Chapter 8: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

*AMY'S POV*

I still can't believe I decided to do this...Lord help me, it sounds so bad...but...I just couldn't see any other options...Daddy always told me not to judge people too quickly because they're just trying to get by like we all are...I didn't realize how true that was.

I am so thankful for the gift of compartmentalization...otherwise I would have some severe self-esteem problems at this point.  Every morning I am able to just put this away and somehow I can still be the wholesome oldest Keagan sister with her head on straight.

Yup, that's it...pay no attention to the 6 bills rolling out of her pocket and the smeared makeup...and the fact that she takes off at night and doesn't come home until dawn...nothing to see here.  Just let me get back to writing...which I have been doing in the daytime...and keeping up the appearance of having all my shit together...when do I sleep?  Shoo..if you figure it out, let me know.

 I thought maybe I could get by with being out all night because that's when I do my hacking anyway, but apparently I am extremely disheveled for the second morning in a row and Kelsey notices.

I get to the property while she's looking through her telescope.  When she sees me, she looks concerned.  Great.

Kelsey: What the hell is wrong with you?

Amy: What?

Kelsey: You look like shit.

Amy: Thanks.

Kelsey: No seriously...what's going on with you?

Amy: I've just stayed up all night hacking...

Kelsey: You never looked this tired before...

Amy: Yeah...well...I'm working really hard.

Kelsey: Are the computers starting to grow legs and run away from you or something?  And what's wrong with your makeup?  Have you been crying?

Amy: No. *liar*

Kelsey: Uh-huh, something's wrong, tell me.

Amy: Nothing is wrong, don't worry about it.

Kelsey: I'm not letting it go until you tell me.

Amy: Then you'll be waiting a long time.

Kelsey: tell me.

Amy: No.

Kelsey: Tell me.

Amy: No.

Kelsey: Fucking tell me.

Amy: NO!  Stop it Kels...don't worry about it.

Kelsey: If you don't tell me I'm going to have to beat it out of you.

Amy: Kel...OUCH! *punched in the arm*  Damn it...leave me alone.

Kelsey: *punches again* Not until you tell me.

Amy: OW!  For fuck's sake, Kels...my arm is turning red.

Kelsey: *rears fist back again* You gonna tell me?

I sigh.  I should have known I can't keep shit from her.

Amy: Okay fine...I started to...*clear dry throat*...havesexformoney...to supplement our income.  *Saying it really fast makes it sound better...yeah, that's it*

Kelsey: *eyebrows raised* Wha-huh?  Did I hear you right?

Amy: If you heard that I'm bangin' for bucks...than yes.

Kelsey: *punches again* Quit lying.

Amy: Ow!  I swear, if you punch me again...*look her straight in the eye* I'm not lying.

Kelsey: *leans in and sniffs me* Well that explains the smell of Old Spice and teenage boy bedrooms.

Amy: What do teenage boy bedrooms smell like?

Kelsey: You can figure it out.  What the fuck are you doing this for?  We don't need money that bad.

Amy: Oh yeah?  Look around us, I think we do...I'm only doing this for Rebecca anyway...

Kelsey: Why the hell would you be doing this for Bec?

Up to this point, I have been keeping the Ambrosia recipe a secret from everyone.  I don't want anyone getting their hopes up if I can't make it happen.

So I tell her everything...what Nakia told me, how much the recipe book costs, and how there's no way I'm going to be able to make enough.  She's quiet afterward.  Then she smacks me in the back of the head.

Amy: What the....?

Kelsey: Why the hell didn't you tell me?

Amy: *rubbing head* You know, we really need to work on your people skills.

Kelsey: Shut up wh...well shit, I can't even call you a whore anymore...it's not so funny when it's true.

Ouch.  I would rather her have hit me again.  *Don't start crying, don't start crying, don't start crying.  Aww shit*  Tears start welling in my eyes and I desperately try to blink them away.  I rarely let anyone see me cry, especially my sisters, and I hope she doesn't notice, but she does.

Kelsey: Shit...I'm sorry sis...I didn't mean it like that.

Amy: *wiping eyes* No, you're right...I can't believe it's come to this.  I can't quit though...I make $200 a pop...do you know how much that's helping us?

Kelsey: *pause* I want to do it too.

Amy: Are you kidding me?  No.

