Undefined Life of Mine

I walked into Eden, grabbing my apron from behind the counter and a notepad so I could take orders. I waitressed after school so I can get my own money, since I really can’t live off of my dad’s. He always had a way of finding out some money was missing. Whoever took his money, died.
“The usual, Mr. Harris?” I asked the oldest man in the building.
“Yes Melony, and don’t add bacon. I need to keep my eating habits healthy.” He smiled and removed his hat, revealing white hair.
“Okay, Mr. Harris.” I replied and stuck his order in front of the cook’s window. Mr. Harris had a heart attack a couple of days ago. It happened while he was waiting for his food and I was the first one to his aid. It was scary, really scary. I held his head and told him he couldn’t leave yet. He wasn’t allowed to. After three days in the hospital, and many visits, he finally was released and soon came to Eden to see me. Every day he thanks me and I tell him, if I was near death, I’d want someone saving me.
After hours of serving, it’s only five o’clock, and I get off in thirty minutes. Scott kept texting me and I’d reply as fast as I could. I bet he was probably on some drug right about now. He wanted to meet at eight, which was fine with me.
My aunt Sue then walked in. Mini-skirt, tight top; hair not even brushed but brought back into a messy bun. Her eye makeup was slightly messy and freckles brought out her paleness. Her green eyes found me and she jogged up to me. She’s really skinny, due to heroin sucking on her bones.
“Melony, I’ve been looking for you.” She smiled and sat on a stool in front of me.
“Why?” I asked and noticed her fingers tapping away and the bruises around her elbow.
She’s high and she just got paid.
“Well, what do you mean why?!” she said loudly, her eyebrows furrowed. “You know your mother told me to watch you.” She pointed a shaky finger at me. I laughed lightly and shook my head.
“I’m seventeen now, Aunt Sue. I can watch myself.” I smiled.
“Ah, but when I was seventeen, I thought I could watch myself too.” Aunt Sue, prostitute when she was sixteen, raped and beaten by the age of seventeen and was found by my mom. She helped Aunt Sue, and she ended up working for my dad. Aunt Sue is one of the oldest prostitutes; shocked she’s still alive.
“When you were born, your mother loved you so much. You were so beautiful and you had the cutest butt—“
“Okay!” I waved my hands around in her face, which really distracted her due to drugs.
“Aunt Sue, maybe I should take you home.” I told her.
“Home, where’s that?” She asked as I helped her walk.
“Home is with me.” I told her.

Getting Aunt Sue on the bus was difficult. She thought it was a monster that I tried to feed her to; took me about ten minutes to get on her and to sit down. A lot of people gave us dirty looks, but I told them to mind their business. The bus driver laughed; Bruce knew who I was and who Sue was. He was always nice to us, which made him family to me.
Finally arriving home, I had to drag Aunt Sue to one of the couches in the living room. She fell asleep while walking, which means she hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. Properly working herself to the bone just to stay alive.
I placed a blanket over my aunt before checking if my dad was home. I called for him, checked every room in the house, finding nothing. Except for some passed out prostitutes in some rooms and the hallway. They all live here and sleep all day then have to work all night. If they didn’t then they don’t get the drugs they want. It was simple. If you tried to take money, you’d die. It was simple.
“Hi Melony.” My name erupted in the hall from all the cracked out women.
“Hello.” I said as I walked to my bedroom, pulling out my room key and unlocking it. I walked into my fresh aired room, closing the door behind me. My bed was blankets on the carpet floor and my closet was a white basket full of my clothes. My food was in a mini fridge that I bought with my own money and black out curtains made my room look dark and feel cool.
My job for my dad was to clean prostitute’s clothes if blood was visible, underwear must always be cleaned. I had to provide pads or tampons, condoms and drugs. My dad would give me the money and I must give back all change. If I take money, I’d be punished. I don’t know what the punishment is exactly but…I’ve heard screaming behind this one door countless of times and I really don’t want to find myself on the other side.
I grabbed my favorite gray hoodie and a small baggy of some fresh California bud. It was hidden under my mini fridge, in a hole in the carpet that I made. I shoved it in my pocket and grabbed some papers and a couple of dollars before heading out and locking my door.
I hopped over a couple of girls when I reached the bathroom and found two girls; one asleep in the tub, another planted against the toilet. I stared at myself in the mirror to find my black hair slightly messy from the wind and my blue eyes seemed pale and I was just too skinny due to small supplies of food. I grabbed my tooth brush and began brushing my teeth. Once I finished, I ran my fingers through my hair and searched through the bathroom cabinets. I pulled out a small capsule of pills and popped out one.
