.” I say, still a little hurt by the comment.
Joe rolls her eyes. “She’s mean about everything because she’s a narcissistic Barbie on a power trip. Chances are she’ll just cry and the tutor will let her pass because you can’t let Barbie doll types fail. Whatever would they do with themselves?
“I hope you know that I have no idea what Barbie is but I get what you’re trying to say. I think?”
Joe laughs so hard that she leans to the side, the only view on my screen are the copious amount of cushions on her bed and her legging-clad legs. Once she calms down she sits back up, flustered and hair a mess.
“OK, listen. History crash course. Barbie is this blonde doll that was invented in like the 60’s or something for little girls to play with. Like a real woman doll, not a baby doll. And that real woman doll, who isn’t really that real because she has legs for days, big boobs and no butt, she went on to become all sorts of things. President, astronaut, doctor, whatever you can think of. She also had a weird boyfriend named Ken who was an actualaccessory. Anyway, in some ways she’s a great role model. In other ways her name is used to describe women like Britney.”
I nod. “Huh. I only ever grew up with baby dolls so the thought that there are grown women ones is a little weird.”
“Oh Loyal, you don’t even know the half of it. Let me tell you about the Real Dolls men use.”
* * *
“Hey, Loyal,” Vex’s warm voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “Are you OK? Look a little freaked out.”
“Have you ever used a Real Doll?” I blurt out, unable to hold it in.
“Huh?”
“A-” My gaze darts around, making sure no one is listening in. “sexdoll,” I whisper.