Kelsey: Why can't I?  You apparently feel like you have to do it.

Amy: Yeah, but it's not the same.

Kelsey: Yes it is...come on, what have I got to lose?

Amy: Your dignity.

Kelsey: *scoff* Look around!  What dignity?  Where's my dignity?  Is it wrapped up in the sleeping bag I sleep in every night or maybe the junkyard where I rummage through garbage looking for scraps...or maybe back at the gym...yeah, it probably fell out when I had to use their shower for the first few days we were here.  Could my dignity be in any of those places?  I swear, I can't find it anywhere.

Amy: Ha, funny smartass...you know what I mean...I'm thinking this would be an all time low.

Kelsey: Soooo, I ask again, it's okay for you because?

Amy: I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not dragging you down.

Kelsey: Hi, have we met?  Last I checked I'm an adult...and we're all trying to make it together.  You can't handle all of this yourself, so I don't know why you're trying.

Amy: Wow, thanks...great pep talk...

Kelsey: It's the truth from where I'm looking at it, but you don't have to do it all yourself, dumbass.

Amy: I don't know...

Kelsey: If we are both bringing home that kind of bank every night we won't have to do it for long.

Amy: True...

Kelsey: If you don't help me get into it, I'm just gonna go out on the streets and do it for myself.

Amy: You would get caught...what about your job...in law enforcement?

Kelsey: *shrugs* If I get caught I'll just say I'm working undercover...I'll probably get points for being a self-starter.

Amy: You're crazy.

Kelsey: Seriously...let me help.  Who knows, maybe I'll find my Prince Charming...like in Pretty Woman.

Amy: That was a movie.

Kelsey: Yeah, but we have hearts of gold...

Amy: Really?

Kelsey: Okay, maybe not.

**********

A couple days later...

*REBECCA'S POV*

I cannot believe I still have to work out as a ghost.  That freakin' blows.  Work is going pretty good, but they're keeping me in the studio instead of out on shows...they don't want to freak out the fans...I personally thought it might be cool to be a ghost rock star, but my producer and manager didn't see it that way.  Okay, fine.  Either way I want to stay in shape...so here I am doing cardio as usual.

Amy and Kelsey haven't been around much...Kelsey is working in the morning, then out at night...she probably found some dude she's been shacking up with.

I really want a boyfriend...I've been talking to someone but I'm not really sure where it's going.

Amy has been gone all the time too...she doesn't even have a day job...but I guess she's writing because she ran in here with $1200 last night...which is good because we only had $20 left.

**********

*KELSEY'S POV*

I know what y'all are probably thinking, these bitches are crazy!  Right?  Am I warm?  I'm thinking so.  I probably would have agreed with you before...like, last week.

There's something I have realized...people will do desperate things when times get really hard.  Maybe this isn't the best idea, but think about it...I'm a bit of a flirt anyway...some might say I'm a whore...but I don't buy into that crap.  I'm a young, independent, woman of age...I feel like I should be able to make out with or screw whoever I want to...as long as I'm safe (which I am).  So...this is really the same thing, I'm just getting paid for it.  There's nothing wrong with that, right?

Yeah, well, who asked you anyway.

We have made so much money the last couple days...there's no other way we could have made it.  For example, I know Amy basically struck gold last time she used the drill, but I tried it and I made maybe $50.  Woo!

To beat it all, check this out:

Well hot damn!  That looks like a house!  We have been able to completely enclose the second level...that much closer to bedrooms!

This is what it looks like from the inside...pretty awesome, huh?

We have also been able to add on to the living room...

And update some of our kitchen stuff...pretty cool, huh?

Hopefully we'll make enough money that we won't have to do this for much longer anyway.

*********

*ZOEY'S POV*

I effing hate this shower...It breaks all the time...the seal on the door constantly leaks and the shower head sprays in all different directions...and that's on a good day.

So when I get a royalty check from my publisher, I think about replacing it...but it would be with another piece of crap, so I decide to buy two computers for the house.  Amy has been gone all the time lately because she's been busy writing and hacking.  This way, she can do everything from the house.

As soon as they get in, she sits down and starts writing even though it's kind of late.

Zoey: Wow, are you in the middle of a writing streak or something?

Amy: Me?  No, I'm just starting.

Zoey: This book, right?

Amy: No...this is my first book.

Zoey: Oh...