“Hey,” I whispered to the girl by the toilet. She looked up at me in a haze. “Take this; it’ll get rid of the nausea.” I handed over the small white pill; she took it gladly.
“Thank you.” She smiled, her eyes squinting.
“You’re welcome.” I said and walked out, finding a girl sitting, appearing lifeless…Around her eyes, it was black; hard to tell if it was makeup. Her cheeks looked too thin, the bones in her body showed too much. I pressed my hand against her face; cold, deathly cold.
I let out a sigh and stared at her. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders in a mess, and if she wasn’t here, probably not addicted to drugs, she’d be beautiful and in school. She looks around the age of sixteen, maybe.
I then stood up and walked back into the bathroom, grabbing a box from under the sink. I grabbed blue tape and a sharpie.
“Another one?” the girl next to the toilet asked.
“Yeah,” I said quietly and rushed back out to the lifeless girl. I wrapped the blue tape around each wrist, labeling date and time. As I was writing on the blue tape a hand wrapped around my wrist, causing me to jump in surprise; I looked over to see a woman with tangled blonde hair and bloodshot blue eyes.
“She’s not dead, is she?” she whispered, tears swelling up in her eyes. She was shaking now and she began to cry. “She’s not dead.” She then sat up more and took the girls head in her hands, looking at her. “Wake up, Ashley.” She demanded and I felt my heart ache. My stomach tensed up as her screams for Ashley were heartbreaking. I got up fast, so I didn’t have to see such a scene and put the blue tape away before heading to the basement. I jogged down the steps to find two of my dad’s men in modern clothes with soulless eyes.
“Death row,” I said and they nodded, as I turned around I ran into another one of my dad’s men.
“Hey Mel,” Steven looked down at me.
“Hey! I need to talk to you.” I said and pulled him back up the stairs to the living room and once he saw Sue, he fell to his knees besides her.
“What happened?” he asked and pressed his hand to her forehead. I felt jealous press against me from the sight of such love. I wanted someone to care for me just as much as Steven cared for Aunt Sue. I wanted someone to love me as much as Steven loved Aunt Sue.
“She came to me at work and said she was looking for me and passed out by the time I got her here.” I said and Steven moved Aunt Sue’s hair from her face. I remembered when Steven first started working for my dad. I was eleven and I was playing cards with Aunt Sue in the kitchen. Steven walked in with my dad, young and innocent looking; his orange hair and brown eyes with a muscular face. Aunt Sue loved the very sight of him and she tried to hide that fact. Steven even asked my dad who I was and why was such a young child in such a place. He said, “She’s my daughter and you’ll find out why she’s here when she’s fifteen.”
Ever since that day though, his views were changed and he was so nice to me. He was more of a dad to me, a dad I’ve always wanted. I still wonder why he even showed up but I’m glad he did. Aunt Sue’s second home is with him, and heir five year old daughter, Nora. Only I know about Nora and if my dad found out about Steven and Sue, he’d kill Steven, punish Sue, and make sure Nora would probably replace me once she turns fifteen. Or worse, kill her. Cold blood ran through my father’s veins, it’s hard to believe I was his child.
Steven took Aunt Sue into his arms and gestured for me to follow. I followed out the living room and into the front yard. We walked to Steven’s car, a black sedan, nicely polished; a gift from my dad. Steven set Sue in the passenger seat as soon as I opened the car door.
“I got to get her to Nora; somehow Nora gets her back on her feet.” Steven said and shut the door before turning to face me.
“You need to get her out of here. The drugs are going to kill her.” I spoke and saw Steven’s eyes fill up with pain; he was desperately trying not to break.
“I know,” he pressed his hand against his face and let out a sigh. “I’m trying, we’re both trying but you know how your father is.” He then leaned back against the car door. Even if Sue tried to quit, my father would still drug her.
“Just do it for Nora.” I said before giving him a hug. Steven squeezed me in return, his leather jacket making a sound from the movement.
“’We’ll do it for you, too.” He said before pulling back and kissing my forehead. He then walked to the driver’s side of the car, getting in and starting up the engine. I waved at him as they pulled out of the drive way and drove down the road.
I shoved my hands in my hoodie’s pocket, feeling the plastic baggy and papers. I then looked at the time on my watch; only an hour till Scott gets here. I feel good though a part of me is dreading something. I feel something weighing me down, something is picking at me…
Once I walked inside, I saw Ashley’s body being carried through the kitchen door way and I can hear the sobs of the blonde from the hallway.