Sex, Money, and Fame - 6. Chapter 6- Trailer Rat

Seventeen- year- old Desdemona wakes up, though she didn't sleep well. The cots at the county juvenile detention center are terribly uncomfortable. Desdemona stood in the bathroom with her fellow delinquents, trying to comb her knotted hair. Without the luxury of a conditioner, her tangled curly swallowed up the comb. Desdemona silently tries to pull it out. However then the loud crack happens and Desdemona hears the laughter behind her. She holds the broken comb in her hand and bites down on her lips. It's not worth the drama.

***

Desdemona hides in the corner of the center's library. It's not a grand library, but Desdemona has found a lot of interesting reads.

"She loved me for the dangers I had passed. " She quietly reads, "And I loved her that she did pity them."

She had read every Shakespearean play, during her sentence here so far. A nice quiet activity, to avoid trouble at center. Othello, stuck out the most to her.

"Hey comb hair," A voice hovered above her .

She looks from the book at the skinhead in front of her.

"I hear, you give good head," the white girl said, licking her lips.

"No complaints." Desdemona's smirks before turning back to book.

The girl plays with her drawstrings in her pants, "What's your price?"

Three words Desdemona had been heading a lot.

She looked up at the other girl. Very boney. Shaved head. Defiantly not someone she would never fuck on the outside.

But she wouldn't even have to look at her during it.

"Three pudding cups?" Desdemona asked.

The girl untried her pants and sat in the corner.

"Get to it." She commands opening her legs.

***

What's your price?

The question was once again ringing in Desdemona's head again.

"A commercial for an energy drink?" She asks Jeff as she picks the salad that he had ordered for her.

"Yea," Jeff nods, chopping away at his salad like its real food. "One day of shooting, and they are willing to pay big bucks."

Daddy taught her never to leave money on the table.

"Ok, sure," she says, tossing the salad with her fork.

"We can finalize the deal tomorrow night. There is a cocktail party..."

Desdemona rolls her eyes "Is this one of those things where I have to wear a dress?"

Jeff nods.

"Fuck"

"Well, I'm sure I can get you a plus one..if you would like to bring someone to make it a little more... fun." He suggest.

Desdemona nods pushing away the bowl.

***

"So I have thought," Caroline tells Desdemona as they enter the party.

"And what is that?" Desdemona once again adjusts her black halter top dress with red heels.

"Stop twitching." Jeff walks beside her, "You look great."

"I want to perform. '' Caroline says, stomping in her silver heels wearing a pastel pink baby doll dress.

"Perform what?" Jeff smirks.

Jeff is pissed to see Caroline was the plus one. Desdemona knew he had meant, bring Darla. Darla is a good brown noser, but Desdemona didn't want to kiss ass tonight. So she thought her and Caroline would have more fun.

Caroline looked down then back at Desdemona. She could feel that Jeff didn't like her.

"I was thinking...we could go to an open mic night..."

Jeff stops and turns in front of them, "We? Because she isn't going to some bar and perform for free."

Desdemona bit her lip. There is something about a person, especially a man telling her what she isn't going to do, that bugs her. But she can't tell him off here.

Jeff turns around, and waves to a middle aged guy in a suit. He turns back around.

"The CEO is coming. Be nice." He bites, then turns to Caroline, "Both of you."

Caroline huffs and crosses her arms. The man walks over and Jeff begins to talk. Caroline stands outside of the conversation, watching Desdemona being her charismatic self. The CEO was obviously checking her out. But instead of slapping him upside the head, Desdemona flipped her back and kept smiling at him. The creep pulls out his hand of Desdemona. She reluctantly shakes his hand.

But then he looks over at Caroline.

"And who are you?" He starts snapping his fingers, "I swear I've seen you somewhere."

Caroline is stunned. That he doesn't recognize her.

"Are you in the music biz too?"

Caroline doesn't say anything. She was actually not sure how to introduce herself.