I'm tired, so I head to one of the empty rooms, sprawl out my sleeping bag and go to sleep.

For some reason Amy's last words are ringing in my head...like I should be paying attention to them.

"This is my first book"?

Wait a minute...she's been rolling in here with these huge stacks of cash...where is she getting the money if not from writing?

Aw shit, she better not have sold a kidney or something...

....THE NEXT MORNING...

Amy is in the kitchen looking kind of ragged, like she didn't get any sleep.

Zoey: Hey, were you up all night writing?

Amy: *yawn* Huh?  *yawn*  Oh...uh...yeah.

*raise eyebrow & glare*

She's hiding something.

Zoey: So are you done?

Amy: *yawwwwwnnnn* um...almost.

Zoey: did you get any sleep at all?

Amy: Not really.  *Yawn, yawn*

Zoey: oh, I guess you'll sleep today then.

Amy: No!  I have to write.  *Yawn*

Zoey: *glare* Why would you need to write if you wrote all night?

Amy: *looks guilty and surprisingly still sleepy* Um...

Zoey: Uh-huh...what's going on with you?

Amy: Well...um...

Zoey: Amy, how long have we been best friends?

Amy: I don't know...

Zoey: Yes you do.

Amy: ten years.

Zoey: Ten.  Years.  In that ten years, has there ever been anything you couldn't tell me?

Amy: No...

Zoey: So what's different now?

Amy: How can you be sure something is wrong?

Zoey: Do we need to go back to the portion of this conversation where we go over how long we've been best friends?

Amy: *smiles* No.

Zoey: Ok, you've brought this on yourself.

Amy: What?

Zoey: I'm not leaving your side until you tell me.

Amy sighs.  

Zoey: Okay.

I stand there and say nothing.  I know she won't be able to stand not telling me.

Sure enough, it isn't long before she cracks.

Amy: Damn it...you know me too well, don't you?

Zoey: Uh-huh.

Amy: I hate you.

Zoey: No you don't.  You know you'll feel better about whatever it is if you talk to me.

Amy sighs again.

Amy: Okay I'll tell you...but you're not going to like it.

Zoey: *my turn to sigh* Okay...is this worse than the time you tried to talk me into going to Las Vegas, getting married to the first guys we meet and then get divorced just so we could stop having to say we're single?

Amy: Um...

Zoey: Whoa...okay, I'm ready...just tell me.

Amy *deep breath* I've started a new job...

Zoey: It's not a sniper, is it?

Amy: No...

Zoey: Okay...so what?

Amy: I've been working as a prostitute.

When she tells me I just kind of freeze with this expression on my face.

Amy: I know it's crazy and stupid...and...

Zoey: Are you using protection?

Amy: Of course...I can't imagine what you're thinking about me right now...

Zoey: Hey, no...I'm not judging you...you know we don't do that here.

Amy: Yeah...

Zoey: I'm just wondering why in the world you feel like you have to do this.

Amy: It's really good money...

Zoey: *sigh* Things are going to get better soon...we're all working...I can write more than I am.

Amy: You're already writing all the time..

Zoey: You don't have to do this.

Amy: Yes I do...It's Rebecca...

She tells me about the Ambrosia...and having to come up with $12,000 just for the book...holy shit.

She also tells me all about her job....

 

Zoey: Okay...what's this thing about internet stuff?

Amy: You know how back when we were younger we went to all these creepy chat rooms and talked dirty to guys that were probably a good decade older than us?

Zoey: I kind of shutter when I remember that, but yeah.

Amy: It's like that...except we get paid.

Zoey: Hmmm...I could probably stand to do that...

Amy: Seriously?

Zoey: Yeah, why not?  No exchange of body fluids necessary?  I dig it already...

So that's the plan...and in the next few days we bring in a lot more money...

We get the upstairs sectioned off into two bedrooms and those two empty rooms downstairs become bedrooms as well....

And we finally get beds...as long as Amy and Kelsey promise not to bring their work home.

***AGAIN I DON'T CONDONE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT HOW FAR THEY ARE WILLING TO GO FOR EACH OTHER***

***GETTING PAID FOR WOO-HOO CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH TWALLAN'S WOO-HOOER - I REALLY OWE THIS DUDE A LOT FOR MAKING ALL MY BLOGS AWESOME!  LOL***