At least I can wear my heeled biker boots with this outfit. They had been what I was wearing when I had been “turned”. I wish I had the rest of my clothes and shoes. Jullia had mentioned a family’s day, I wonder if Ms. Elaycia would be able to come visit. Or if I could visit them?
Sitting on my bed to put on my shoes, I finally face the two girls and both of them are awkwardly quiet. Hanna is alreadychanged and pulling out makeup with Jullia still rummaging through her closet.
Sighing, I rub my eyes with my thumb and fingers. “Okay,” I announce, getting both of their attentions. “I know it’s a touchy subject, I know it might be difficult or you feel weird about it, but they’re just scars.”
Jullia’s face wobbles and Hanna looks guilty.
“It’s awkward, I know, the girls at the brothel had the same reactions. It was a really bad point in my life. But the devil is dead and not even a witch was able to get rid of the scars. You can ask questions if you want, you won’t hurt my feelings and I will tell you if I don’t want to answer something so you won’t push boundaries. I don’t talk about the bite marks, and don’t touch me unless there’s a barrier of clothing or something between us. I would also prefer if you didn’t tell anyone either.”
Jullia throws a piece of clothing onto her bed and comes towards me. Sitting down beside me, she wraps her arms around me like she did last night.
“I’m sorry. About what happened to you and about being awkward about it.” She pulls back and gives me a watery smile, though no tears spill over her cheeks this time. “Thank you for telling me.”
I give her a small smile as Hanna asks, “When did you get them?”
Jullia makes a noise and growls at her sister. “You cannot just ask that Hanna!”
“She said we can ask questions,” she argues. Jullia scoffs and shakes her head. It makes me feel better.
“It’s fine.” I wave Jullia off and she winces before going to her side to change. “I was found on the side of a trail when I was about three months old in upstate New York on Earth. The devil and mage adopted me when I was three. He didn’t start beating me till I was almost five. I remember because the day I turned five was the first time he left a wound that would scar.”
Jullia turns to face the wall but I had seen her face paling. Hanna also hunches in on herself but tries to keep a neutral face.
“I lived with them for seven years, and a week before I turned ten they both died. They both had heart attacks was what I heard, though I didn’t know devils could have heart attacks. After that I went into the foster system and honestly that was its own hell. I ran away when I was thirteen and met Ms. Elaycia the day I turned fourteen. And despite her being a succubus and living in a brothel, it was home, and they are my family.”
Jullia smiles at that and Hanna nods, accepting the answer. Turning back to her makeup, Hanna begins with whatever she’s starting on. Jullia skips over now with a smile and urges me over.
“Come on, this is the best part.”
“You sound like Cordellia,” I mumble. Jullia quirks a brow but I pull my chair over and sit next to Hanna.
Me and Jullia watch as Hanna carefully uses brushes and spungs to sweep and glide the products onto her skin. Not that she really needs it, but the girls at the brothel always got onto me about rolling my eyes at makeup.
They always said they needed a controlled base for everything else. Sometimes they would practice on me or dress me up for fun when it was a slower work day. I didn’t hate it,it often felt calming when they would brush over my face. Like when they would play with my hair.
That was the best part about having older girls acting like big sisters. We were always dressing up and having tea parties.
Hanna doesn’t do much, not like the girls at the house, but she still looks more. . . more. She and Jullia have that natural dye-eyed beauty, but she just looks even more gorgeous. With her curly hair she’s left loose and framing her face. She has it shorter than Jullia’s, the curls ending right on top of her shoulders.
Jullia begins on her makeup and I inch back as Hanna looks at me. She smiles at me and I inch back more because it looks entirely too malicious for my liking.
“Your turn.”
It sounds like a threat.
“Actually – “
“Nope,” Hanna interrupts, popping the p in the word. “I am glamorizing you because that outfit really isn’t doing much. At least we get to see your waist, which I am jealous of, but this will be my repentance for being a bitch you.”
I. . . oh fucking hell.
Sighing in defeat, I scoot my chair closer and it earns a triumphant smile from both of them.
Pulling out more product, Hanna turns her chair so she can face me and takes my chin in her hand.
“What was it like living in a brothel?” she asks me.
“Just like this,” I answer dryly, though truthfully. But it makes me smile, and then Hanna scolds me saying not to movetoo much. “Yeah, just like this. Ms. Elaycia said I could work under Nana in the kitchen. On the outside it is a strip club, but upstairs and behind the stage and private rooms are more exclusive rooms hidden by a barrier.