Desdemona bites in, "This is Caroline Abrams she's...a talented songwriter I've been working with."

Desdemona can feel both Jeff and Caroline staring at her.

The CEO holds his hand again, "Nice to meet you Caroline."

Out of politeness, Caroline shakes his hand and waits for him to be out of sight, before sticking her tongue out.

"That was weird..." Caroline says to Desdemona, "But also freeing."

"Really?" Desdemona chuckles.

"Yea, Not be automatically Aaron Abrams's daughter. I didn't know...people didn't know. I didn't think that was possible to be...me."

"Well Caroline, you are who you tell the world you are."

***

"What about the blonde with the bald guy?" Desdemona whispers.

"Oh definitely 2nd wife." Caroline says. "What do you think about the girl in the zebra dress with the guy with comb over? Third wife?"

"Oh not even a wife. That's definitely a side piece."

They laugh, in their private corner of the room.

A waiter hands them two drinks, "From the gentlemen over there."

He points to two old white men at the other side of the bar. Caroline instantly puts her lips to the glass.

"Hold up," Desdemona stops her arm.

She looks over and smiles at them, raising the drink.

They smile back.

"Just wait," Desdemona whispers.

Desdemona waits until they look away and grabs both drinks and dumps them out in the nearby trash can.

Caroline looks confused.

"Rule of thumb, never drink anything strange old men give you."

Caroline smiles, "You're a good person, you know."

"Caroline, you know you're not going to get lucky tonight? At least not with me?"

"I know that."

"So there is no real reason to compliment me."

Caroline raises an eyebrow, she is figuring Desdemona out.

***

I'm at the door

Desdemona texts Darla. It's 1 am. She has done enough brown nosing. Now she wants some fun time.

Darla opens the door, jokingly putting her index finger on her lips.

Her roommate is asleep, but she's a heavy sleeper.

"How was the party?" Darla asks.

"Fine." Desdemona struggles, knowing Darla would be mad if she knew Caroline went with her.

Darla gets a water bottle and helps her get her heel off.

Desdemona puts her hands on Darla's check, kissing her lightly.

"You take really good care of me." She says before wrapping her arms around her.

***

"Welcome to the dog and pony show," Desdemona singing plays in the studio. "I ain't here to judge you. I'm here to entertain you.

Sing, sing trailer rat. We are all looking at you.

Sing your heart out, make that dollar so you can eat.

Maybe they'll tip you if you cry."

Caroline sits across from her. Moving her head to the music.

"Dance, dance trailer rat, they're shooting bullets at your feet,

Dance until they bleed."

Desdemona loves this song. Too bad it won't be on the next album.

"Drink, drink trailer rat, drink the bottle down.

Just like mommy and daddy showed you how."

The label says it doesn't fit with the "gay" theme.

"Whiskey will keep you warm and get you down to sleep.

So dream, dream trailer rat, pretend you're a city mouse.

Comb your hair. Change your name. Try to be someone else.

But the cat will get you soon.

A trailer rat you'll always be."

"I love it," Caroline cheers clapping.

Desdemona stares into space. Wondering if she was doing the right thing. Wondering again..what's your price?

"Dez." Caroline calls her, rolling her chair over, "You okay?"

"Do you think if you don't put out, I'm not going to hang with you?" Desdemona asks, shifting her eyes.

Caroline just blinks not sure how to process it.

"Do you think I'll only like you if you give me an orgasm?"

Caroline exhaled, lowering her shoulders, "how...why would you say that?"

Desdemona sits back, "Because I think it's what I feel...95% of the time. Like people would only like me if I do something for them. Or to them."

"You don't have to..." Caroline starts.

"Well neither do you." Desdemona says right back.

Caroline's eyes grew heavy.

"I want you to like me." She says.

Desdemona leans forward,"I do like you. As a friend. Because I like that we have other things going than just sex. I like that I can...be myself with you."

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